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California residents share their stories amid fires described as 'apocalyptic'

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Published  January 9, 2025 6:00pm CST
California
FOX 32 Chicago

California residents share their stories as fires rage on

Charlie Salerno, who evacuated with his friend Mason from Hollywood Hills, described the chaos they encountered.

The Brief

    • Historic wildfires in California have forced over 100,000 people to evacuate, with another 200,000 under evacuation warnings.
    • Residents face challenges including major traffic jams and emotional strain while waiting for the all-clear.
    • Some evacuees have been able to return home, grateful but deeply affected by the crisis.

CHICAGO - Historic wildfires sweeping through California have forced over 100,000 residents to evacuate, with another 200,000 under evacuation warnings.

On Thursday, many evacuees shared stories of resilience as they faced the challenges brought on by the fires.

Fox 32 spoke with Sergio Lopreiato, who left his home after powerful winds caused significant damage in his neighborhood. Despite the danger, Lopreiato has stayed nearby, checking on his property and assisting elderly neighbors.

"I'm fortunate enough that I have big fire extinguishers and I can, we can mitigate against it a little bit. But we just stayed up all night and that's it. And so we have a bag just ready to go. It's a family bag. And then we will go at any time, but I can't, you know, I can't leave my neighbors who are 90 years old behind," said Lopreiato.

Evacuations of this magnitude have caused gridlock on Los Angeles highways, complicating the already stressful situation for many. Charlie Salerno, who evacuated with his friend Mason from Hollywood Hills, described the chaos they encountered.

"I had to get gas first because i was pretty low on gas. So we went to the gas station and it was just packed with people in line trying to get gas. And then we finally got the gas. And then as soon as we got on the highway, it was just, you know, cars touching cars, like going five miles per hour," said Salerno.

He and Mason were able to return home on Thursday. They said they are grateful they are OK and their home is fine, but that what they've seen unravel before their eyes is something they will never forget.

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