LA wildfires: Brit dad says family home ‘looks like atomic bomb hit it’ after blaze
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A Brit living in Los Angeles has given a glimpse into what it is like for families engulfed by the wildfires - and says it is like "an atomic bomb's hit" his neighbourhood. Andrew Stalbow, who has resided in the Pacific Palisades area since 2008, says his home has been wrecked by the "apocalyptic" wildfire. The area has been struck by one of the largest wildfires, causing misery and devastation across thousands of acres of land.
The Brit expressed that it is difficult to come to terms with what happened to his "amazing home", and his precious items such as photos of his late grandfather. He shared the ordeal with Sky News and said: "I don't recognise anything. It hasn't just hit one house, it's hit everybody.
"The whole village, schools, restaurants, everything we've got is turned to dust, and it looks like an atomic bomb's hit it." Andrew revealed that his wife, who is a nursery teacher, was working when an evacuation order was issued. He praised her quick-thinking efforts and said she had to gather the children fast as others fled the area.
"My wife... there's a real hero of this. I think we're all just thankful that we're alive and, most of all, my friends are fine, but everyone's lives have been ruined and destroyed," he said. Andrew commended the "brave" firefighters who are working around the clock in a bid to contain the series of fires. He believes the community will be able to "rebuild" and said he is optimistic about getting through the aftermath.
He said: "I don't recognise anything, everything's going to have to be rebuilt. I think with a little bit of British spirit and some American optimism, I think you put the two together - I think everyone's going to look at it and say, right, it's time to rebuild." The two biggest wildfires ravaging the Los Angeles area have killed at least 10 people and burned more than 10,000 homes and other structures.
