Can Hasasu
14 January 2025•Update: 14 January 2025
LOS ANGELES, US
As wildfires continue to ravage the Los Angeles, California area for the eighth consecutive day, evacuees from some areas are being allowed to see what remains of their homes.
Anadolu reporters spoke to Erika McMahon, a mother who returned to see her 36-year-old home in the Eaton area, eastern Los Angeles, reduced to a pile of ash.
Speaking to Anadolu, McMahon said: “Compared to what we’ve experienced before, this is truly massive. This is a mountainous region, so we’re always aware of the fire risks.”
“In the 36 years I’ve lived here, we’ve had to evacuate maybe three or four times. But this is unlike anything we’ve ever faced,” she added.
‘It feels like I’m trapped in a bad dream’
Shauna McMahon, who grew up in Altadena, which includes Eaton, was devastated when she saw what remained of her mother’s home.
“It feels like I’m trapped in a bad dream and can’t wake up. It’s as if our entire life has burned to ashes,” she said.
Brian McMahon, who had come to help his mother, said while growing up he had gone through many evacuations but sensed something different on the morning of Jan. 8.
“I woke up probably just before 8 am and thought, ‘Why is it so dark?’ I looked outside and saw it was smoke from the fire. I looked up at the sky and thought, ‘This isn’t good’,” he recounted.
Tens of thousands of acres of land have burned since the evening of Jan. 7 across various parts of Los Angeles, spreading rapidly due to strong winds.
More than 12,000 buildings have been damaged or made unusable in the wildfires, with economic losses potentially reaching $150 billion, while the death toll now stands at 24, with fears it may grow higher.
