January 8, 2025 • 31 mins
T.J. connects with his team of co-workers at iHeartMedia who have been affected and displaced by the fires in LA. They are sharing their stories from Los Angeles in cars as they evacuate and alongside their families and children in hotel rooms.
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Speaker 1 (00:02):
Two dead, a thousand structures destroyed, numerous people injured, eighty
thousand people evacuated, twenty two square miles burned, half a
million people without power, one hundred schools closed. LA is
on fire, and a lot of residents are on the run.
(00:26):
Hello everybody to the special edition of Amy and TJ
covering the mess that we are all witnessing from afar,
many of us, but many are experienced experiencing it in
southern California as those fires continue to burn out of control,
very limited containment out there because of those winds. Again,
we're talking about winds that are sixty to one hundred
(00:48):
miles an hour, that is strong enough to be a tornado.
And the fire chief out there and many have talked
about that fact that imagine a hurricane, imagine a tornado,
but instead of just whipping around wind and rain, whipping
around fire. That is what those folks are dealing with
right now. It looks like as of this recording, there's
some relief coming maybe on Thursday and Friday, because firefighters,
(01:09):
thousands of them out there. They're asking for all duty
folks to even come in. Folks are coming in from
out of state. They try to help out out there.
They're asking for all hands on deck, but they can't
even do a whole lot because the winds are so strong.
There's really not a whole lot that can be done.
They're trying to save lives and save property, but the
life is the priority and at least too dead as
(01:29):
of this recording. Like I said, a lot of residents
are on the run, and among them are several of
our direct iHeart team, our direct team that works with
us at iHeart. Many of them, a big chunk of
them are out in LA and they many of them
are on the run as well. I talk to several
of them, and I want to share their stories with
(01:50):
you now. Eileen, Lorraine, Kinderlen Blair, They're They're all some
of our people. And one of them I had to
talk to on the side of the road because that's
where she had to pull over with her family so
that she could make the phone call because they are
on the run right now. Another talk to from the
lobby of a hotel where she and their family of
(02:10):
five are waiting to check in to a hotel. Still
can't get in for the next several hours. But again,
these are just some of the many, many stories that
we are seeing and hearing play out in LA right now.
So right now, I want to share with you the
stories of some of our people who are literally running
and hoping they'll have a home to go back to.
(02:33):
And Eileen is with us now, and Eileen, we appreciate
you taking the time. I know you and your family
are going through it. But tell me this. First of all,
you are talking to me from.
Speaker 2 (02:43):
I'm talking to you from the west side of LA
near where we've got evacuated, from where we live.
Speaker 1 (02:50):
But you're physically sitting where.
Speaker 2 (02:52):
Right now, I'm physically sitting in a car trying to
figure out our next move. We got evacuated last night,
so we're at a hotel hell, and then we just
stepped out to get some food and just kind of
see if we can get back home or close to
home to pick up some more stuff.
Speaker 3 (03:06):
But we can't, so we're kind of just figuring out
our next move.
Speaker 1 (03:10):
And when you left, I leaned the house the first time.
What were you under mandatory evacuation? Did you get a
heads up or did you all just say, hey, we
need to get to get the hell on out of here.
Speaker 3 (03:21):
So that's a great question.
Speaker 2 (03:23):
So it was we from our backyard, we can see
all the flames.
Speaker 3 (03:27):
And we it wasn't that close.
Speaker 2 (03:28):
But I started to get worried, and then they evacuated
my kids' school, and then he came home and he
was really scared, and I was like, we got to
get ahead of this.
Speaker 3 (03:36):
So we did get mandatory evacuated.
Speaker 2 (03:38):
But we did leave about an hour before we got
the call, just to get a hotel because all the
hotels were sold out. So we left a little bit
before we were mandated to evacuate.
Speaker 1 (03:48):
What what would you say you got out of there
just in the nick of time? Do you? I mean? What?
How much of a threat is you? All's home still
under right now?
Speaker 3 (03:58):
So we're we're on the I.
Speaker 2 (04:00):
Our house is literally on the border of the Palisades
and Brentwood, So we weren't in like immediate threat, but
because the winds are the winds were ferocious last night.
They were so bad and we don't know which are
you're gonna they were gonna blow and I don't want
to be sleeping, you know, and watch them.
Speaker 3 (04:15):
We just didn't know, so we just we wanted to leave.
Speaker 2 (04:19):
Plus I've kids and they were scared, so we just
knew that it was obvious to leave.
Speaker 1 (04:24):
Ilean ten with their ages. Your kids.
Speaker 3 (04:26):
Wait, I have a twelve year old and fourteen year old,
and my fourteen year old school is in the Palisades
and it's gone.
Speaker 1 (04:32):
It's now you will to pick up a family of four.
I think you said you went to the store and
you were trying to buy some stuff because you left
the house and had nothing. But what do you all
physically have in terms of possessions right now? On you?
Speaker 2 (04:45):
So we left when all this happened. We left, and
I just I looked around. I'm like, I don't really
have only have anything to take.
Speaker 3 (04:52):
I got my kids, so I we just left. I
packed nothing.
Speaker 2 (04:56):
I took my computer and my and my bag with
my wallet, and literally my my kids grab their chargers
and their iPads, and then we just left. I just
didn't think we'd be out that long. I mean, hopefully
it we'll be back soon. But I know there are
people that are just so much worse than us. That
we have so many friends that lost their homes.
Speaker 1 (05:13):
Oh my goodness, how long have you been in the
LA Area.
Speaker 3 (05:17):
I've been here, O, my goodness, almost twenty years. I'm
actually from New York.
Speaker 1 (05:21):
Okay, you've been there twenty years. Folks that live in
LA are accustomed to these to fires, these these wind
whipped fires oftentimes. But so much of what I've been
hearing from people I talked to and just news coverage
and what I've been reading from folks that this is
different for some reason because of location and because just
of just how ferocious this thing is. Does this feel
(05:43):
different than years past?
Speaker 3 (05:45):
Oh yeah, it's one hundred percent.
Speaker 2 (05:47):
Like when I see fires on the news, they're usually
like in I mean, of course they're horrible, but they're
like in a field somewhere and they're burning like trees
and grass.
Speaker 3 (05:54):
Which is bad. But to see it happen, you know.
Speaker 2 (05:58):
In your town, where your kids' school is, your grocery store,
it's just and and there's nothing you can do because
the winds are so bad. You just everyone's just watching
it on. I mean, their homes burned like live and
there's nothing you can do. It's so different when it's
like people, you know, and a town as opposed to
like a field somewhere.
Speaker 1 (06:17):
Well, give me an idea of what LA looks like,
because I've been on the phone. I was on the
phone a short time ago with a friend in La
and the description of just how armageddon like if you
will the skies and just how it's scary the place
looks right now? Can you just kind of describe the
look of La?
Speaker 3 (06:36):
So, I think the word we've been using is I
don't can say it right? Is a po apocalyptic? Is that? What?
With mi? One of my kids is with me? It's spent?
Speaker 2 (06:44):
I mean it was obviously yesterday was frightening because it
just started. And last night when it's so dark you
just see like orange, and it was it's just so scary.
Speaker 3 (06:54):
So I would say, like like apocalyptic? Would you say that? Yeah?
Speaker 1 (06:58):
What do you do? I mean, how do you in
a situation like this given the ages of your kids?
They're they're not babies necessarily, but they're also not adults.
They are not teenagers, not high schoolers. I mean, what,
how how have you been talking and guiding and I
don't know, you're scared yourself? How do you go about
keeping them calm through this? All?
Speaker 4 (07:17):
You know?
Speaker 3 (07:17):
I know we're going to be fine.
Speaker 2 (07:18):
I mean, like I said, a lot of people lost
so much, so we're so grateful. My older one is fourteen,
and I think he's kind of he's okay. I don't
think he realizes just like he's not. His school's gone
and stuff. But my twelve year old really scared and
that was like the main reason why I left. He
was really really scared.
