A fire survivor who fled the inferno in the Palisades district of Los Angeles says it was like “a snowstorm, except the snow was made of fire”.
“I have all these little marks on my face where it hit me while I was trying to fight it,” Ollie Israel told Today.
“You know, the air was so thick that when we were driving out of there, you could only see 15 or 20 feet (4.5 to six metres) in front of the car. Just seeing the fire exploding through the air.”
Israel said he was staying at a friend’s place, but had been separated from his family for several days after they all fled the blaze.
“The world of everyone I’ve ever met almost, is reaching out and saying, you know, if you need a place to stay,” he said.
“And so I have never felt alone in this.”
Nonetheless, he said, he expected to have lost all his possessions in the fire.
