Pacific Palisades, an L.A. neighborhood, erupted into flames and triggered a chain of fires across the city on Jan. 7. Multiple fires still blaze, destroying thousands of homes and businesses, and causing hundreds of thousands of residents to evacuate. Although the tragedy is far from M-A, many students’ homes and families have been affected.
Junior Ryland Caelius’ cousins live in the Palisades, where their home burned down. “They weren’t able to save many of their belongings because both of my cousins were at school, and my aunt and uncle were at work,” Caelius said. “My uncle was getting alerts and left quickly to go and get some things, but they lost everything besides their passports and some special documents they needed.”
“This was really sad for me because I was just there last month, and everything was fine one moment and then crazy the next. When I found out, I started crying because I made so many memories there and grew up there,” she said.
Senior Sophia Schmitz’s uncle lives in Pasadena with his four kids. His two-year-old’s preschool was severely damaged in the fire. “It was completely destroyed,” she said. “It is difficult because all their kids go to different schools, and one of their daughters has Down syndrome, so it is hard for her to adjust to a change. They don’t know what they are going to do,” she said.
The fire has displaced many families, with many moving away entirely. “My family is moving somewhere else outside of the Palisades near Manhattan Beach, where many others are also moving,” Caelius said.
“My uncle’s house didn’t burn down, but they had to evacuate because the fires were getting very close. They are staying with my aunt while they figure out how to move forward,” Schmitz said.
The original causes of the fires have yet to be determined, but experts argue that the city’s arid landscape combined with hurricane-like winds created the perfect conditions for fire. Some point to utility companies or arson, but these remain theories until further investigation.
The impact of the fires will persist long after the flames are extinguished. “I think the Palisades will lose a lot of their population now. There is not much left and it will take a long time to get it back to what it was, but even then it is sad for everyone,” Caelius said.
Over 100,000 people remain displaced, and over 10,000 homes and businesses have been destroyed. There have been 28 confirmed fatalities. Many people now worry that the homeless rate in L.A. will increase, as well as the housing market and job competition.
To learn more about the fires and find ways to help, click here.