Speaker 3 (07:34):
And you know that he.
Speaker 2 (07:36):
Woke up last night a few times thinking our hotel
wasn't further enough away from the fire and we should
go somewhere else. So it's really hard. I mean, these
kids have seen so much that, you know, in their life, between.
Speaker 3 (07:46):
COVID and now this. It's just it's hard.
Speaker 2 (07:51):
But they're doing great, you know, Like I said, we're
grateful that we're all together and you know, we got
a place to stay.
Speaker 1 (07:57):
You know what, what has the conversation been like with
Like I said, you've got a hotel, and I'm sure
you run to other people. Everybody's in the same situation
out there. But I guess what is the Oftentimes in
situations like this, we see people come together and nables,
neighbors helping one another. But I guess, give me a
sense of the folks who are in the same boat,
how what the feel and the mood and how the
interactions have been.
Speaker 2 (08:18):
Sure, sure, so we're on on so many group chats
with so many friends just about evacuation and where they're staying,
and like, we have a great team at work that
everyone's just kind of checking in with each other and
if anyone needs anything, if anyone's pets need to go anywhere,
if anyone needs a place to stay, we have so
many offers, and it's been like overwhelmingly with like just
so many great people willing to help.
Speaker 1 (08:41):
Well, I only we appreciate you jumping on here and
again it's you're taking the time and you're telling a
story that's going to help give perspective to this story
to a lot of other people across the country. So
just please know it's it really is appreciated that you
and your family would just even take a few minutes
with us. So thank you so much, Eleen.
Speaker 3 (08:59):
Yeah, thank you.
Speaker 5 (09:00):
You all right, I'll be safe out there, thank you.
And another one of.
Speaker 1 (09:14):
Our colleagues, producer that works with us, Lorraine, is out
there in southern California as well, at a hotel with
her family and Lorraine, I want to say thank you
first of all for taking any time with us, giving
what you all are going through. But do you know
right now the status of your home that you had
to evacuate.
Speaker 6 (09:33):
I don't. I have no idea what's going on in
that pocket of Lacagnata. And I'm you know, coming through
every app and next door trying to get information, but
there's nothing about where we are specifically. So it's really
frustrating praying.
Speaker 1 (09:50):
For a lot of people. Give us the best ideas
you can geographically where your home is compared to I
guess so much of what people have been seeing on
TV about the Palisades fire, the Eating Fire, the hurt,
but can you give us an idea of where your
home is and just how I guess close these fires
A get into it.
Speaker 6 (10:07):
So the fire that has displaced my family is the
Eating fire, and that's the one that originated Eaton Canyon,
and that's in Alcadena and locking out of flint Ridge,
which is where my family lives. We are right next door,
so we are like JPL is in Alta Dina and
(10:29):
that is also like adjacent to our town. And it's
a very small town. I think it's like a population
twenty two thousand people and the entire town was evacuated
this morning. I got, you know, all the emergency texts
started coming in at five am. My friend, my best
friend was calling me, and then I was like, oh
(10:50):
my god. And it was of course dark because we
lost power last night. So I just had to start packing,
you know, and and I was still half asleep, like
wouldn't even think about what I was packing. And if
you know, I was like, where's the Living Trust? You know,
where are my mom's pictures, like all the things that
matter to me?
Speaker 3 (11:08):
The ray?
Speaker 1 (11:08):
What time a night was it you were doing that?
Speaker 6 (11:10):
It was it was five am this morning? It was
it was still very dark. We went to bed last night,
you know, seeing the flames in through a window, going well,
it's still in Altadena, you know, it'll take a long
time to pop over. And then when we woke up,
you know, and it was still nighttime.
Speaker 4 (11:28):
It was just.
Speaker 6 (11:30):
Real flames a lot and it had grown, and we're like,
oh god, this is it, Like this is going to
be us, and sure enough, you know, the phone started
going off.
Speaker 1 (11:39):
I have to ask, what kind of night's sleep did
you get knowing the fire is out the window, knowing
all the warnings were giving. Was that a difficult night sleep?
Because you know you might wake up and the flame
is right outside of the window.
Speaker 6 (11:53):
Yeah, I know it was. It was one of those
things where, you know, my husband and my two kids,
the four of us just kind of cuddled in bed
and I would check on my dad. But I mean
it was I think I was just so emotionally drained
from yesterday being worried losing power for hours, you know,
with two kids. It was just I was exhausted, and
I'm like, well, let's let's see what happened. I was
(12:15):
just hoping my my cell phone would last overnight. That
was my main thing. I just want my cell phone
to have enough battery, you know.
Speaker 1 (12:22):
Learn how did you all go about making the decision
to when to evacuate? I know the mandatory one came,
but how were you all weighing the decision before that,
of when you all were going to decide to maybe
go ahead and get out of there.
Speaker 6 (12:35):
I think that because we're never been through this before,
this is the first time, we just we actually didn't
even think about what if this happened to us.
Speaker 3 (12:45):
I don't know why.
Speaker 6 (12:46):
I don't know if we were just like in l
La Land, but we weren't really worried about ourselves. We
were watching the news going on, My god, look at it.
Poor these poor folks in the palisade, Like you know,
we were those people and then you know a few
hours later that was us. So it just happened so fast,
it really does. I know it's an overnight thing, but
(13:07):
it's just shocking at five am to you know, to
start grabbing everything, knowing that you might never come back
to your stuff. And it almost felt I know, it
sounds really weird to say, but it almost was kind
of freeing. It's kind of like, well, guess what, I
don't really need all this stuff. All I need are
just a few, you know, pictures of my mom and
my kids, and and some documents. And I'm okay, you know,
(13:32):
so I just felt okay about that.
Speaker 1 (13:34):
That is great perspective, Lorine. Thank you for that. You've
You've actually gotten me emotional with that. You make such
a good point of so much. So many things we
hold onto in value, that a material that mean nothing
in the grand scheme of things, They.
Speaker 6 (13:47):
Really do, They really mean nothing. Of course, my husband,
can I just tell you though I did. I snuck
in a fight with him this morning because here I
am taking in all like just grabbing the things that
are super necessary. And here I find he saved a
nineteen nineties cam quarter that doesn't even work like a
(14:11):
cam quarter.
Speaker 3 (14:12):
He saved it.
Speaker 1 (14:14):
You know that is perspective. You know what, That's a
great story. And you put a smile on my face
after making me cry before order my face with that.
Thank you so touch for that story. Can you tell
me didn't didn't you say that this house you will
haven't been in this house long or this neighborhood.
Speaker 4 (14:33):
Long, correct?
Speaker 6 (14:34):
Yeah, we used to live in West Hollywood and we
moved to Locking Down of flint Ridge in September. It
was our dream neighborhood and we've loved it ever since.
And now we've been.
Speaker 1 (14:44):
Displaced September twenty four.
Speaker 6 (14:47):
Yeah, September twenty twenty fourth, Lorrain.
Speaker 1 (14:49):
You just moved into this dream neighborhood and dream home
months ago, and right now as you speak to me,
you don't know if the thing is still standing exactly.
Speaker 3 (15:00):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (15:01):
Yeah. Tell me how the kids are doing.
Speaker 6 (15:04):
I mean, they're just they're kind of happy that school
has been canceled for the entire school district of Laciata
for the week, So they're happy about that, but they're
annoyed because we're in the lobby of the double Tree.
They won't check us in until three pm, and so
we're just sitting here in the lobby watching the news
and waiting, you know, waiting to get into our room
(15:26):
so we can shower and just kind of refresh.
Speaker 3 (15:29):
You know.
Speaker 6 (15:30):
But they just a lot of people that are staying
here have been displaced. I met some people from Altadena.
