‘Apocalyptic’: Winnipeggers experience impact of devastating California wildfires – Winnipeg
Wildfires continue to rage in California, with five deaths reported and more than 1,000 structures destroyed so far, affecting residents and visitors alike.
A former Winnipegger who has been living in Los Angeles for the past three years told 680 CJOB’s. News that while he is safe from disaster, it hits dangerously close to home.
“My friend got an eviction notice in the morning – a call at 9:30-10:00 a.m. – and by 2 p.m. her house was gone,” Dave Shorr said.
“And now the entire Pacific Palisades neighborhood, north of Santa Monica, is gone.
“If I were a Winnipegger, I would think that as River Heights is on fire. So the Grant Park mall is gone, Pizzeria Gusto is gone… I would think so. Put an end to it.”
Shorr said he was only a few miles away from the fire earlier this week, and the impact will not be ignored, even if he is far from a safe distance.
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“You see it, you smell it, it smells like the farmers burning the husks in the fall. You get that strong sense you get in the fall after the harvest when the farmers are on fire.
“It’s an amazing sight of smoke, you can see it almost everywhere.”
The Winnipeg business owner says he’s back from a high-profile Golden Globes gig and the hustle and bustle of trying to get out of Los Angeles.
Amber Nemeth of HayMad and Co. was returning to Hollywood for the awards show, after being invited to the Emmys presentation booth last fall.
“Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would witness such a natural disaster firsthand,” Nemeth told 680 CJOB’s. The beginning.
“It’s hard to put into words – I’m sure everyone saw it on TV, on social media. It’s apocalyptic, it’s scary… there’s soot in the air, there’s ash and debris falling from the sky. It’s crazy to see that first hand.”
Although Nemeth eventually arrived home safely, he said there were countless delays at Los Angeles International Airport, as well as chaos caused by the storm once his plane took off.
“The chaos is like nothing I’ve ever experienced. It’s crazy… so scary.
“We literally walked through the smoke, we were going through a dark cloud, so there wasn’t much to see below.”
Besides the experience, Nemeth has another trip to California planned — while in LA for the Golden Globes, HayMad and Co. they were asked to return to host the Oscars in March with their popular ‘Be Kind’ collection, which supports mental health and wellbeing.
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