‘God save our house’: Terrifying video captures Eaton Fire spreading from tower, engulfing houses
A chilling video shared by victims on Instagram captured the one of the blazes of the Los Angeles wildfires – Eaton Fire – consuming residences after seemingly spreading from a tower on Saturday.
The fire is one of six simultaneous wildfires that began on Tuesday, scorching nearly 40,000 acres and destroying over 12,000 structures, including residences and businesses.
The video starts with a victim calling her partner outside the house, pointing to the fire spreading from a tower, saying, “Babe, we’ve got a very big problem, we gotta go.” The woman points towards a cliff, showing to her partner an electric tower on fire.
In no time, the fire is at the residential area. All of this unfolded in 34 minutes, a social media post shared by the couple said.
The victim attempts to spray the house with water, praying for divine intervention, before reluctantly leaving the home with an emotional farewell.
Reflecting on the experience, the victims shared, “I remember saying goodbye to our home as I backed out of our driveway for what I thought would be the last time I would ever see our home again.” They later added, “Grateful that our home still stands.”
In the caption accompanying the video, they wrote:
“34 minutes of pure terror. As soon as @cheryllyay walked through the door, she knew we were in a desperate situation. The Eaton fire had just started in the hillside above us and we had to act FAST. Winds gusting, no electricity, we grabbed what we could. I took videos of the fire between trips to the car and I never would have imagined how quickly the conditions could get worse. By the time we left, smoke had filled the air making it hard to breathe, embers flying everywhere, and the sky was bright orange.”
Expressing their gratitude and heartbreak, they further stated, “We have many friends who have lost everything. We are heartbroken and devastated for our community and Los Angeles. We are so thankful to all the first responders and the heroes who continue to fight the fires and help those in need.”
They also mentioned a fortunate detail: “I had plugged our internet router into a portable generator when we lost power which allowed for our @ring camera to capture footage.”
Latest on Los Angeles wildfires
The confirmed death toll from the wildfires has risen to 16, with investigations ongoing. According to the coroner’s office, five fatalities were linked to the Palisades Fire and 11 to the Eaton Fire, as stated in a Saturday evening update.
Previously, the confirmed fatalities stood at 11, but officials anticipated the number would rise as cadaver dogs searched through levelled neighbourhoods and crews assessed the destruction. Authorities have also set up a centre for reporting missing persons.
While light breezes are currently fanning the flames, the National Weather Service has warned of the potential return of strong Santa Ana winds, which have been largely blamed for turning the wildfires into devastating infernos. These winds, coupled with more than eight months of dry weather, have resulted in catastrophic damage to neighbourhoods around the city.
No official cause has been determined for the largest fires. However, early estimates suggest these could be the costliest wildfires in U.S. history. AccuWeather has preliminarily estimated the damages and economic losses to range between $135 billion and $150 billion.
Some residents have begun returning to the sites of their destroyed homes, sifting through the rubble for keepsakes. However, officials urged them to stay away, warning that the ash may contain hazardous materials like lead, arsenic, and asbestos.