I mean, you could just tell, you could just tell
the clients here that are definitely homeless.
Speaker 1 (15:42):
Right now, Lorraine, what's the plan? I know you just
want to get into the room and maybe want to
get some rest when you can check in, But I
guess what's the plan the rest of the night and
into the morning.
Speaker 6 (15:54):
You know, monitor the apps and the you know, what
the fire is doing in our neck of the woods,
and just hope that some one of these days it's
going to be listed. I don't know how long we
can afford to stay in this hotel, so we might
have to go to my sister in law San Diego.
You know, when it's like this, you just have to
take it literally minute at a time, you know, like
(16:17):
it's just this hour, what are we doing? Okay? I
can't even think about tomorrow.
Speaker 3 (16:22):
I'm being honest, it's Lorraine, you know what.
Speaker 1 (16:25):
That is absolutely fair and you have a perspective and look,
I know it's been tough, but there's something in your
voice that sounds confident and assured, and for some reason
it's making us all feel a little better. So for that,
I thank you, and I'm sure it's a reassuring to
your family as well. But I know you have to
be going through it yourself while you're still keeping everybody
(16:46):
there calm and safe and maybe even upbeat. So Lorraine,
you taking the time here with me is a really
big deal. So thank you, thank you, Thank you so much,
and I promise you we'll be checking back in.
Speaker 6 (16:58):
With you glad to do it. Thank you so much. TJ,
have a good one. Appreciate you.
Speaker 7 (17:04):
By guys, What is that I.
Speaker 1 (17:06):
Hear in your voice? Kendle? Okay, oh where are you
right now? So?
Speaker 4 (17:13):
I live in Brentwood, but last night I evacuated and
now I'm in Orange County, which I feel so much
better being here.
Speaker 1 (17:20):
Now, Why do you say that for folks who don't
who aren't out there and not as familiar with the geography.
Why is it you feel better where you are now, well.
Speaker 4 (17:27):
There's obviously like still fires that may come to this area,
but when you're in Brentwater anywhere near the Los Angeles area,
the air quality is just terrible. And you know, the
roads are completely gridlocked, and the grocery stores like I
was in Whole Foods, and people it's like the purge
like COVID, Like everyone's freaking out. And you know, I
(17:49):
was at the gas station getting gas before I like evacuated,
and there was like all these cute families next to me,
like crying because they came from Palisades and they lost
their house, and it literally felt like a nightmare.
Speaker 7 (18:01):
So now I'm in an area where, you know, it
feels a little bit more normal. But it's just crazy
to think what's going on, honestly, you know.
Speaker 1 (18:08):
When you've heard a few stories and descriptions, but I
like to hear yours. What does La look like right now?
I just hear the skies are gray, and like you,
I haven't heard anybody describe the stuff in the grocery store.
But to think back to COVID times and people were
that whole thing, and people crying at the gas station,
but just putting I guess described for me in your words,
(18:31):
what does La look like right now right?
Speaker 4 (18:34):
And to give you like a background, like I'm from
the Midwest, I'm used the tornadoes, so this for me
my first time like dealing with this and the air,
like I will send you some photos. It is like
pitch black and it almost feels like it's like eighty
ninety degrees outside and it's hot and humid, and it
smells like fire, and it just feels like a ghost town.
(18:56):
Like there's literally Christmas trees that were like on the
side of the road needing to get picked up because
people were cleaning this week, and those are like in
the middle of the road. Like everything's just flying everywhere.
I mean, it literally just feels like it's an abandoned
town honestly.
Speaker 1 (19:13):
And Kendall, you you evacuated, but was this a mandatory evacuation?
Speaker 4 (19:18):
So I live in an area where I was one
block away from the mandatory evacuation. So I just decided,
rather than just sleeping and worrying, I was going to
get out before the night because it did get worse.
So I voluntary evacuated. But my apartment has no power
and it has limited water.
Speaker 1 (19:38):
It's still standing as far as you know, yes, okay,
how did you go about making that decision? I've heard
different stories from people making the decision about when to evacuate.
Of course they did when evacuation orders came, but how
did you go about balancing sticking around versus going ahead
and getting out of there and win?
Speaker 6 (19:58):
Right?
Speaker 4 (19:59):
So I was content, Like I said, like, I literally
have been in Los Angeles for a couple of years now,
and I'm clueless on how to deal with the fire.
So I went to the grocery store and I went
to the gas station to prepare if I needed to evacuate,
and just seeing how everyone acted around me, I was
it was clear that, like this is serious and I
should probably figure out where I'm going to go. So
I have a dog, and I kept thinking about, like
(20:20):
if I need to take my dog to the bathroom,
like outside is not safe, and you know, I don't
know what's with these what are they called embers? Like
they kept telling us about these embers and how they
could spark an apartment or even anywhere I'm close by,
and I just was getting stressed out about it. So
I just chose to get in my car at eight
pm last night, and I'd rather just get away and
stay somewhere safe than wait till the last minute and
(20:42):
be stranded and have to leave my car or anything
scary that people have been having to do.
Speaker 1 (20:47):
So Ken, where are you staying now?
Speaker 7 (20:49):
I'm an Orange County.
Speaker 4 (20:50):
I'm in like Anaheim area, and it's very very windy here,
but the skies are completely like normal and the sun
is out. So I'm just thankful that waiting it out
and seeing what's happening. But unfortunately, like I have a
lot of best friends whose parents have lost their homes
and it's just crazy.
Speaker 1 (21:06):
Now are you able, because again I've heard different stories
people struggling to get hotel rooms, and of course people
have friends and family where you did have a difficult
time finding a getting a roof over your head.
Speaker 7 (21:16):
I guess I should no, but I actually like it's amazing.
Speaker 4 (21:19):
I went to the first hotel like off an exit
where I felt like it was safe, and I have
a dog and usually they don't allow dogs, and they
let my dog come and they gave me a bunch
of vouchers for like food and drink, for in room
dining and stuff.
Speaker 7 (21:31):
So it's been actually great where I've.
Speaker 1 (21:33):
Been have you seen that. I know you described some
of the I mean seeing some of the people in
the grocery stores and people crying at at the gas station,
but what have you also noticed about people in terms
of right? People often come together at times to help
each other out, helping a neighbor out. But what is
the feel in the mood you're sensing from the people
(21:54):
you are able to interact with.
Speaker 4 (21:56):
Yeah, even strangers and people I know, I feel like
everyone's kind of like this they've never experienced before. Like
a lot of my friends, my boyfriend, they're from the valley,
they're from LA, They're used to fires, and they're like,
this is some thing we have never seen before. We
honestly don't know what to do and how to act.
So it's honestly just the unknown for a lot of people,
which is definitely freaky to me.
Speaker 1 (22:17):
What is your plan now for the next several hours?
And I guess day or two.
Speaker 4 (22:22):
Yeah, it's my Fuctor actually reached out and he was like,
the air quality where I live is terrible, so I regardless,
I'm just going to stay away even if the fire
is not right where my place is. If it gets
better or anything, So I'm just planning to stay at
a hotel for another night, and just going day by
day and seeing what I should do.
Speaker 1 (22:43):
You said, you're from the Midwest. Your family's still back
in the Midwest.
Speaker 7 (22:46):
Most of them, right, Yeah, they're still in the Midwest.
I'm from Indiana, Okay.
Speaker 1 (22:50):
I can imagine the phone calls and the text messages
you've been getting from your phones.
Speaker 3 (22:54):
I know.
Speaker 7 (22:55):
I mean they are like, they just don't understand. They're
not used to fires like this.
Speaker 4 (22:59):
So I'm just like, I'm just going with it and
following everyone's lead and just doing what I can.
