California Fire: 'Rushed Out of Campus to Escape from Blaze, Drove Whole Night'

I first saw posts about the devastating fire in the Pacific Palisades neighbourhood in Los Angeles on Instagram.I am a Bachelor of Fine Arts student at the California Institute of the Arts in Santa Clarita – roughly 60 km away from the affected Palisades area, both within LA County.The way in which the fires were spreading out over the county, Pacific Palisades did not seem very far.On 7 January, I had just finished dance rehearsals in Downtown LA and was checking my Instagram feed when I saw the fires had spread even further. My friends and I were upset but unsure about how serious the situation was yet. We went to get food around 4 pm. On our drive back to Santa Clarita, which takes around 40 minutes, we were unaware that the Hurst Fire had started. The Hurst Fire, or the Sylmar Fire, is an active wildfire raging in the Sylmar area of LA. It's one of the many fires being propelled by strong winds in California. That wildfire was the one closest to campus, just southeast of us. There was already a high wind warning, and we were careful, but the winds were so strong that our car and the ones around us started wavering in and out of lanes. My friend, who was driving, gripped the steering wheel tightly, a little paranoid.On a certain dip in the road, we passed through a cloud of dust. For a split second, there was no visibility — our hearts almost jumped out of our chests. Moments later, the wind blew the dust away, and it felt like nothing had happened, until another gust hit us from the right. After what felt like eternity, we made it to Santa Clarita, a little shaken, and retreated to our rooms.'My Cousin Died of Drowning in US. Insurance Firm Denied Claim Citing Suicide'A few hours later, I saw videos my friends had posted — entire neighborhoods burning. Evacuation orders were everywhere. That's when we realised how serious the fires had become.I found an app called ‘Watch Duty’ that was posting real-time updates. That’s when I saw the Hurst Fire was only a few miles away. Within the hour, it reached Newhall, the oldest southernmost community of Santa Clarita. I checked in with a friend. What started as a simple “Hey, just checking in” turned into a rush to leave campus and get far from the fire. By 1:14 am on 8 January, I’d woken up my roommate, packed everything we could into bags, and we were out the door.As we left campus around 1:48 am, we saw this.We froze in our tracks. Blazing fires emerged from behind a hill, lighting up the night sky with an eerie orange-pink hue. We stood there, watching the smoke rise, our breath caught in the stillness. We didn’t stop for long.Our friend drove us all the way to Santa Barbara through the night – a distance of 125 km – to get away from the flames. The Santa Ana winds propelling the wildfires caught up with us but eventually died down as we left their path.The next morning, sleep-deprived and almost broke, we tried to process what had just happened. None of us fully understood the gravity of the situation, or what people directly affected by the fires were experiencing. I watched in disbelief as the flames crept closer to neighbourhoods, until I saw them from my doorstep.The pictures my friends shared, showing their homes engulfed by fire, were heartbreaking. Many had already lost everything. Their messages were filled with fear, confusion, and helplessness. The fires spread quickly, fueled by the winds, leaving nothing but ash in their wake.From Santa Barbara, we couldn't shake the mix of relief and guilt. We dreaded checking the app again, unsure whether the dorms were still standing. We wondered, if they were, for how long?'Dilli Haat Artisans Eager to Keep Art Alive, But Wonder at What Cost'Then the emails from school started rolling in, urging everyone to stay safe. The administration was vigilant, offering shelter to students affected by the fires.By the time the Hurst Fire had veered in a different direction, we received reassurance. My roommate had a flight to catch to Michigan, so we decided to return to campus. With Burbank Airport (in LA) shut down, we assumed flights might be delayed. Public transport seemed unreliable due to the winds, so we made plans to travel back the following evening. On 9 January, as the Hurst Fire started to be contained, we got another alert warning that winds would pick back up that evening. We didn’t want to risk being stranded, so we decided to leave immediately. Packing our bags in a rush, we took a $200 Uber ride to Los Angeles International Airport, reflecting on how unpredictable the situation had been — and how little money we had left. But we made it.As my roommate flew out the next day, I sat in my dorm room, reflecting on the proximity of the destruction. The firefighters and other responders were still battling the flames, the death toll had reached 11, and 36,000 acres had been burned. It was surreal to be so close to it all.I thought about those who had lost everything, about the people sharing GoFundMe links, and the painful reality they now faced. For now, we pray for their well-being, and all of our safety, while we prepare to resume school on Monday.(As of 13 January, the wildfires have killed at least 24 people.) (Achintya Bose is an actor and dancer who has been a part of 'Yeh Ballet' on Netflix and 'Waack Girls' on Prime Video. He is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Fine Arts in dance at the California Institute of the Arts.)(All 'My Report' branded stories are submitted by citizen journalists to The Quint. Though The Quint inquires into the claims/allegations from all parties before publishing, the report and the views expressed above are the citizen journalist's own. The Quint neither endorses nor is responsible for the same.)(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)

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California Fire: 'Rushed Out of Campus to Escape from Blaze, Drove Whole Night'

'Evacuation orders were everywhere. That's how serious the fires had become,' writes LA-based actor Achintya Bose.

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Topics: Los Angeles California Wildfire Wildfires