I've been in disbelief all day. I'm from Southern CA as is the vast majority of my family. It's my home, especially west LA. My mom used to take me to the Santa Monica Pier all the time and we actually lived in a neighborhood that is now nothing but ash. So many wonderful memories all throughout my life reduced to rubble and smoke. We have so many friends and family members all over the effected areas and it's been so anxiety inducing trying to get ahold of everyone amidst the absolute chaos. My aunt heard from a friend of hers that they had to get out of their cars with their kids and pets and leave on foot. And now seeing that Runyon is up in flames, too? Seeing a wall of fire behind the Capitol Records building hit me really hard. So much history is being destroyed in the blink of an eye. I'm in OR so I'm no stranger to evacuating almost every year and fires aren't new to me, but I honestly never expected the Hollywood Hills to go. There are still some people we haven't heard back from and it's really hard to not jump to the worst conclusion. It feels silly to say I never expected this, given the general state of the entire planet, but I really didn't. Many of our loved ones have already lost their homes but there have been so many genuinely kind people offering everything they have to help each other and that's going to be the light that gets us through.
Any of my fellow LA PJers that are out there currently, I hope you're evacuated with your pets and/or loved ones and safe. I'm including you in my thoughts/wishes/prayers/everything along with my loved ones. I know that the terror is immense and I hope that the love coming your way helps to soften the blow even a little bit. If anyone just needs to talk or if there's anything that might be helpful to you, my messages are always open.