Speaker 1 (23:05):
Yeah. That's funny when you say you're from the Midwest,
so I don't get that either, right, fires, I'm from
the South. Tornado what we understand, but to hear the
fire officials talk about, yeah, imagine, is this is just
that some of these winds are a tornado just with fire,
I mean, just win and debris. When she said that,
I said, oh, I get it. That's scary as hell.
Speaker 4 (23:25):
Yeah, Like I have seen some gnarly tornadoes and this,
like the fact it comes with fire, the strong winds
is just crazy to see. Like I was standing on
the roof of my apartment yesterday when it really started,
and just watching it from Afar was crazy, like I
have never seen anything like this.
Speaker 1 (23:47):
Well, Kendall, I know you got a lot going on
out there, but just taking the time and sharing your
story and helping add a voice and an experience to it.
For the rest of us in the country who aren't
out there, it helps us understand and experience what you all.
We can't really imagine what you all are experiencing, but
it really is important and I'm grateful that you took
(24:07):
time to tell your story. So thank you so so much,
and please please please stay safe out there, all right, of.
Speaker 7 (24:12):
Course we'll do thinking of everybody, all.
Speaker 1 (24:15):
Right, I see you kindle Bye Blair. How are you doing.
Speaker 8 (24:27):
I'm okay. I'm safe right now, which is good, but
little shaken up.
Speaker 1 (24:33):
Where are you right now?
Speaker 8 (24:34):
I'm in Marina del Rey, and I came from Brentwood.
Speaker 1 (24:38):
Oh goodness, brent Wood was yours a mandatory evacuation.
Speaker 8 (24:43):
I'm on the.
Speaker 9 (24:43):
Cusp of the mandatory evacuation, but I decided to leave
last night because we were worried that we might get
a warning at like three in the morning and have
to go somewhere.
Speaker 1 (24:57):
Now, how did you go about I'm curious here, Blake,
because I'm here different stories where like people have different
reasonings and different logic for how they decided to evacuate.
Some waited for the mandatory, some didn't wait at all,
Some were trying to balance. Some were like, I want
to stay in my house. How did you go about
making that decision and balancing when it was time to
(25:20):
get out of there?
Speaker 8 (25:21):
So I was watching the news all day, just kind
of glancing at it.
Speaker 9 (25:24):
It was on mute because I was working, and I
didn't really start to get really worried about it until
about like four o'clock when I saw went from like
seven hundred acres to twelve hundred acres and I was like, oh, okay,
so this is getting This is not contained at all.
And we weren't in the evacuation zone, but my apartment
(25:47):
was shaking and my windows were rattling, and so my
boyfriend and I were like pretty freaked out. And he's
also from the UK, so he was in like a
total panic because he's like not used.
Speaker 1 (25:59):
To this at all.
Speaker 8 (26:00):
He was like, we need to go right now.
Speaker 1 (26:02):
For the listeners here, the winds were so strong that
you were your building and your windows were shaking from
all those wing gusts.
Speaker 6 (26:10):
Is that right?
Speaker 9 (26:11):
Yes, yeah, so my building's pretty old, so I will
say like that had probably a lot to do with it.
But the windows in the bedroom were shaking back and
forth like so loudly, like we couldn't even be in
there now.
Speaker 1 (26:25):
That Again, I'm from the South, I know tornadoes, but
to hear them talk about out there that this the
winds are so strong, as strong as a tornado. The
tornado just is whipping around fire that is terrifying to
even imagine.
Speaker 8 (26:39):
Yeah, it was. It was pretty freaky.
Speaker 9 (26:42):
And so around like six o'clock we were debating, like, Okay,
do we go now?
Speaker 8 (26:47):
Do we wait it out longer?
Speaker 9 (26:49):
And my my boyfriend got a call from one of
his friends who works in the fire department up in
the Bay Area in California, and he was like, you
guys should probably just go now because it looks like
things are going to get worse and it's better to
be safe than sorry. So we started packing go bags
(27:11):
and you know, figuring out what to do next steps,
and we.
Speaker 8 (27:15):
Left last night.
Speaker 1 (27:17):
How long did it take you when you started packing up,
from the time you made the decision to the time
you walked out the door.
Speaker 8 (27:23):
It took me.
Speaker 9 (27:23):
Longer then I wanted, because I found myself going around
my house or my apartment and like, you know, taking
things off the shelf, like, oh, I need I need
to bring this this thing my sister got me, and
this thing my mom got me. And my boyfriend's like
you need to pack socks like toothpaste, and like, right,
I need to pack that. But it took us about, like, honestly,
(27:47):
like forty five minutes. But that's just because I was,
you know, dilly dialing. But we got out of there
pretty quickly, filled up the car with gas, and we
got stuck in traffic, but we got to Marina within
like the hour, and.
Speaker 1 (28:00):
Blair, we're smiling and laugh a little bit about your
uh right, there's a fire on the way and you're
going through the house trying to grab certain items that
your mama got you for Christmas ten years ago. But
I that kind of makes sense, So help us understand
a little bit. I've never been in that position to
where I'm walking out of a house and I know
I might not ever get to come back to it.
(28:21):
So what does that feel like to where you're in
the home and thinking I better grab every valuable thing
or anything that means anything to me.
Speaker 9 (28:30):
I mean, it was honestly like total panic because I
just looked around.
Speaker 8 (28:35):
I was like, like what do I do?
Speaker 9 (28:37):
Like what am I supposed to grab? Like what will
I come to when I get some Marina? What will
I look in my bag and go Okay, this is here,
this is here. That's not there, and that's a problem.
So and I have my apartment is filled with a
lot of like sentimental things. So it was really really
difficult to honestly have to go by like Okay, this
(28:59):
is more important to me, that this is more important
to me. And I ended up leaving a lot of
stuff behind. I'm still thinking about it right now, like
thinking about that stuff that's sitting in there.
Speaker 8 (29:09):
But it was It's hard, It was awful.
Speaker 1 (29:12):
Have you all gotten an update about your home? Do
you know if flames are getting closer? What's the latest
from your home?
Speaker 8 (29:20):
Everything is fine right now, which is great. I was
worried that we'd wake up in the.
Speaker 9 (29:25):
Middle of the night and get some really bad news,
but as of right now, we're still we're still on
the cusps, so we're doing okay.
Speaker 1 (29:33):
What's your plan now, I guess what you're going to
do for the next several hours and into tomorrow.
Speaker 6 (29:39):
What is it?
Speaker 1 (29:40):
A lot of just watching the news, staying on the
phone and sitting and waiting.
Speaker 8 (29:44):
It's a lot of playing it by ear.
Speaker 9 (29:45):
We don't really have a solidified plan, but we're safe
right now, which I think is all that matters.
Speaker 1 (29:51):
Ever been through anything like this, No how long you've
been in LA.
Speaker 8 (29:57):
Been in LA for about a year.
Speaker 9 (30:00):
But I've lived in California my entire life, and I've
just I've never experienced anything like this.
Speaker 1 (30:07):
Oh my goodness. Well, Blair, we appreciate you taking a
few moments out here with us. It sounds like you're
a good place now. But again, I know you got
a lot on your mind, a lot going on, so
just taking a few minutes to give us some time
is a big deal. So I am grateful, But thank
you and good luck out there, all right.
Speaker 8 (30:25):
Thank you, TJ.
Speaker 1 (30:27):
I get our thanks to Eileen, Lorraine, Kendall and Blair
for taking the time to share their stories with us.
Of course, this isn't a story that's going to be
going away anytime soon. Hopefully those winds will die down
and the fires will go out, but LA is going
to be hurting and struggling for some time to come.
So please, if you got folks out there, check on them.
(30:47):
And if you are out there, please know we are
all thinking about you, and please please please be safe.
We will continue to update you on this story. You
can always catch us on the morning Run as we
give you the news headlines every single day that will
be in your available for you tomorrow morning as always
would of course uh the latest updates on the fire.
