Our weekly advice column from Giselle Massi, a former journalist with The Denver Post.

G: I’ve been involved in enough conversations about fire, particularly wild fires, that my hair is about to be set on fire. But anyone who is up on the news knows that many parts of the world—France, Spain, and even much closer to home here in the west—have been up in flames for a long time. These newest deadly forest fires that have been breaking out in Utah and Colorado are proving to be way too big for the firefighters to put out without help from rainmakers, much less to ignore. Smoke in the air is impossible to forget.

So out of control these blazes have become, that even the apocalyptic imagery doesn’t do them justice. The vastness of the loss of property, habitat, economic and emotional destruction is incalculable, even for an artificial intelligence system’s ability to cipher. And that is where Ai has sparked new flames that are joining up with these infernos already in progress.

More than a few intellectuals and politicians have smashed the fire alarm box to warn us of AI’s life-threatening danger. They convey scary projections of its devastating effects on the economy. They profile personal stories about what the data centers – the massive structures that are needed for AI to function – are already doing to previously lovely neighborhoods and municipalities.

These ginormous operations are creating noise levels and health concerns, adding to the affordability and lifestyle crisis, fueling real worry and anxiety in citizens that now can expect increased energy and water bills due to the drain of power and water required to build and operate these ear and eyesores. Water and power that could be used for firefighting.

Many of us live with wildfire and other natural risks and are urged to create an escape route, to make up a survival kit, and get a plan in place for how to communicate with loved ones. Beyond these issues are the bigger consequences of natural disasters:  where to live when you cannot afford to move away or qualify for insurance once the destruction takes hold and insurance companies leave the state or raise premiums above one’s budgetary ceiling.

How are any of these folks who are already living in an AI data center ring of fire, or about to have a center as their newest most unwelcome neighbor – who are seeing their property values plummet – ever going to recoup their investment, or be able to afford to move away?

These days, a great deal of our shared communication, whether coming to us via traditional or new media, has been about how much of our existence, our dreams, are going up in smoke. Like many problems that can develop slowly over time or from traumas that suddenly occur and change everything, the central question is reduced to whether one possesses a capacity for laser focus, particularly onto one’s attitude/mental health.

To those who have been asking me what can be done to prepare for the worst, including those wondering what job they are to guide their children to pursue or where to invest their education resources for themselves if they need to switch careers—because most all jobs are appearing to be at some degree of risk from the AI flames—I say, take stock of one’s priorities.

Just like when Covid hit and everything, even planetary life, became distressingly uncertain, today is an ideal time to get a grip on your attitude and mental health and begin the work to strengthen it to that of a diamond, which is the hardest natural occurring substance on this planet.

Prioritize that diamond goal by getting your spiritual house in order so that you don’t live in terror of what may come, that may never come. But do get to packing that emergency bag of your essential valuables and consider donating to the Red Cross or other relief agencies and first responders who are doing the hard work of holding the line on the apocalypse. They will regard your kindness as valuable as a diamond.

Giselle M. Massi is the author of “We are Here for a Purpose: HOW TO FIND YOURS” and the novel “Just Dance the Steps.” Her romantacy “WYNTER’S DREAM” is now available. Giselle was a journalist with The Denver Post for 16 years and writes the newspaper advice column TELL GISELLE. Contact her at www.gisellemassi.com.