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As law enforcement begins to allow some Eaton Fire evacuees to return home, a couple is opening up about their evacuation experience, which is going viral on social media.
Ring footage captured Jeffrey and Cheryl Koo rushing out of their home in the presidential district of Altadena on the night of January 7, shortly after the Eaton fire broke out.
Sherrill said she saw the orange glow of the fire as she got off Highway 210 on her way home and knew the situation was serious by the time she got to her front door.
“As soon as I got to the driveway, my neighbor was there and thankfully he already called 911,” Sherrill said. “I ran into the house to get it. [Jeffrey]. ”
In an interview with KTLA’s Rachel Menitoff on Sunday, Cheryl described how she was sitting on the couch waiting for Jeffrey to get back from work. “He didn’t know anything because we didn’t have the power,” she said.
“We were just going to pack up and leave, but then the power went out and we realized it was more than just packing up,” Sherrill said. “So we were in a bit of a panic mode right now. We had limited time to get what we needed and get out.”
While packing their car, the couple took intermittent videos of the Eaton Fire, which broke out on the hillside above their home. The video begins with a photo of an explosion at the base of a nearby power line, which the couple says they took at 6:19 p.m.
Videos taken every few minutes quickly expanded to show the flames spreading massively as they fled. The caption read: “34 minutes of pure terror.” Their Instagram post had been viewed more than 18.5 million times as of Sunday night.
Jeffrey told KTLA that night was “a nightmare that I never hoped to live through.”
The presidential district was largely spared damage, but residents are still prohibited from entering.
Evacuees begin returning, checking homes in Pacific Palisades
In contrast, law enforcement began allowing people back into the area of Altadena Drive from south of New York Drive and east of North Hill Avenue Sunday afternoon. Click here for more information on guidelines for returning to accommodations in the area.
Still, some people aren’t out of the woods, like Jean Lockwood, who has lived off East Loma Alta Drive for 40 years and has a sanctuary for 150 animals, including ducks, dogs, cats and chickens. There are some too. Lockwood reluctantly evacuated on Tuesday and returned on Wednesday to find 90 percent of her neighborhood destroyed, but all her animals were safe.
She stayed here ever since, knowing that if she left again, she probably wouldn’t be able to return.
“The animals have already gone through the worst and if I left, they wouldn’t be able to come back and feed them and they would starve to death,” she told KTLA. . “My life is all about caring for animals, rescuing them, and giving them homes. I can’t just walk away.”
Unfortunately, strong winds are blowing in Santa Ana, forcing Lockwood to evacuate with his animals. She said she is working with humane organizations to transport all the animals and a GoFundMe is being organized to help rebuild the destroyed sanctuary.
Cal Fire first reported the Eaton Fire near Altadena Avenue and Midwick Avenue at 6:18 p.m. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
As of Jan. 12, authorities say the 14,117-acre wildfire is 27% contained and 16 people have been confirmed dead.
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