But for now, I'm TJ. Holmes for Amy, a Robot
(31:09):
and us here at Amy and TJ the Podcast. Thanks
for being with us
Two dead, a thousand structures destroyed, numerous people injured, eighty
thousand people evacuated, twenty two square miles burned, half a
million people without power, one hundred schools closed. LA is
on fire, and a lot of residents are on the run.
(00:26):
Hello everybody to the special edition of Amy and TJ
covering the mess that we are all witnessing from afar,
many of us, but many are experienced experiencing it in
southern California as those fires continue to burn out of control,
very limited containment out there because of those winds. Again,
we're talking about winds that are sixty to one hundred
(00:48):
miles an hour, that is strong enough to be a tornado.
And the fire chief out there and many have talked
about that fact that imagine a hurricane, imagine a tornado,
but instead of just whipping around wind and rain, whipping
around fire. That is what those folks are dealing with
right now. It looks like as of this recording, there's
some relief coming maybe on Thursday and Friday, because firefighters,
(01:09):
thousands of them out there. They're asking for all duty
folks to even come in. Folks are coming in from
out of state. They try to help out out there.
They're asking for all hands on deck, but they can't
even do a whole lot because the winds are so strong.
There's really not a whole lot that can be done.
They're trying to save lives and save property, but the
life is the priority and at least too dead as
(01:29):
of this recording. Like I said, a lot of residents
are on the run, and among them are several of
our direct iHeart team, our direct team that works with
us at iHeart. Many of them, a big chunk of
them are out in LA and they many of them
are on the run as well. I talk to several
of them, and I want to share their stories with
(01:50):
you now. Eileen, Lorraine, Kinderlen Blair, They're They're all some
of our people. And one of them I had to
talk to on the side of the road because that's
where she had to pull over with her family so
that she could make the phone call because they are
on the run right now. Another talk to from the
lobby of a hotel where she and their family of
(02:10):
five are waiting to check in to a hotel. Still
can't get in for the next several hours. But again,
these are just some of the many, many stories that
we are seeing and hearing play out in LA right now.
So right now, I want to share with you the
stories of some of our people who are literally running
and hoping they'll have a home to go back to.
(02:33):
And Eileen is with us now, and Eileen, we appreciate
you taking the time. I know you and your family
are going through it. But tell me this. First of all,
you are talking to me from.
Speaker 2 (02:43):
I'm talking to you from the west side of LA
near where we've got evacuated, from where we live.
Speaker 1 (02:50):
But you're physically sitting where.
Speaker 2 (02:52):
Right now, I'm physically sitting in a car trying to
figure out our next move. We got evacuated last night,
so we're at a hotel hell, and then we just
stepped out to get some food and just kind of
see if we can get back home or close to
home to pick up some more stuff.
Speaker 3 (03:06):
But we can't, so we're kind of just figuring out
our next move.
Speaker 1 (03:10):
And when you left, I leaned the house the first time.
What were you under mandatory evacuation? Did you get a
heads up or did you all just say, hey, we
need to get to get the hell on out of here.
Speaker 3 (03:21):
So that's a great question.
Speaker 2 (03:23):
So it was we from our backyard, we can see
all the flames.
Speaker 3 (03:27):
And we it wasn't that close.
Speaker 2 (03:28):
But I started to get worried, and then they evacuated
my kids' school, and then he came home and he
was really scared, and I was like, we got to
get ahead of this.
Speaker 3 (03:36):
So we did get mandatory evacuated.
Speaker 2 (03:38):
But we did leave about an hour before we got
the call, just to get a hotel because all the
hotels were sold out. So we left a little bit
before we were mandated to evacuate.
Speaker 1 (03:48):
What what would you say you got out of there
just in the nick of time? Do you? I mean? What?
How much of a threat is you? All's home still
under right now?
Speaker 3 (03:58):
So we're we're on the I.
Speaker 2 (04:00):
Our house is literally on the border of the Palisades
and Brentwood, So we weren't in like immediate threat, but
because the winds are the winds were ferocious last night.
They were so bad and we don't know which are
you're gonna they were gonna blow and I don't want
to be sleeping, you know, and watch them.
Speaker 3 (04:15):
We just didn't know, so we just we wanted to leave.
Speaker 2 (04:19):
Plus I've kids and they were scared, so we just
knew that it was obvious to leave.
Speaker 1 (04:24):
Ilean ten with their ages. Your kids.
Speaker 3 (04:26):
Wait, I have a twelve year old and fourteen year old,
and my fourteen year old school is in the Palisades
and it's gone.
Speaker 1 (04:32):
It's now you will to pick up a family of four.
I think you said you went to the store and
you were trying to buy some stuff because you left
the house and had nothing. But what do you all
physically have in terms of possessions right now? On you?
Speaker 2 (04:45):
So we left when all this happened. We left, and
I just I looked around. I'm like, I don't really
have only have anything to take.
Speaker 3 (04:52):
I got my kids, so I we just left. I
packed nothing.
Speaker 2 (04:56):
I took my computer and my and my bag with
my wallet, and literally my my kids grab their chargers
and their iPads, and then we just left. I just
didn't think we'd be out that long. I mean, hopefully
it we'll be back soon. But I know there are
people that are just so much worse than us. That
we have so many friends that lost their homes.
Speaker 1 (05:13):
Oh my goodness, how long have you been in the
LA Area.
Speaker 3 (05:17):
I've been here, O, my goodness, almost twenty years. I'm
actually from New York.
Speaker 1 (05:21):
Okay, you've been there twenty years. Folks that live in
LA are accustomed to these to fires, these these wind
whipped fires oftentimes. But so much of what I've been
hearing from people I talked to and just news coverage
and what I've been reading from folks that this is
different for some reason because of location and because just
of just how ferocious this thing is. Does this feel
(05:43):
different than years past?
Speaker 3 (05:45):
Oh yeah, it's one hundred percent.
Speaker 2 (05:47):
Like when I see fires on the news, they're usually
like in I mean, of course they're horrible, but they're
like in a field somewhere and they're burning like trees
and grass.
Speaker 3 (05:54):
Which is bad. But to see it happen, you know.
Speaker 2 (05:58):
In your town, where your kids' school is, your grocery store,
it's just and and there's nothing you can do because
the winds are so bad. You just everyone's just watching
it on. I mean, their homes burned like live and
there's nothing you can do. It's so different when it's
like people, you know, and a town as opposed to
like a field somewhere.
Speaker 1 (06:17):
Well, give me an idea of what LA looks like,
because I've been on the phone. I was on the
phone a short time ago with a friend in La
and the description of just how armageddon like if you
will the skies and just how it's scary the place
looks right now? Can you just kind of describe the
look of La?
Speaker 3 (06:36):
So, I think the word we've been using is I
don't can say it right? Is a po apocalyptic? Is that? What?
With mi? One of my kids is with me? It's spent?
Speaker 2 (06:44):
I mean it was obviously yesterday was frightening because it
just started. And last night when it's so dark you
just see like orange, and it was it's just so scary.
Speaker 3 (06:54):
So I would say, like like apocalyptic? Would you say that? Yeah?
Speaker 1 (06:58):
What do you do? I mean, how do you in
a situation like this given the ages of your kids?
They're they're not babies necessarily, but they're also not adults.
They are not teenagers, not high schoolers. I mean, what,
how how have you been talking and guiding and I
don't know, you're scared yourself? How do you go about
keeping them calm through this? All?
Speaker 4 (07:17):
You know?
Speaker 3 (07:17):
I know we're going to be fine.
Speaker 2 (07:18):
I mean, like I said, a lot of people lost
so much, so we're so grateful. My older one is fourteen,
and I think he's kind of he's okay. I don't
think he realizes just like he's not. His school's gone
and stuff. But my twelve year old really scared and
that was like the main reason why I left. He
was really really scared.
Speaker 3 (07:34):
And you know that he.
