Screaming and panicked, residents in Los Angeles abruptly abandoned their vehicles to escape a ferocious wildfire closing in on the Pacific Palisades area on Tuesday. Eyewitness accounts describe chaotic scenes, with homeowners fleeing on foot as heavy winds propelled the initially modest brush fire into a rapidly spreading inferno.
In a matter of hours, the fire surged from 10 acres to several thousand, forcing officials to order evacuations for approximately 30,000 residents. The celebrity-adorned neighborhood, situated near Malibu along the Santa Monica Mountains, became a hotbed of tension as flames approached homes, and the Pacific Coast Highway turned into a gridlock, trapping many in their cars.
One resident, Marsha Horowitz, recounted frantic moments when firefighters urged motorists to leave their vehicles. "The fire was right up against the cars," she shared, representing the urgency felt by many who found themselves in peril. Throughout the community, others shared similar harrowing experiences.
Another evacuee, who chose to remain unnamed, shared her ordeal, racing back from Hollywood to save her cat. "Flaming pieces of palm tree fell on me as I ran to safety," she said, illustrating the dangers that accompanied her flight. "It's terrifying. It's like a horror movie."
Amid the chaos, celebrities like James Woods and Steve Guttenberg had to evacuate their homes, with Guttenberg advising fellow residents to leave their car keys in abandoned vehicles for easy access by emergency responders. "This is not a parking lot. I have friends up there and they can't evacuate," Guttenberg expressed on KTLA.
As evacuations ensued, bulldozers were called in to clear away stranded vehicles, facilitating the passage of fire trucks tackling the fast-approaching blaze. Reports surfaced of homes being lost, heightening concerns about the devastating impact of the wildfire.
Residents not only in Pacific Palisades but also in nearby areas like Topanga Canyon and Venice Beach witnessed the flames' ominous glow. Kelsey Trainor stood witness to the hysteria, saying that "people were getting out of the cars with their dogs and babies and bags, they were crying and screaming."
Ellen Delosh-Bacher described the pandemonium she faced as she rushed to her home. She found herself stalled amidst a chaotic traffic jam caused by the wildfire, with emergency responders ordering, "Run for your lives!" as flames erupted nearby.
The wildfire underscores a continuing trend of destructive flames in California, leaving residents on edge as they navigate the intricate task of ensuring their safety amidst such harrowing circumstances.
