My Take | My thoughts are with Los Angeles and its people after holiday in hell
It is hard to imagine deadly wildfires raging around you, driving through windswept canyons and preparing to leave to sounds of sirens and alerts
When you head to the United States for the holidays with friends and family, you would expect to spend your final week of leave saying goodbyes, packing and preparing to part ways before heading home.
You do not expect wildfires to rage out of control on three sides of your home-away-from home, forcing your relatives to pack up along with you to prepare to evacuate. Nor do you anticipate the house being without power for four days, evacuation alerts blaring at all hours, and thick smoke hanging everywhere, even in unthreatened parts of the city.
This was the unnerving scene that rapidly unfolded for residents of Los Angeles starting early last week. By the end of the week, more than 172,000 people would be under evacuation orders or warnings as multiple fires burned at the same time in the sprawling city of millions of residents. At least 25 people are dead, and more than 12,000 structures damaged or destroyed. Those who live in the fire zones have suffered unthinkable losses. But even those outside the fire zones have had to contend with evacuation warnings, smoke from the fires and unsettling uncertainty and anxiety.
The surreal week started on January 6, when a relative declared: “They are cancelling school because of the wind? I’ve never heard of that!”
The cancellations were well warranted. The first wave of Santa Ana winds blew in fast and hot from inland areas and deserts and rushed out to sea with gusts of more than 130km/h, similar to those in some stronger Hong Kong typhoons. The dry winds also turned brush and foliage around the city into tinder, creating optimal conditions for the wildfires to come.
By January 7, the Pacific Palisades community had erupted in flames. Another fast moving fire erupted in the north of the city, in Eaton Canyon near Altadena, opening up another front of uncontrolled wildfire.
My drive through Coldwater Canyon that evening was harrowing. The canyon had transformed into a wind tunnel, leaves and dust swirling and fallen branches and palm fronds marking the roadway. A transformer exploded with a loud bang, showering sparks overhead. Branches and flying objects bounced off the car. An oncoming fire engine parted traffic right down the middle.