Speaker 2 (07:36):
Woke up last night a few times thinking our hotel
wasn't further enough away from the fire and we should
go somewhere else. So it's really hard. I mean, these
kids have seen so much that, you know, in their life, between.
Speaker 3 (07:46):
COVID and now this. It's just it's hard.
Speaker 2 (07:51):
But they're doing great, you know, Like I said, we're
grateful that we're all together and you know, we got
a place to stay.
Speaker 1 (07:57):
You know what, what has the conversation been like with
Like I said, you've got a hotel, and I'm sure
you run to other people. Everybody's in the same situation
out there. But I guess what is the Oftentimes in
situations like this, we see people come together and nables,
neighbors helping one another. But I guess, give me a
sense of the folks who are in the same boat,
how what the feel and the mood and how the
interactions have been.
Speaker 2 (08:18):
Sure, sure, so we're on on so many group chats
with so many friends just about evacuation and where they're staying,
and like, we have a great team at work that
everyone's just kind of checking in with each other and
if anyone needs anything, if anyone's pets need to go anywhere,
if anyone needs a place to stay, we have so
many offers, and it's been like overwhelmingly with like just
so many great people willing to help.
Speaker 1 (08:41):
Well, I only we appreciate you jumping on here and
again it's you're taking the time and you're telling a
story that's going to help give perspective to this story
to a lot of other people across the country. So
just please know it's it really is appreciated that you
and your family would just even take a few minutes
with us. So thank you so much, Eleen.
Speaker 3 (08:59):
Yeah, thank you.
Speaker 5 (09:00):
You all right, I'll be safe out there, thank you.
And another one of.
Speaker 1 (09:14):
Our colleagues, producer that works with us, Lorraine, is out
there in southern California as well, at a hotel with
her family and Lorraine, I want to say thank you
first of all for taking any time with us, giving
what you all are going through. But do you know
right now the status of your home that you had
to evacuate.
Speaker 6 (09:33):
I don't. I have no idea what's going on in
that pocket of Lacagnata. And I'm you know, coming through
every app and next door trying to get information, but
there's nothing about where we are specifically. So it's really
frustrating praying.
Speaker 1 (09:50):
For a lot of people. Give us the best ideas
you can geographically where your home is compared to I
guess so much of what people have been seeing on
TV about the Palisades fire, the Eating Fire, the hurt,
but can you give us an idea of where your
home is and just how I guess close these fires
A get into it.
Speaker 6 (10:07):
So the fire that has displaced my family is the
Eating fire, and that's the one that originated Eaton Canyon,
and that's in Alcadena and locking out of flint Ridge,
which is where my family lives. We are right next door,
so we are like JPL is in Alta Dina and
(10:29):
that is also like adjacent to our town. And it's
a very small town. I think it's like a population
twenty two thousand people and the entire town was evacuated
this morning. I got, you know, all the emergency texts
started coming in at five am. My friend, my best
friend was calling me, and then I was like, oh
(10:50):
my god. And it was of course dark because we
lost power last night. So I just had to start packing,
you know, and and I was still half asleep, like
wouldn't even think about what I was packing. And if
you know, I was like, where's the Living Trust? You know,
where are my mom's pictures, like all the things that
matter to me?
Speaker 3 (11:08):
The ray?
Speaker 1 (11:08):
What time a night was it you were doing that?
Speaker 6 (11:10):
It was it was five am this morning? It was
it was still very dark. We went to bed last night,
you know, seeing the flames in through a window, going well,
it's still in Altadena, you know, it'll take a long
time to pop over. And then when we woke up,
you know, and it was still nighttime.
Speaker 4 (11:28):
It was just.
Speaker 6 (11:30):
Real flames a lot and it had grown, and we're like,
oh god, this is it, Like this is going to
be us, and sure enough, you know, the phone started
going off.
Speaker 1 (11:39):
I have to ask, what kind of night's sleep did
you get knowing the fire is out the window, knowing
all the warnings were giving. Was that a difficult night sleep?
Because you know you might wake up and the flame
is right outside of the window.
Speaker 6 (11:53):
Yeah, I know it was. It was one of those
things where, you know, my husband and my two kids,
the four of us just kind of cuddled in bed
and I would check on my dad. But I mean
it was I think I was just so emotionally drained
from yesterday being worried losing power for hours, you know,
with two kids. It was just I was exhausted, and
I'm like, well, let's let's see what happened. I was
(12:15):
just hoping my my cell phone would last overnight. That
was my main thing. I just want my cell phone
to have enough battery, you know.
Speaker 1 (12:22):
Learn how did you all go about making the decision
to when to evacuate? I know the mandatory one came,
but how were you all weighing the decision before that,
of when you all were going to decide to maybe
go ahead and get out of there.
Speaker 6 (12:35):
I think that because we're never been through this before,
this is the first time, we just we actually didn't
even think about what if this happened to us.
Speaker 3 (12:45):
I don't know why.
Speaker 6 (12:46):
I don't know if we were just like in l
La Land, but we weren't really worried about ourselves. We
were watching the news going on, My god, look at it.
Poor these poor folks in the palisade, Like you know,
we were those people and then you know a few
hours later that was us. So it just happened so fast,
it really does. I know it's an overnight thing, but
(13:07):
it's just shocking at five am to you know, to
start grabbing everything, knowing that you might never come back
to your stuff. And it almost felt I know, it
sounds really weird to say, but it almost was kind
of freeing. It's kind of like, well, guess what, I
don't really need all this stuff. All I need are
just a few, you know, pictures of my mom and
my kids, and and some documents. And I'm okay, you know,
(13:32):
so I just felt okay about that.
Speaker 1 (13:34):
That is great perspective, Lorine. Thank you for that. You've
You've actually gotten me emotional with that. You make such
a good point of so much. So many things we
hold onto in value, that a material that mean nothing
in the grand scheme of things, They.
Speaker 6 (13:47):
Really do, They really mean nothing. Of course, my husband,
can I just tell you though I did. I snuck
in a fight with him this morning because here I
am taking in all like just grabbing the things that
are super necessary. And here I find he saved a
nineteen nineties cam quarter that doesn't even work like a
(14:11):
cam quarter.
Speaker 3 (14:12):
He saved it.
Speaker 1 (14:14):
You know that is perspective. You know what, That's a
great story. And you put a smile on my face
after making me cry before order my face with that.
Thank you so touch for that story. Can you tell
me didn't didn't you say that this house you will
haven't been in this house long or this neighborhood.
Speaker 4 (14:33):
Long, correct?
Speaker 6 (14:34):
Yeah, we used to live in West Hollywood and we
moved to Locking Down of flint Ridge in September. It
was our dream neighborhood and we've loved it ever since.
And now we've been.
Speaker 1 (14:44):
Displaced September twenty four.
Speaker 6 (14:47):
Yeah, September twenty twenty fourth, Lorrain.
Speaker 1 (14:49):
You just moved into this dream neighborhood and dream home
months ago, and right now as you speak to me,
you don't know if the thing is still standing exactly.
Speaker 3 (15:00):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (15:01):
Yeah. Tell me how the kids are doing.
Speaker 6 (15:04):
I mean, they're just they're kind of happy that school
has been canceled for the entire school district of Laciata
for the week, So they're happy about that, but they're
annoyed because we're in the lobby of the double Tree.
They won't check us in until three pm, and so
we're just sitting here in the lobby watching the news
and waiting, you know, waiting to get into our room
(15:26):
so we can shower and just kind of refresh.
Speaker 3 (15:29):
You know.
Speaker 6 (15:30):
But they just a lot of people that are staying
here have been displaced. I met some people from Altadena.
I mean, you could just tell, you could just tell
the clients here that are definitely homeless.
