LOS ANGELES, Ca. — For Orlando natives who now reside in the affected areas of Southern California, the crisis has become a personal and terrifying ordeal.
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It’s been a week since Southern California has been ablaze, with wildfires tearing through communities, forcing mass evacuations, and leaving devastation in their wake.
During Zoom interviews with Eyewitness News, Lizzi Wilson, Tatiana Petit-Frere, and Stuart Morrell described their experiences, expressing fear as the relentless flames inch closer to their homes.
“We put up with 32 years of hurricanes, flooding, and tornadoes when we lived in [the] Orlando [area]. So, natural disasters, I can say, come naturally.
But I never thought of looking out my window and seeing smoke thousands of feet in the air,” said Morrell, former Apopka resident.
The Central Florida natives caught in the middle of this nightmare, the hope for relief and recovery keeps them going, even as the fires burn relentlessly across Southern California.
“It will get rebuilt, and the city will come back stronger,” said Morrell.
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Sunday, officials upped the death toll as 24 people died from the flames, and thousands of homes and businesses destroyed.
As flames spread, fanned by unrelenting winds and fueled by drought-stricken landscapes, evacuation zones have expanded.
In a desperate scramble for safety, Wilson said she evacuated once to avoid the safety hazards of smoke.
“Everyone still has their go-bags. I evacuated with my neighbors to Yucca Valley, which is about 2-hours east, for the night on Wednesday to get away from the smoke, but there was a wind storm out there as well. So, we lost power and came back home and have just been riding it out here,” said Wilson, a former Orlando resident.
Meanwhile, firefighters in Southern California are working tirelessly, battling flames that have consumed thousands of acres. Emergency response teams combat multiple fires across the region, as Red Cross volunteers from Central Florida focused on prepping to get out in the field and helping those affected.
This wildfire crisis is a stark reminder of the growing risks posed by climate change and the importance of preparedness in the face of natural disasters.
Read: American Red Cross is on the ground in Southern California; wildfires continue
Looking to help Southern California Wildfire Victims?
California Community Foundations Wildfire Recovery Fund
Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation
Los Angeles Regional Food Bank:
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