For many people in LA, Tuesday January 7 started just like an ordinary day, and residents including Kai Cranmore donned their hiking shoes to explore some of the many trails that surround the city. Hours later, they were running for their lives as massive wildfires erupted across the area.
In a video released by the Associated Press, which you can watch below, Cranmore and three friends can be seen running in panic after hiking up into the hills to meditate on a large rock.
"It was terrifying to feel like you're running for your life in a situation like that," says Cranmore.
"We turned around and there was a plume of smoke just rolling over the mountain right behind us. It was probably only 50 feet away from us."
The group grabbed their belongings and began to climb down from the rock.
"As we got to the bottom of the rock we started to hear the fire crackle right behind us and the wind started to pick up really fast."
The hikers initially had to run uphill towards the fire before they could begin their hasty descent, seen in the video through overgrown brush.
Though California has long been susceptible to wildfires, January is usually relatively free from blazes. Strong seasonal Santa Ana winds are believed to be the main culprit in fueling the fires, which have now killed at least 10 people and destroyed over 35,000 acres, including entire neighborhoods.
Though the winds dipped yesterday, LA Fire Department chief Kristin Crowley warned last night that high winds would continue to hamper firefighting efforts.
"We are not out of danger," says Crowley during a press briefing.
"You can see the active fires that are burning with strong winds that are going to continue throughout the night."
Further north in California’s Jackson Demonstration State Forest, a system of wildfire sensors has been installed in the trees to try to detect and contain wildfires quicker.
California residents can download the free Watch Duty app to a mobile device to receive real-time alerts and fire updates. The app is powered by volunteers 24 hours a day and watches over 14 western states. The LA Times reports that the app acquired 600,000 new users in just 24 hours this week.
