Palisades, a celebrity-studded neighbourhood located around 32 kilometres west of downtown Los Angeles, has been reduced to ashes by a catastrophic fire, causing property worth billions of dollars.
The Hollywood fire has claimed several iconic locations in the city.
“The devastation is absolute. There are small pockets where one or two houses are standing,” Moira Shourie, an Indian American resident of Palisades, in an interview with new agency PTI from Los Angeles.
Having evacuated their residence in the scenic neighbourhood, which houses Hollywood personalities like Paris Hilton and Billy Crystal, Shourie and her family, including their pets, have taken refuge in a downtown Los Angeles hotel for the past two days.
“These fires were just carrying embers hundreds of feet in the air and far, and it was just impossible. I heard one fire captain say that it was like trying to stop the tornado. You can’t do it. Also, any of the aircraft that usually dropped the fire retardant could not be deployed. So, it was really human beings fighting these fires, and they’re powerless. It was pretty devastating,” Shourie said.
“I can’t even take care of my friends. I would say 100 per cent of my friends in the neighbourhood have either lost or had damaged homes or had complete smoke, ash contamination,” she added.
Following his cancellation of visits to Italy and Vatican City, Outgoing President Joe Biden told reporters on Thursday, describing the situation in California as catastrophic, with numerous houses, schools, and businesses destroyed, communities obliterated, lives lost, and families permanently affected.
“They’re the worst fires to ever hit Los Angeles,” he stated at the White House after consulting with senior officials.
The current death toll stands at six, with thousands of buildings destroyed. Officials estimate over 360,000 people have been displaced. The Palisade fire has proven most severe, consuming more than 17,000 acres, with authorities classifying it as the most destructive incident.
The Los Angeles area conflagration has severely impacted numerous Indian-origin families, resulting in the complete loss of their possessions.
“Fortunately, so far, the loss of life and limb is limited due to timely evacuations. It will take three-five years for these families to recover, even partially,” another Indian origin resident told PTI.
“My office was on the iconic Pacific Coast Highway, neighbouring what is called ‘Billionaire’s Beach’ and the entire swath of several miles is razed to the ground on the beach side as well as the land side,” Bagla said.
The extensive fire has consumed more than 28,000 acres of residential areas surrounding Los Angeles, the future host city of the 2028 Summer Olympics. The Palisades fire has destroyed numerous homes belonging to Hollywood celebrities.
The Palisades fire claimed their residence of nearly fifty years. Notable figures including Paris Hilton, Anna Faris, Eugene Levy, Cary Elwes, and Mandy Moore have also lost their homes in these wildfires.
