Fleeing home with the most essential belongings—or whatever can be gathered in that situation—in the midst of a “war scene” and not knowing when or if one will be able to return, and in what state everything will be. This is the situation faced by thousands of people in Los Angeles in the face of the wave of fierce fires plaguing the region, which have caused the death of at least five people and the displacement of over 150,000. Some Spanish residents in the city on the west coast of the USA have shared their experiences facing flames that have consumed over 6,000 hectares, thousands of homes, and iconic landmarks of the City of Stars such as the Walk of Fame or the Hollywood sign.
Jordi and Gemma, two Catalans residing in the city of La Cañada, north of Los Angeles and very close to the Eaton area fire, have told El món on RAC1 that early this Wednesday morning, while they were sleeping, they received an alert on their cell phone ordering them to evacuate the area immediately. A few hours ago, they were able to return home and confirm that the fire still “hadn't entered” the house. After grabbing “a few things,” they left again. Tonight they are in Pasadena, “at a friend's house.”
Nuria San Juan, a native of Santander who has been living in Los Angeles since 1998 (currently in the Brentwood neighborhood) and works as a teacher at Paul Revere Charter Middle School, has described to Europa Press the situation of the city amidst a wave of fires. “The most terrible thing I have witnessed. It's like a war scene.”
According to the testimony of San Juan, despite having experienced other fires in the city in the past, the one currently affecting the entire urban area is particularly fierce “due to its speed and proximity” to inhabited areas, a fire that has already led to the evacuation of over 100,000 people.
The alert remains at its highest level, at least until this Friday. That's why the evacuated families do not know when they will be able to return to their homes. In fact, Jordi and Gemma do not know if they will have a home to return to. “We know many people who have lost their homes and all they have left is what they have in the car,” the woman recounts. Additionally, since many houses are made of wood, the entire structure is charred, and “the only thing that remains is a chimney.” Gemma's sister is one of those who has lost everything: “She is devastated. She found out that the house is completely destroyed, it's heartbreaking.”
On the other hand, Professor Nuria San Juan experienced one of those mass evacuations at the school where she carries out her profession. Although it is common and routine to have preventive evacuations as drills throughout the school year, she says that in this case it was unexpected: “We didn't see it coming. The alarms went off, they took us out of class, we took a walk and were taken by bus to another center. It's all crazy.”
If our house is burned down, we return to Barcelona. We go to the airport and we all leave”
Although her particular home is located about two kilometers away from the fire, situated in what has come to be called a “red flag zone,” it remains sufficiently far from the flames. However, she remains on high alert and with her suitcase packed in case of a hypothetical evacuation call “in case of any change in the wind.” From her home, in any case, she can see the fire “perfectly” and with concern. “It's a massive fire.”
A coworker, also from Cantabria, hasn't been as lucky. “Her house has been reduced to ashes. She left, went to teach a class, and couldn't return.” “I remember when my father told me about the fire in Santander, which was also a horrible thing.”
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Meanwhile, the Catalan couple is living in such great uncertainty that they are considering whether their future still lies in the United States. She is a visual artist, and he is a construction project consultant; after 10 years in New York, they have been living in Los Angeles for one year. When they had to leave home in a hurry, they only took “a change of clothes and their passports.” That's why they have one thing clear: “If our house is burned down, we're going back to Barcelona. We'll go to the airport and leave together.”
Asked if they believe that the authorities have control of the situation, both agree that they must “be overwhelmed because they have many fronts open,” but that despite being “tired, they are doing everything they can” to control the fires and inform the population.