GLENDALE, Calif. – All Justin Payne could do was helplessly watch through his security camera as flames consumed his Southern California property last week.
“All I could do was watch,” he recalled.
The Glendale musician captured the horror on Jan. 7 during the early stages of the Eaton Fire. Over 40,000 acres of California have been consumed by raging wildfires, with the Eaton Fire alone destroying nearly 6,000 structures, including countless homes.
“No one was really aware of the severity until it happened,” he said.
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Payne was away at his friend’s house when he got the alert about fires breaking out across Los Angeles.
“I wasn’t able to get back to my home and grab everything I needed, but I was able to evacuate prior to everything happening as there was an evacuation warning prior to the devastation,” he said.
Payne is currently staying in a hotel. Over the past week, he said, he has helped as many families as he can with shelter, food, water and clothes.
“I have been at many givebacks across Pasadena, Glendale and Hollywood,” he said.
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In response to the devastating wildfires, California Gov. Gavin Newsom has mobilized a force of over 16,000 personnel, including firefighters, the California National Guard, highway patrol officers and transportation teams, backed by the largest state investment in fire response history – nearly double the previous level.
Firefighters said air support continues to be used Thursday to extinguish inaccessible hot spots in the Eaton Fire, aiding containment efforts. Search and rescue resources have completed over 8,600 inspections and are nearly complete.