Apocalyptic photos and video show terrifying scenes as wildfires ravage California
Apocalyptic scenes emerged on social media as multiple wildfires burned through thousands of acres in southern California.
High winds are fueling the flames, forcing tens of thousands of people to evacuate across Los Angeles.
Some posted photos and videos of the scene as they did so, including Tanner Charles Schaaf, who posted video of him and his friend as they evacuated a home. The clip went viral across social media on Tuesday, Jan. 7.
“We tried to save as much as we could,” Schaaf said in an update on Facebook. “We got most of the important things, then started fireproofing his house as much as we could. We had two water hoses going when I looked at the backyard and saw it became engulfed in flames.”
A photo shows red flames taking over the yard.
“I looked at my friend, who was about to lose his home, and said, ‘We gotta go; it’s not safe anymore,’” Schaaf wrote. “Hard to imagine. It’s…yeah it’s been a crazy 24 hours.”
Public safety agencies posted clips showing the Pacific Palisades fire and giving updates about efforts to contain it.
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection shared several photos and videos to its flickr account. One video shows flames engulfing what looks like an apartment building.
The Los Angeles County Fire Department shared harrowing clips of the flames roaring up a canyon just after midnight on Wednesday, Jan. 8. The fire was almost at 3,000 acres then with 0% containment, the department said.
“Extreme fire behavior, short & long-range spotting, continues to challenge firefighting efforts for the Palisades Fire,” the department said. “Wind gusts up to 60 MPH are expected to continue through Thursday.”
It had exploded to 16,000 acres by 3 p.m. Wednesday.
Erik Scott, the department’s spokesperson, posted a video update shortly after 8 a.m. Wednesday that showed the burnt orange haze stretching across the horizon and completely blocking out the sun.
The Los Angeles County Fire Department’s Lifeguard Division posted a similar photo of the menacing orange haze from the coast.
Public safety alert system ALERT California shared a clip of the “intense imagery” on X, formerly known as Twitter. The system captured embers and flames whipping across the landscape from a camera at the Temescal Canyon Trailhead.
“Post apocalyptic,” someone commented. “My heart breaks for my fellow Californians.”
Several people posted clips showing the view from airplanes as they approached the Los Angeles International Airport.
The eerie orange glow of flames light up a large swath of darkened landscape surrounded by lights in a residential area in TikTok and Instagram videos shared by climate change journalist Sarah Pilla.
Pilla also posted a clip showing homes burning across the street from the Getty Villa, an art museum in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood.
The wildfires can also be seen burning from space, the Sacramento Bee reported.
This story was originally published January 8, 2025 at 3:33 PM with the headline "Apocalyptic photos and video show terrifying scenes as wildfires ravage California."
