Brit reveals family home ‘looks like an atomic bomb hit it’ after ‘apocalyptic’ LA wildfire – as he hails ‘hero’ wife
A BRIT dad has shared the devastation his family faces after their home in Pacific Palisades was destroyed in an “apocalyptic” wildfire.
Andrew Stalbow, who has lived in the area since 2008, said the blaze left his neighbourhood looking like “an atomic bomb’s hit it.”
Mr Stalbow revealed the emotional toll of losing not only his “amazing home” but also treasured belongings, including pictures of his late grandfather.
“I don’t recognize anything,” he told Sky News.
“It hasn’t just hit one house, it’s hit everybody. The whole village, schools, restaurants, everything we’ve got is turned to dust, and it looks like an atomic bomb’s hit it.”
The wildfire, the largest and most destructive in the region, forced a frantic evacuation.
Mr Stalbow’s wife, a nursery teacher, was at work when the order was issued and had to act quickly to gather their children while others fled the area.
“She did a brilliant job,” he said.
It comes as…
- Five people have died as uncontrolled wildfires engulf Los Angeles
- At least 130,000 have been evacuated and schools have closed
- Nearly 400,000 homes are left without power as over 2,000 buildings destroyed and 30,000 acres burned
- Firefighters are “maxed out” and reportedly running out of water
- Harrowing footage shows the city up in flames
- Celebrity homes have been torched, including A-listers like Paris Hilton, Billy Crystal, and Anthony Hopkins
- Joe Biden slammed for announcing granddaughter’s baby news during LA fire presser
“My wife… there’s a real hero of this. I think we’re all just thankful that we’re alive and, most of all, my friends are fine, but everyone’s lives have been ruined and destroyed.”
Despite the devastation, the Brit dad expressed admiration for the firefighters battling the flames.
He praised them as “unbelievable” and “so brave,” noting the challenges they faced, including issues with the water supply.
Looking ahead, he remains optimistic about rebuilding and drawing on the resilience of the community.
“I don’t recognise anything, everything’s going to have to be rebuilt,” he said.
“I think with a little bit of British spirit and some American optimism, I think you put the two together – I think everyone’s going to look at it and say, right, it’s time to rebuild.”
It comes as around 70,000 people have been forced to flee their homes across Los Angeles.
Firefighters have also warned they are running low on water to put out the raging blaze.
LA wildfires by the numbers
THERE are five main fires which have hit LA over the last two days and are now threatening the lives of hundreds of thousands of residents.
Here’s a list of the key facts for each of the blazes:
Palisades fire:
- Started: 10.30am Tuesday near Palisades Drive
- Size: 17,000 acres
- Containment: Zero per cent
- Injuries: Unknown number of “significant” injuries
- Damage: At least, 1000 buildings burned with 13,000 more threatened
- Evacuations: Some 30,000 people under evacuation orders
- Summary: The Palisades fire spread quickly in the gusty, dry winds and dry brush and ran into celebrity enclave neighborhoods filled with multimillion-dollar homes.
Eaton fire:
- Started: 6.18pm on Tuesday in Altadena near Eaton Canyon
- Size: 10,000 acres
- Containment: Zero per cent
- Injuries: Five dead, unknown number of injuries
- Evacuations: Some 100,000 people under evacuation orders
- Summary: The Eaton fire spread rapidly and quickly threatened homes in the area more densely populated than Palisades.
Sunset fire:
- Started: 6.00pm Wednesday
- Size: 60 to 100 acres
- Containment: Zero per cent
- Injuries: Unknown
- Evacuations: Orders issued for parts of Hollywood, but since lifted
- Summary: The Sunset fire has burned some of the most iconic LA real estate including Sunset Boulevard. It has also threatened Hollywood Boulevard and the iconic Hollywood sign and Hollywood Bowl.
Hurst fire:
- Started: 10.29pm on Tuesday in Sylmar
- Size: 850 acres
- Containment: 10 per cent
- Injuries: None reported
- Summary: The blaze broke out near the interstate on the fringe of the city of San Fernando. It is not thought to have damaged any homes so far.
Lidia fire:
- Started: 2pm on Wednesday
- Size: 350 acres
- Containment: 40 per cent
- Injuries: None reported
- Summary: The Lidia fire is away from the city on the northern side of the Magic Mountain Wilderness Area. It is mostly burning through bush and does not threaten homes.
Locals recorded their hometown’s burning as even celebrity homes were emptied by the inferno sweeping across parts of LA.
Even celebrities in the affluent area were forced to evacuate their multi million dollar mansions.
Take That star Mark Owen and his family, for instance, were forced to flee their Los Angeles home as wildfires rip through Southern California.
His wife, Emma, took to Instagram to share the couple’s terrifying ordeal, describing scenes of “helicopters, thick black smoke, and howling winds.”
Declared a state of emergency, the infernos have consumed parts of Malibu, the Hollywood Hills, and Runyon Canyon, turning the region into a fiery battleground.