Devastating Wildfire in Los Angeles: Exclusive Interview with a Hungarian in California

A Hungarian woman born in California shared with Magyar Nemzet how they are experiencing the wildfires near Los Angeles.

Fire in Los Angeles (Photo: AFP)

As Magyar Nemzet has also reported, devastating wildfires are raging in California. Hundreds of thousands of homes were reduced to ashes within hours, and many people lost their lives in this latest natural disaster. A Hungarian woman living in California shared her experience of the fire near Los Angeles. First of all, she stated that her family is safe, but another fire broke out just last night in the nearby Hollywood Hills—this is already the fifth location near her home.

Photo: Anadolu via AFP

“The three largest fires are burning completely out of control because of the wind. Right now, the winds have eased up, but forecasts predict they will pick up again tonight and throughout next week. This makes firefighting difficult and accelerates the spread of the fire. On top of that, it hasn’t rained in a long time, so everything is completely dry. It’s truly a ‘perfect storm,’” she explained.

 The wildfire can last for weeks, she noted

Csilla lives with her family in Woodland Hills, situated between the city and Malibu, an area heavily impacted by the wildfire, with the Santa Monica Mountains in between. The road across the mountains leading toward Malibu is closed, and the wind is blowing toward the ocean, preventing the fire from spreading toward their home.

"However, the smoke from the fire raging on the other side of the valley is coming in our direction," she added. She also noted that authorities have asked residents not to approach the fire out of curiosity or  to take videos, as it’s not only life-threatening but also disrupts rescue operations.

She mentioned that her children are still on winter break, but it’s already been announced that schools will remain closed, and classes will be held online.

Although her family is safe, the home of her husband’s acquaintance was ravaged by the flames.

While the fire itself isn’t spreading too quickly, the problem is that the winds are blowing embers through the air. On the news, they showed footage of embers as large as ping pong balls being blown miles away, igniting home after home,

she added.

On top of the fire, looting has become an issue in abandoned homes. "Unfortunately, there are reports of looters entering partially burned homes to steal whatever little has remained," Csilla said, adding  that the local sheriff expressed despair in a news broadcast, saying that many people had to be forcibly evacuated because they refused to leave their homes despite the deadly danger.

One victim, an elderly man, was found in his house holding a garden hose in his hands, trying to save his home from the flames,

she said.

Another challenge has been residents taking to the roads with their cars despite firefighters’ requests to leave vehicles at home. "Later, when the situation became critical, a bulldozer had to clear the cars blocking the roads to make way for firefighters," she explained.

#Palisades #Fire in #LosAngeles: Thousands #evacuated as #wildfire intensify; celebrity area ravaged | https://t.co/e7WOmml3Q2 pic.twitter.com/m81Yn41m2X

— Economic Times (@EconomicTimes) January 9, 2025

Firefighters are arriving from other cities and even other states, and the government has declared a state of emergency to provide California with additional resources. However, the fire’s scale is so vast that there simply aren’t enough firefighters to battle it.

News reporters on television say that people are contacting them asking for help, to tell the firefighters that this or that place is on fire. But in most cases, there’s no one available to respond because the flames are raging across such a large area,

Csilla said. She added that she has seen several videos of places she knows, restaurants where she and her husband dined, that have burned to the ground.

Csilla highlighted

the enormous solidarity among people, with everyone helping wherever they can.

Residents forced to leave their homes are offered free accommodation in hotels and Airbnb rentals. Even Uber has offered free rides for those affected, and many people are opening their homes to those who cannot return safely. Csilla remarked that wildfires are common every autumn in California and around Los Angeles, but everyone was surprised by the scale of the wildfires breaking out in January.

Cover photo: Fire burns in Los Angeles (Photo: AFP)