L.A. Residents Escape the Wildfires in Harrowing Viral Footage

James Hibberd

Thu, January 9, 2025 at 7:30 PM UTC

3 min read

More than 130,000 people have been forced to evacuate due to the biggest fire in Los Angeles history, with over 2,000 structures consumed.
Social media users have been sharing harrowing footage of their escapes from the multi-prong fire, causing traffic jams and some to abandon their vehicles.
Actor James Woods, who later lost his home in the fire, was among those preparing to evacuate as the Pacific Palisades fire raged on.

Los Angeles residents fleeing the biggest fire in the city's history took to social media to share harrowing footage of their escapes.

The multi-prong fire has resulted in more than 130,000 people being forced to evacuate, and more than 2,000 structures have been consumed. The mass exodus has caused traffic jams, and some have been forced to abandon their vehicles.

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Below are some of the videos being shared online. This first video was perhaps the most widely circulated footage, as two men and their dog hunker down while flames surge into their backyard:

Here's a video of residents fleeing their home while houses and trees burned outside:

A drive down Pacific Coast Highway that's consumed by smoke and ash:

A drive through Pacific Palisades:

Another drive down PCH:

An iconic PCH lifeguard stand burns:

A drive through the canyon toward Sunset Boulevard:

Actor James Woods, who later lost his home in the fire, gets ready to evacuate:

A deer runs through Altadena:

A reporter amid abandoned cars as flames approach:

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