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Former Detroiter now living in Los Angeles talks about wildfires
Lamar Sally talks about the LA wildfires.
LOS ANGELES (FOX 2) - A man from Detroit who now lives in Los Angeles says he is ready to leave his home as wildfires continue to rip through southern California.
"I was told to be on alert," Lamar Sally said. "You may have that alert where it's like 15 minutes, and you just have to get your most valuable things and go."
Sally said his bags are back should he get the alert to leave.
"All those things that are most important to me, they are packed and right by the door and just ready to get out at a moment's notice," he said,
Sally and his 10-year-old son live about 12 miles from that Palisades Fire. That blaze, one of three wildfires currently burning, has burned more than 23,000 acres and as of Monday morning was only 13% contained.
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"We are on high alert because it’s not just the fire that affects us - it’s the air quality. Over the last two days the air has been really bad," he said.
Sally described seeing ash from the fires coating vehicles in gray and black soot. He also talked about how a gym just a few miles from his home had been converted into a space for evacuated residents.
"They literally turned that place into an evacuation center," he said.
A home is engulfed in flames during the Eaton fire in the Altadena area of Los Angeles County, California on January 8, 2025. (Photo by JOSH EDELSON / AFP) (Photo by JOSH EDELSON/AFP via Getty Images)
Despite all the destruction, Sally said he believes that the areas that have burned will be built back up after the flames are extinguished.
"They'll burn back up, we'll return to our former beauty, and we'll keep going," he said.
LA wildfires destruction
By the numbers:
The Palisades Fire, Eaton Fire, and Hurst Fire have killed at least 24 people and destroyed more than 12,000 buildings. As of Monday morning, at least 16 people are missing.
As of Sunday, about 150,000 people in Los Angeles County were under evacuation orders.
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The Palisades Fire has burned 23,713.4 acres and is 13% contained, while the Eaton Fire, which is 27% contained, has burned 14,117 acres. The Hurst Fire has burned 799 acres, and is 89% contained.
AccuWeather estimates that the damage caused by the fires could cost as much as $150 billion.
What's next:
Winds are expected to gain strength again.
The National Weather Service issued red flag warnings for severe fire conditions through Wednesday. Sustained winds are forecasted to be 50 mph, while gusts in the mountains could reach 70 mph.
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The Source: Information for this story is from an interview with Lamar Sally. LiveNow from FOX also contributed to this report.