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)

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)