Speaker 1 (15:42):
Right now, Lorraine, what's the plan? I know you just
want to get into the room and maybe want to
get some rest when you can check in, But I
guess what's the plan the rest of the night and
into the morning.
Speaker 6 (15:54):
You know, monitor the apps and the you know, what
the fire is doing in our neck of the woods,
and just hope that some one of these days it's
going to be listed. I don't know how long we
can afford to stay in this hotel, so we might
have to go to my sister in law San Diego.
You know, when it's like this, you just have to
take it literally minute at a time, you know, like
(16:17):
it's just this hour, what are we doing? Okay? I
can't even think about tomorrow.
Speaker 3 (16:22):
I'm being honest, it's Lorraine, you know what.
Speaker 1 (16:25):
That is absolutely fair and you have a perspective and look,
I know it's been tough, but there's something in your
voice that sounds confident and assured, and for some reason
it's making us all feel a little better. So for that,
I thank you, and I'm sure it's a reassuring to
your family as well. But I know you have to
be going through it yourself while you're still keeping everybody
(16:46):
there calm and safe and maybe even upbeat. So Lorraine,
you taking the time here with me is a really
big deal. So thank you, thank you, Thank you so much,
and I promise you we'll be checking back in.
Speaker 6 (16:58):
With you glad to do it. Thank you so much. TJ,
have a good one. Appreciate you.
Speaker 7 (17:04):
By guys, What is that I.
Speaker 1 (17:06):
Hear in your voice? Kendle? Okay, oh where are you
right now? So?
Speaker 4 (17:13):
I live in Brentwood, but last night I evacuated and
now I'm in Orange County, which I feel so much
better being here.
Speaker 1 (17:20):
Now, Why do you say that for folks who don't
who aren't out there and not as familiar with the geography.
Why is it you feel better where you are now, well.
Speaker 4 (17:27):
There's obviously like still fires that may come to this area,
but when you're in Brentwater anywhere near the Los Angeles area,
the air quality is just terrible. And you know, the
roads are completely gridlocked, and the grocery stores like I
was in Whole Foods, and people it's like the purge
like COVID, Like everyone's freaking out. And you know, I
(17:49):
was at the gas station getting gas before I like evacuated,
and there was like all these cute families next to me,
like crying because they came from Palisades and they lost
their house, and it literally felt like a nightmare.
Speaker 7 (18:01):
So now I'm in an area where, you know, it
feels a little bit more normal. But it's just crazy
to think what's going on, honestly, you know.
Speaker 1 (18:08):
When you've heard a few stories and descriptions, but I
like to hear yours. What does La look like right now?
I just hear the skies are gray, and like you,
I haven't heard anybody describe the stuff in the grocery store.
But to think back to COVID times and people were
that whole thing, and people crying at the gas station,
but just putting I guess described for me in your words,
(18:31):
what does La look like right now right?
Speaker 4 (18:34):
And to give you like a background, like I'm from
the Midwest, I'm used the tornadoes, so this for me
my first time like dealing with this and the air,
like I will send you some photos. It is like
pitch black and it almost feels like it's like eighty
ninety degrees outside and it's hot and humid, and it
smells like fire, and it just feels like a ghost town.
(18:56):
Like there's literally Christmas trees that were like on the
side of the road needing to get picked up because
people were cleaning this week, and those are like in
the middle of the road. Like everything's just flying everywhere.
I mean, it literally just feels like it's an abandoned
town honestly.
Speaker 1 (19:13):
And Kendall, you you evacuated, but was this a mandatory evacuation?
Speaker 4 (19:18):
So I live in an area where I was one
block away from the mandatory evacuation. So I just decided,
rather than just sleeping and worrying, I was going to
get out before the night because it did get worse.
So I voluntary evacuated. But my apartment has no power
and it has limited water.
Speaker 1 (19:38):
It's still standing as far as you know, yes, okay,
how did you go about making that decision? I've heard
different stories from people making the decision about when to evacuate.
Of course they did when evacuation orders came, but how
did you go about balancing sticking around versus going ahead
and getting out of there and win?
Speaker 6 (19:58):
Right?
Speaker 4 (19:59):
So I was content, Like I said, like, I literally
have been in Los Angeles for a couple of years now,
and I'm clueless on how to deal with the fire.
So I went to the grocery store and I went
to the gas station to prepare if I needed to evacuate,
and just seeing how everyone acted around me, I was
it was clear that, like this is serious and I
should probably figure out where I'm going to go. So
I have a dog, and I kept thinking about, like
(20:20):
if I need to take my dog to the bathroom,
like outside is not safe, and you know, I don't
know what's with these what are they called embers? Like
they kept telling us about these embers and how they
could spark an apartment or even anywhere I'm close by,
and I just was getting stressed out about it. So
I just chose to get in my car at eight
pm last night, and I'd rather just get away and
stay somewhere safe than wait till the last minute and
(20:42):
be stranded and have to leave my car or anything
scary that people have been having to do.
Speaker 1 (20:47):
So Ken, where are you staying now?
Speaker 7 (20:49):
I'm an Orange County.
Speaker 4 (20:50):
I'm in like Anaheim area, and it's very very windy here,
but the skies are completely like normal and the sun
is out. So I'm just thankful that waiting it out
and seeing what's happening. But unfortunately, like I have a
lot of best friends whose parents have lost their homes
and it's just crazy.
Speaker 1 (21:06):
Now are you able, because again I've heard different stories
people struggling to get hotel rooms, and of course people
have friends and family where you did have a difficult
time finding a getting a roof over your head.
Speaker 7 (21:16):
I guess I should no, but I actually like it's amazing.
Speaker 4 (21:19):
I went to the first hotel like off an exit
where I felt like it was safe, and I have
a dog and usually they don't allow dogs, and they
let my dog come and they gave me a bunch
of vouchers for like food and drink, for in room
dining and stuff.
Speaker 7 (21:31):
So it's been actually great where I've.
Speaker 1 (21:33):
Been have you seen that. I know you described some
of the I mean seeing some of the people in
the grocery stores and people crying at at the gas station,
but what have you also noticed about people in terms
of right? People often come together at times to help
each other out, helping a neighbor out. But what is
the feel in the mood you're sensing from the people
(21:54):
you are able to interact with.
Speaker 4 (21:56):
Yeah, even strangers and people I know, I feel like
everyone's kind of like this they've never experienced before. Like
a lot of my friends, my boyfriend, they're from the valley,
they're from LA, They're used to fires, and they're like,
this is some thing we have never seen before. We
honestly don't know what to do and how to act.
So it's honestly just the unknown for a lot of people,
which is definitely freaky to me.
Speaker 1 (22:17):
What is your plan now for the next several hours?
And I guess day or two.
Speaker 4 (22:22):
Yeah, it's my Fuctor actually reached out and he was like,
the air quality where I live is terrible, so I regardless,
I'm just going to stay away even if the fire
is not right where my place is. If it gets
better or anything, So I'm just planning to stay at
a hotel for another night, and just going day by
day and seeing what I should do.
Speaker 1 (22:43):
You said, you're from the Midwest. Your family's still back
in the Midwest.
Speaker 7 (22:46):
Most of them, right, Yeah, they're still in the Midwest.
I'm from Indiana, Okay.
Speaker 1 (22:50):
I can imagine the phone calls and the text messages
you've been getting from your phones.
Speaker 3 (22:54):
I know.
Speaker 7 (22:55):
I mean they are like, they just don't understand. They're
not used to fires like this.
Speaker 4 (22:59):
So I'm just like, I'm just going with it and
following everyone's lead and just doing what I can.
Speaker 1 (23:05):
Yeah. That's funny when you say you're from the Midwest,
so I don't get that either, right, fires, I'm from
the South. Tornado what we understand, but to hear the
fire officials talk about, yeah, imagine, is this is just
that some of these winds are a tornado just with fire,
I mean, just win and debris. When she said that,
I said, oh, I get it. That's scary as hell.
