‘We are on high alert’: Detroit native describes living in LA as wildfires ravage California
Lamar Sally discusses the wildfires in Los Angeles.
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Lamar Sally, a Detroit native who now lives in Los Angeles, said he is ready to evacuate his home if he needs to as fires continue to burn southern California.
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Sally and his 10-year-old son live about 12 miles from where the Palisades Fire is burning.
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The Palisades Fire, Eaton Fire, and Hurst Fire have killed at least 24 people and destroyed more than 12,000 buildings.
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Lamar Sally, a Detroit native who now lives in Los Angeles, said he is ready to evacuate his home if he needs to as fires continue to burn southern California.
-
Sally and his 10-year-old son live about 12 miles from where the Palisades Fire is burning.
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The Palisades Fire, Eaton Fire, and Hurst Fire have killed at least 24 people and destroyed more than 12,000 buildings.
FOX 2: Los AngelesAccording to a man who currently resides in Los Angeles, he is prepared to leave his hometown.
Lamar Sally remarked, “I was told to be on alert,” “You may have that alert where it’s like 15 minutes, and you just have to get your most valuable things and go.”
Sally stated that if he receives the warning to depart, his bags will be returned.
“All those things that are most important to me, they are packed and right by the door and just ready to get out at a moment’s notice,” he stated.
About 12 miles separate Sally’s home and his 10-year-old son from the Palisades Fire. As of Monday morning, just 13% of the more than 23,000 acres that have been destroyed by that fire—one of three wildfires that are presently raging—had been contained.
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“We are on high alert since the air quality is affecting us in addition to the fire. The air has been terrible for the past two days,” he remarked.
Sally reported seeing gray and black soot covering cars due to ash from the fires. Additionally, he mentioned how a gym a few miles from his house had been transformed into a shelter for individuals who had been evacuated.
“They literally turned that place into an evacuation center,” he stated.
On January 8, 2025, the Eaton fire in the Altadena neighborhood of Los Angeles County, California, engulfs a house in flames. (Image courtesy of AFP/JOSH EDELSON) (Image courtesy of AFP/JOSH EDELSON via Getty Images))
According to Sally, he thinks that after the fire is put out, the charred regions will be rebuilt despite all the damage.
“They’ll burn back up, we’ll return to our former beauty, and we’ll keep going,” he added.
LA wildfires destruction
Based on the figures:
More than 12,000 buildings have been destroyed by the Eaton, Hurst, and Palisades fires. At least 16 persons are still unaccounted for as of Monday morning.
Approximately 150,000 residents of Los Angeles County were under evacuation orders as of Sunday.
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While the Eaton Fire is 27% controlled and has burned 14,117 acres, the Palisades Fire has destroyed 23,713.4 acres and is 13% contained. With 799 acres burned, the Hurst Fire is 89% contained.
According to AccuWeather, the fires may have caused up to $150 billion in damage.
Next steps:
It is anticipated that winds would pick up speed once more.
Red flag warnings for hazardous fire conditions were in effect through Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service. In the mountains, gusts may reach 70 mph, while sustained winds are predicted to approach 50 mph.
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Dennis Burns, a fire behavior analyst, cautioned that new fires could originate up to two miles distant due to blowing embers.
The Origin:Lamar Sally provided the information for this piece in an interview. This article also included contributions from FOX LiveNow.