LA nurse defies evacuation orders to protect her home from looters: ‘Nothing here is good’
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‘No one’s here securing the homes, so these criminals are coming and breaking in,’ the veteran caregiver told The Independent. A homeowner in one of the sections hit hardest by the wildfires rampaging through Los Angeles since Tuesday is refusing to leave her residence — violating a mandatory evacuation order issued by authorities — because, while her house is still standing, she’s afraid of losing everything inside of it to looters.
![[The breadth of the destruction in areas like Pacific Palisades, above, has been staggering]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2025/01/10/21/GettyImages-2192591340.jpg)
The Eaton fire has burned through some 14,000 acres of the area, sparing her home, which she chalked up to “an act of God.” But although she is feeling emotionally drained and more than a little overwhelmed, the veteran ER nurse counts herself among the lucky ones.
![[Federal assistance is now available for homeowners affected by the wildfires]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2025/01/10/21/GettyImages-2193312130.jpg)
“We were able to survive, but what’s left of the neighborhood looks like a nuclear bomb went off,” she told The Independent. “Streets with no houses.”. She asked that her name not be used, as ignoring mandatory evacuation orders is a criminal offense under California law, with the possibility of steep fines and even jail time for offenders. Although rarely enforced, the Pasadena-area resident said she fears not only prosecution but also losing her job.
“Somebody went and broke into a house that’s still standing, there’s no power at night, it’s pitch-dark… it’s like a ghost town,” she said. “No one’s here securing the homes, so these criminals are coming and breaking in,” she said. “Just to add more insult to injury, we have that now. So I’m living in my house right now, with a generator, even though we’re supposed to be evacuated, and basically camping here so we can protect our home and assets. Because the crime is a problem. Nothing here is good.”.
