Fox’s La Jeunesse on L.A. Wildfires: ‘The Most Destructive Fire in State History’

SHIMKUS 4 000 acres ░░░░░░░░ been burned by three ░░░░░░░░ spreading right now in ░░░░░░░░ Los Angeles area PIRO ░░░░░░░░ La Jeunesse live in ░░░░░░░░ California standing in front ░░░░░░░░ a burning home he ░░░░░░░░ us now Will LA ░░░░░░░░ Hey good morning guys ░░░░░░░░ this is going to ░░░░░░░░ be the most destructive ░░░░░░░░ in state history based ░░░░░░░░ what I ve seen ░░░░░░░░ the last 12 to ░░░░░░░░ hours I ve been ░░░░░░░░ in north on PCH ░░░░░░░░ came in from the ░░░░░░░░ and I can tell ░░░░░░░░ so this the Pacific ░░░░░░░░ is literally right over ░░░░░░░░ These homes are right ░░░░░░░░ the beach There are ░░░░░░░░ burning right now As ░░░░░░░░ can see three others ░░░░░░░░ earlier And as I ░░░░░░░░ down PCH from the ░░░░░░░░ I had to see ░░░░░░░░ two dozen homes burning ░░░░░░░░ the beach like this ░░░░░░░░ you can see the ░░░░░░░░ are on the right ░░░░░░░░ bluff here and then ░░░░░░░░ is PCH and the ░░░░░░░░ is literally right now ░░░░░░░░ my left to your ░░░░░░░░ But I gotta tell ░░░░░░░░ this fire moved it ░░░░░░░░ so big it moved ░░░░░░░░ fast There were not ░░░░░░░░ firefighters to even begin ░░░░░░░░ cover the thing This ░░░░░░░░ moved so fast It ░░░░░░░░ right out of the ░░░░░░░░ and it moved some ░░░░░░░░ the south toward Santa ░░░░░░░░ a place called Chautauqua ░░░░░░░░ that is burning according ░░░░░░░░ the TV that I ░░░░░░░░ at earlier today And ░░░░░░░░ I came in from ░░░░░░░░ north and when remember ░░░░░░░░ started at Cross Creek ░░░░░░░░ Malibu a month ago ░░░░░░░░ that fire This fire ░░░░░░░░ virtually reached that area ░░░░░░░░ re talking about five ░░░░░░░░ 10 miles in about ░░░░░░░░ than eight hours And ░░░░░░░░ are fires burning and ░░░░░░░░ are no fire crews ░░░░░░░░ to be seen because ░░░░░░░░ are simply occupied somewhere ░░░░░░░░ The winds are dry ░░░░░░░░ re unpredictable very strong ░░░░░░░░ recorded some 99 mile ░░░░░░░░ hour winds up in ░░░░░░░░ mountain passes Down here ░░░░░░░░ the beach around 50 ░░░░░░░░ an hour gusting at ░░░░░░░░ Earlier tonight I know ░░░░░░░░ were 30 000 had ░░░░░░░░ evacuated just in the ░░░░░░░░ fire 10 000 homes ░░░░░░░░ threatened I can easily ░░░░░░░░ you that will double ░░░░░░░░ the time we get ░░░░░░░░ update probably this morning ░░░░░░░░ 6 or 7 A ░░░░░░░░ local But you know ░░░░░░░░ we had this fire ░░░░░░░░ the Palisades you guys ░░░░░░░░ are used to seeing ░░░░░░░░ in Santa Barbara Malibu ░░░░░░░░ houses are maybe one ░░░░░░░░ acre one every two ░░░░░░░░ or so The Palisades ░░░░░░░░ very very dense and ░░░░░░░░ the fire started ripping ░░░░░░░░ there Palisades High School ░░░░░░░░ in that area it ░░░░░░░░ a very dense neighborhood ░░░░░░░░ topography is still there ░░░░░░░░ bluffs there s ridges ░░░░░░░░ s hillsides there And ░░░░░░░░ course as you guys ░░░░░░░░ fire moves very quickly ░░░░░░░░ like that Winds are ░░░░░░░░ unpredictable but they re ░░░░░░░░ strong that the firefighters ░░░░░░░░ have very little hope ░░░░░░░░ saving some of these ░░░░░░░░ because it is just ░░░░░░░░ so fast They brought ░░░░░░░░ at one point in ░░░░░░░░ out of Palisades which ░░░░░░░░ very dense very populated ░░░░░░░░ people are trying to ░░░░░░░░ and the flames started ░░░░░░░░ down They were forced ░░░░░░░░ leave their cars you ░░░░░░░░ heard about this and ░░░░░░░░ came up to them ░░░░░░░░ witnesses said Get out ░░░░░░░░ your car and run ░░░░░░░░ you want to live ░░░░░░░░ this point in time ░░░░░░░░ had to come in ░░░░░░░░ literally push those cars ░░░░░░░░ to make room for ░░░░░░░░ fire trucks That was ░░░░░░░░ area near port of ░░░░░░░░ and again parts of ░░░░░░░░ Palisades I m gonna ░░░░░░░░ it back to you ░░░░░░░░ right now I can ░░░░░░░░ you we have fires ░░░░░░░░ Palisades in Malibu in ░░░░░░░░ Altadena and Sylmar This ░░░░░░░░ in Malibu when I ░░░░░░░░ to bed last night ░░░░░░░░ hadn t even moved ░░░░░░░░ this area So you ░░░░░░░░ those high winds are ░░░░░░░░ peak winds right now ░░░░░░░░ until 5 00 this ░░░░░░░░ but still we re ░░░░░░░░ high winds probably till ░░░░░░░░ The way this thing ░░░░░░░░ moving there will just ░░░░░░░░ more homes destroyed SHIMKUS ░░░░░░░░ I mean yeah absolutely ░░░░░░░░ percent containment and we ░░░░░░░░ hearing five football fields ░░░░░░░░ single minute That is ░░░░░░░░ quickly this fire is ░░░░░░░░ William you ve covered ░░░░░░░░ all and California is ░░░░░░░░ to wildfires but this ░░░░░░░░ like on an entirely ░░░░░░░░ level What separates this ░░░░░░░░ from things you ve ░░░░░░░░ in the past LA ░░░░░░░░ Well definitely the persistent ░░░░░░░░ winds I mean when ░░░░░░░░ was driving down you ░░░░░░░░ embers that looked like ░░░░░░░░ snowstorm really and they ░░░░░░░░ just bouncing along PCH ░░░░░░░░ I came in today ░░░░░░░░ can t tell you ░░░░░░░░ many downed power lines ░░░░░░░░ transformers and power poles ░░░░░░░░ sticking right across PCH ░░░░░░░░ this So it s ░░░░░░░░ strength of the wind ░░░░░░░░ of course the longer ░░░░░░░░ blows the drier the ░░░░░░░░ We re in technically ░░░░░░░░ rainy season our wet ░░░░░░░░ that should start basically ░░░░░░░░ December January February and ░░░░░░░░ it begins to tail ░░░░░░░░ and we ve had ░░░░░░░░ rain honestly over the ░░░░░░░░ two months It s ░░░░░░░░ extremely dry But this ░░░░░░░░ event is massive I ░░░░░░░░ it goes from as ░░░░░░░░ people know L A ░░░░░░░░ a basin basically we ░░░░░░░░ surrounded by mountains the ░░░░░░░░ Bernardinos the Santa Susanas ░░░░░░░░ San Gabriels the Santa ░░░░░░░░ and those winds coming ░░░░░░░░ the high pressure out ░░░░░░░░ Las Vegas they come ░░░░░░░░ to those canyons and ░░░░░░░░ really pick up steam ░░░░░░░░ s just the breadth ░░░░░░░░ this thing right now ░░░░░░░░ got all of southern ░░░░░░░░ on notice Of course ░░░░░░░░ know what that means ░░░░░░░░ firefighters are going to ░░░░░░░░ spread really really thin ░░░░░░░░ I said as I ░░░░░░░░ down there were fires ░░░░░░░░ and there were no ░░░░░░░░ anywhere They re doing ░░░░░░░░ best obviously but they ░░░░░░░░ occupied on different structures ░░░░░░░░ they can t get ░░░░░░░░ of this thing In ░░░░░░░░ last night around 8 ░░░░░░░░ they had to ground ░░░░░░░░ helicopters and even the ░░░░░░░░ wing because the winds ░░░░░░░░ so strong Earlier on ░░░░░░░░ Palisades fire when it ░░░░░░░░ out they had two ░░░░░░░░ helicopters the twin rotors ░░░░░░░░ they stopped dropping because ░░░░░░░░ winds were so strong ░░░░░░░░ by the time the ░░░░░░░░ or the water was ░░░░░░░░ hit the ground it ░░░░░░░░ gone about a football ░░░░░░░░ so they couldn t ░░░░░░░░ the water the retardant ░░░░░░░░ the flames so one ░░░░░░░░ the firefighters there at ░░░░░░░░ presser said What s ░░░░░░░░ point of driving around ░░░░░░░░ dropping retardant when you ░░░░░░░░ t hit the target ░░░░░░░░ those are some of ░░░░░░░░ problems and the challenges ░░░░░░░░ they’re having.”