California Wildfires: FOX 2 reporter sees LA destruction first hand

Jessica Dupnack of FOX 2 traveled to Los Angeles to assist sister station FOX 11 Los Angeles in covering the fires that have been burning for a full week.

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    FOX 2’s Jessica Dupnack flew out to LA to help FOX 11 with their coverage of the destructive wildfires.
    
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    While there, she saw first hand the destruction the fires left behind.
    

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  FOX 2’s Jessica Dupnack flew out to LA to help FOX 11 with their coverage of the destructive wildfires.
  
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  While there, she saw first hand the destruction the fires left behind.
  

FOX 2: Los AngelesAs far as the eye can see, Los Angeles is in ruins due to the huge fires.

Many hundreds of thousands of people had to leave their houses. The total number of fatalities from both incidents as of Sunday evening is twenty-four.

Local viewpoint:

Jessica Dupnack of FOX 2 traveled to Los Angeles to assist her sister station in covering the fires that have been burning for a full week.

“I arrived at 1 a.m. The scope of everything and what needs to be rebuilt are really different when you see this in person than when you watch it on TV, Dupnack stated.

More worries about Santa Ana winds blowing again have surfaced just as firefighters are making headway in limiting the fires, and FOX 2 is receiving firsthand reports of what appears to be an unending calamity.

“You mention the winds that can start even more fires today. We’re not quite out of the woods yet, so I think people are thinking, “Okay, what’s around the corner,” she added.

Dupnack provided coverage from Altadena, where entire communities had been devastated by the Eaton Fire.

“Rumble is everywhere I look right now; burned metal is practically rushing down the street. There are still eighteen individuals missing from the Eaton Fire, and search and rescue operations are still ongoing out here as well,” she stated.

She is not the only journalist from FOX 2 Detroit who is traveling west to assist. Since last week, Sean Lee, the assistant news director for FOX 2, has been there.

“I’ve got a couple things here – I’ve got Jessica’s fire gear which I’m going to give her in a little bit,” she continued.

She has been assisting our sister station in providing important information; they have been broadcasting nearly continuously for the past week.

“It’s not only informing people and keeping them up to date on the fire – like literally the information we’re providing here is saving people’s lives – they need to know if their home is in the evacuation zone,” she continued.

As many people attempt to assist, firefighters from all around the state and the nation come together to battle the fires that have so far taken at least 24 lives and destroyed tens of thousands of buildings, including houses, churches, schools, and much more.

“I believe there are currently 3,500 crews working on the Eaton Fire, and they are all set up in the Rose Bowl. As far as the eye can see, there are firefighters there, according to Dupnack, who drove up there today.

“It feels like the good and the concern and the donations and all those things – it weighs out some of the heartache and negativity,” Lee added.

What they’re saying:

The evacuation areas for the Palisades and Eaton fires are broken down below.

Palisades Fire

Latest update as of Tuesday, Jan. 14:

23.7 percent containment on 23,713 acres

According to reports, the Palisades Fire has claimed eight lives.

It is estimated that about 5,000 buildings were damaged or destroyed.

The fire has more than 5,000 firefighters assigned to it. To aid in the combat, firefighters traveled to Los Angeles from Mexico, Canada, and a number of other states.

Eaton Fire

Latest update as of Tuesday, Jan. 14:

34 percent containment on 14,117 acres

According to reports, the Eaton Fire has claimed sixteen lives. Approximately 7,000 buildings suffered damage or were completely demolished.

Made an arrest:

Police say the exclusion zones were only in place for a week.

According to authorities, all of the individuals who were taken into custody had broken county and city curfew orders from January 7 to January 12 as well as local emergency orders.

The Source: Jessica Dupnack of FOX 2 and the FOX 11 crew in Los Angeles.