California homeowners shared evacuation stories and video clips of the devastating flames plowing through their communities as the Pacific Palisades fire continues to burn since it started Tuesday.
Zibby and Kyle Owens, who own a home in Pacific Palisades but also live in New York, sat down Wednesday morning with Diane Macedo on ABC News Live and showed footage from their Google Nest camera revealing the devastating flames. The camera pans to their backyard as the fire engulfs the surrounding area and moves closer to their pool.
“This is the worst-case scenario unfolding before our eyes right now,” Kyle Owens said. “It’s not just a place, it’s a beautiful community.”
The video was the last contact the Owens received from their home since they lost power shortly thereafter.
Fires are common in California, and Owens said they are not new to this experience. The couple recently evacuated from a New Year’s fire that started with fireworks. But these particularly strong Santa Ana gusts, which are allowing the fire to burn five football fields a minute, have Kyle Owens worried about the future of this community.
“If we’re able to come back at some point, I don’t know what we’re going to come back to,” Kyle Owens said.
Kenny and Tricia Rakusin evacuated from their Pacific Palisades home.
ABC News
Kyle Owens also discussed how Pacific Palisades, one of the wealthiest neighborhoods in the area, is particularly difficult to evacuate because of its hillsides and winding streets. Many friends waited more than three hours to get down the mountain, a drive that would normally take about two minutes.
Two other Pacific Palisades residents, Kenny and Tricia Rakusin, who live along the coast, said they also struggled to escape the fire zone as a backlog of vehicles trying to travel up the hill toward Pacific Coast Highway blocked the road. Tricia Rakusin said her daughter also witnessed many people being forced out of their cars along Sunset Boulevard.
“This neighborhood has been in place for decades, there’s never been a fire near where we live,” Tricia Rakusin said. “No one ever imagined the possibility of this.”
Along with the stress of the destructive flames and impending damage, Tricia Rakusin said their insurance canceled all policies in their area four months ago.
“When we go up there, it’s going to be from a war zone,” Kenny Rakusin said. “The unknown is really challenging.”
Right now, the Pacific Palisades fire, which is among two other fires in LA County, has grown to at least 3,000 acres and is zero percent contained.
In addition to the uncertainty of their home’s condition, the Owens worry the flames could travel to Zibby’s bookstore in Santa Monica, which is also under an evacuation alert. For the Owens family and many others, these flames are wiping out businesses and homes full of memories and connection.
“There’s so much soul in the neighborhood,” Zibby Owens said. “It is inconceivable that this place could disappear.”
