Inferno in Los Angeles: Frantic scenes as thousands abandon cars, flee on foot

Frantic scenes unfolded as tens of thousands of people fled their homes to escape a massive wildfire that has raged uncontrollably in and around an upscale enclave in Los Angeles since Tuesday. Numerous homes in the Pacific Palisades area were destroyed into ashes by flames in a matter of minutes, and hundreds of vehicles were gutted. A second blaze on Wednesday doubled in size, engulfing additional areas.

Witnesses described the chaos, saying “people were freaking out” as they were rendered helpless in the face of the disaster.

A massive traffic jam struck the area as residents attempted to evacuate in large numbers, exacerbating the situation. This forced many to abandon their vehicles on the road and flee on foot, desperately trying to save their lives as the flames spread rapidly.

A Washington Post reporter, Brianna Sacks, who shared visuals of the wildfire, said, “I’ve seen this again and again reporting on fires since 2017, but it never stops looking apocalyptic and feeling horrific”.

The fires were “this close to the cars,” a resident demonstrated with her thumb and forefinger, as she narrated her lucky escape.

“We looked across and the fire had jumped from one side of the road to the other side of the road. People were getting out of the cars with their dogs and babies and bags, they were crying and screaming,” another resident told news agency AP.

The Pacific Palisades, an area between the coastal towns of Santa Monica and Malibu, is home to several Hollywood stars. At least 2,921 acres of the area have been engulfed in the fire.

CBC News Correspondent Jonathan Vigliotti, sharing a video, said, “every home is on fire. Crews aren’t trying to save them. They’re trying to put out flames before they ignite other neighbourhoods”.

Actor James Woods, who lives in the enclave and was able to evacuate, said, “I do not know at this moment if our home is still standing”. Actor Steve Guttenberg told the media that his friends were unable to leave by vehicle due to the traffic jams, and said, “It’s really important for everybody to band together and don’t worry about your personal property. Just get out”.

The dense layer of smoke engulfed the entire area, which blanketed the vast metropolitan region, nearly obscuring the sunset over Los Angeles.

The massive traffic jam prevented emergency vehicles from getting through the area for evacuations, as the authorities estimated 25,000 people in 10,000 homes were threatened. The authorities were forced to use bulldozers to tow away the vehicles to clear the way for rescuers.

The fire led to a geriatric care centre to push dozens of residents in wheelchairs and hospital beds down the street to a parking lot. The residents waited there in their bedclothes as embers fell around them until ambulances, buses and even construction vans arrived to take them to safety.

The authorities fear that the situation may escalate as flames are being driven by Santa Ana winds reaching speeds of up to 60 mph (97 kph) in some areas. With low humidity and dry vegetation, exacerbated by a lack of rainfall, conditions have been deemed “as dangerous as they could be for wildfires,” according to the National Weather Service in Los Angeles.

Governor Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency, citing the heightened fire risk across Southern California, and has deployed personnel, firetrucks, and aircraft to various parts of the region to mitigate the potential impact of wildfires.