Speaker 4 (23:25):
Yeah, Like I have seen some gnarly tornadoes and this,
like the fact it comes with fire, the strong winds
is just crazy to see. Like I was standing on
the roof of my apartment yesterday when it really started,
and just watching it from Afar was crazy, like I
have never seen anything like this.
Speaker 1 (23:47):
Well, Kendall, I know you got a lot going on
out there, but just taking the time and sharing your
story and helping add a voice and an experience to it.
For the rest of us in the country who aren't
out there, it helps us understand and experience what you all.
We can't really imagine what you all are experiencing, but
it really is important and I'm grateful that you took
(24:07):
time to tell your story. So thank you so so much,
and please please please stay safe out there, all right, of.
Speaker 7 (24:12):
Course we'll do thinking of everybody, all.
Speaker 1 (24:15):
Right, I see you kindle Bye Blair. How are you doing.
Speaker 8 (24:27):
I'm okay. I'm safe right now, which is good, but
little shaken up.
Speaker 1 (24:33):
Where are you right now?
Speaker 8 (24:34):
I'm in Marina del Rey, and I came from Brentwood.
Speaker 1 (24:38):
Oh goodness, brent Wood was yours a mandatory evacuation.
Speaker 8 (24:43):
I'm on the.
Speaker 9 (24:43):
Cusp of the mandatory evacuation, but I decided to leave
last night because we were worried that we might get
a warning at like three in the morning and have
to go somewhere.
Speaker 1 (24:57):
Now, how did you go about I'm curious here, Blake,
because I'm here different stories where like people have different
reasonings and different logic for how they decided to evacuate.
Some waited for the mandatory, some didn't wait at all,
Some were trying to balance. Some were like, I want
to stay in my house. How did you go about
making that decision and balancing when it was time to
(25:20):
get out of there?
Speaker 8 (25:21):
So I was watching the news all day, just kind
of glancing at it.
Speaker 9 (25:24):
It was on mute because I was working, and I
didn't really start to get really worried about it until
about like four o'clock when I saw went from like
seven hundred acres to twelve hundred acres and I was like, oh, okay,
so this is getting This is not contained at all.
And we weren't in the evacuation zone, but my apartment
(25:47):
was shaking and my windows were rattling, and so my
boyfriend and I were like pretty freaked out. And he's
also from the UK, so he was in like a
total panic because he's like not used.
Speaker 1 (25:59):
To this at all.
Speaker 8 (26:00):
He was like, we need to go right now.
Speaker 1 (26:02):
For the listeners here, the winds were so strong that
you were your building and your windows were shaking from
all those wing gusts.
Speaker 6 (26:10):
Is that right?
Speaker 9 (26:11):
Yes, yeah, so my building's pretty old, so I will
say like that had probably a lot to do with it.
But the windows in the bedroom were shaking back and
forth like so loudly, like we couldn't even be in
there now.
Speaker 1 (26:25):
That Again, I'm from the South, I know tornadoes, but
to hear them talk about out there that this the
winds are so strong, as strong as a tornado. The
tornado just is whipping around fire that is terrifying to
even imagine.
Speaker 8 (26:39):
Yeah, it was. It was pretty freaky.
Speaker 9 (26:42):
And so around like six o'clock we were debating, like, Okay,
do we go now?
Speaker 8 (26:47):
Do we wait it out longer?
Speaker 9 (26:49):
And my my boyfriend got a call from one of
his friends who works in the fire department up in
the Bay Area in California, and he was like, you
guys should probably just go now because it looks like
things are going to get worse and it's better to
be safe than sorry. So we started packing go bags
(27:11):
and you know, figuring out what to do next steps,
and we.
Speaker 8 (27:15):
Left last night.
Speaker 1 (27:17):
How long did it take you when you started packing up,
from the time you made the decision to the time
you walked out the door.
Speaker 8 (27:23):
It took me.
Speaker 9 (27:23):
Longer then I wanted, because I found myself going around
my house or my apartment and like, you know, taking
things off the shelf, like, oh, I need I need
to bring this this thing my sister got me, and
this thing my mom got me. And my boyfriend's like
you need to pack socks like toothpaste, and like, right,
I need to pack that. But it took us about, like, honestly,
(27:47):
like forty five minutes. But that's just because I was,
you know, dilly dialing. But we got out of there
pretty quickly, filled up the car with gas, and we
got stuck in traffic, but we got to Marina within
like the hour, and.
Speaker 1 (28:00):
Blair, we're smiling and laugh a little bit about your
uh right, there's a fire on the way and you're
going through the house trying to grab certain items that
your mama got you for Christmas ten years ago. But
I that kind of makes sense, So help us understand
a little bit. I've never been in that position to
where I'm walking out of a house and I know
I might not ever get to come back to it.
(28:21):
So what does that feel like to where you're in
the home and thinking I better grab every valuable thing
or anything that means anything to me.
Speaker 9 (28:30):
I mean, it was honestly like total panic because I
just looked around.
Speaker 8 (28:35):
I was like, like what do I do?
Speaker 9 (28:37):
Like what am I supposed to grab? Like what will
I come to when I get some Marina? What will
I look in my bag and go Okay, this is here,
this is here. That's not there, and that's a problem.
So and I have my apartment is filled with a
lot of like sentimental things. So it was really really
difficult to honestly have to go by like Okay, this
(28:59):
is more important to me, that this is more important
to me. And I ended up leaving a lot of
stuff behind. I'm still thinking about it right now, like
thinking about that stuff that's sitting in there.
Speaker 8 (29:09):
But it was It's hard, It was awful.
Speaker 1 (29:12):
Have you all gotten an update about your home? Do
you know if flames are getting closer? What's the latest
from your home?
Speaker 8 (29:20):
Everything is fine right now, which is great. I was
worried that we'd wake up in the.
Speaker 9 (29:25):
Middle of the night and get some really bad news,
but as of right now, we're still we're still on
the cusps, so we're doing okay.
Speaker 1 (29:33):
What's your plan now, I guess what you're going to
do for the next several hours and into tomorrow.
Speaker 6 (29:39):
What is it?
Speaker 1 (29:40):
A lot of just watching the news, staying on the
phone and sitting and waiting.
Speaker 8 (29:44):
It's a lot of playing it by ear.
Speaker 9 (29:45):
We don't really have a solidified plan, but we're safe
right now, which I think is all that matters.
Speaker 1 (29:51):
Ever been through anything like this, No how long you've
been in LA.
Speaker 8 (29:57):
Been in LA for about a year.
Speaker 9 (30:00):
But I've lived in California my entire life, and I've
just I've never experienced anything like this.
Speaker 1 (30:07):
Oh my goodness. Well, Blair, we appreciate you taking a
few moments out here with us. It sounds like you're
a good place now. But again, I know you got
a lot on your mind, a lot going on, so
just taking a few minutes to give us some time
is a big deal. So I am grateful, But thank
you and good luck out there, all right.
Speaker 8 (30:25):
Thank you, TJ.
Speaker 1 (30:27):
I get our thanks to Eileen, Lorraine, Kendall and Blair
for taking the time to share their stories with us.
Of course, this isn't a story that's going to be
going away anytime soon. Hopefully those winds will die down
and the fires will go out, but LA is going
to be hurting and struggling for some time to come.
So please, if you got folks out there, check on them.
(30:47):
And if you are out there, please know we are
all thinking about you, and please please please be safe.
We will continue to update you on this story. You
can always catch us on the morning Run as we
give you the news headlines every single day that will
be in your available for you tomorrow morning as always
would of course uh the latest updates on the fire.
But for now, I'm TJ. Holmes for Amy, a Robot
(31:09):
and us here at Amy and TJ the Podcast. Thanks
for being with us
Hosts And Creators
Amy Robach
T.J. Holmes
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