Matt Gutman, chief national correspondent for ABC News
Even though we arrived in Palisades on Tuesday afternoon the fire had already gripped the town, the defining moment for me is the following Wednesday morning when I drove down a deserted Sunset Boulevard at 3 a.m. to meet our crew for Good Morning America. Almost every building I had come to know in the Palisades in the three decades I’ve been coming here to see family, was on fire. And not just fire but what looked like flame throwers blasting fire out of gutted buildings and into the road.
And then just hours later I’ve been passed through downtown Pacific Palisades I drove to my aunt’s house right off of Sunset and – there, next to the old oak split in half and sagging powerlines – I found it destroyed. Previous night I had grabbed some things from her place thinking I would have time the next day to get more. But as it was for so many time ran out.
And like so so many here in LA County, my family packed our bags, grabbed our documents and some cash, and we’re ready for the evacuation order.
It was in that moment early Wednesday morning that I realized that this town is likely never going be the same.
Watch behind the scenes footage of ABC News’ Kanya Whitworth covering the wildfires
Alex Stone, national correspondent for ABC News Radio
I’ve covered wildfires for almost 30 years and I have never seen wind like I saw arriving in Altadena. Early Wednesday morning the wind was hitting 100 miles an hour. As we drove into the fire you could not see five feet in front of the car, there was fire everywhere, and huge pieces of homes and trees were flying in the wind slamming into the car. It was just incredible to see the wind and the frantic attempts by people to get out in terrible conditions. On radio we were able to bring that right into the listener of just how windy it was and how dangerous it was for those trying to evacuate.
Tony Cabrera, weathercaster and general assignment reporter for ABC7 Eyewitness News
The most defining moment for me was driving through the Pacific Palisades with flames and smoke on both sides of the road, then seeing the destruction when the sun came up. We saw home after home, business after business destroyed. Not just clusters, but rows of structures burned to the ground on nearly every block. Then driving up and down PCH in Malibu and seeing almost every beachfront property gone, completely changing the landscape of such a beautiful coastline. It was unrecognizable.
What precautions are you and your crews taking during you reporting? Have there been any moments where you felt in danger?
Natasha Chen, national correspondent for CNN
I had to get out of the Palisades that first night after our last live shot was done, and that was the most terrifying exit I’ve ever made from a story.
