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Nadia Williamson is still trying to process what happened. Originally from Regina, she is one of the many people who lost their homes in the Pacific Palisades wildfire.
Nearly 2,000 homes, businesses and other structures have been destroyed and the number is expected to increase.
Still in shock, Williamson told 980 CJME that she still hadn’t had the chance to grieve yet on Thursday morning.
“It‘s a really lush beautiful area and it’s all just burnt. There’s nothing. There’s only people’s chimneys that have survived,” she said.
“The images look like the apocalypse. It’s insane, it’s like your eyes can’t even believe it.”
Five people have died in the fires, more than 100,000 people have been forced from their homes and famous landmarks have come under threat.
Video from Williamson on damage in the area:
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She owns NWL Contemporary Dresses in Regina and has another business in Santa Monica.
Williamson was leaving Pacific Palisades to head to her shop in Santa Monica on Jan. 8 when she noticed large amounts of smoke behind her.
Nadia Williamson is from Regina and owns NWL Bridal. She lives in L.A.’s Pacific Palisades neighbourhood. (Submitted/Nadia Williamson)
She received a message from her next-door neighbour, advising her to grab her things and leave. She went back home and grabbed her cats.
She said she did this before the mandatory evacuation order was put in place and before the rush to get out became “super chaotic”.
“Later, I found out that Temescal Canyon — which is the street I use all the time to go to work — that people couldn’t actually get out, they had to actually leave their cars and just grab whatever they had — animals, kids, family members — and just run down without their vehicles,” she said.
“What happens during these situations is the fire trucks need to get through, but then so many people are evacuating, so it’s like no cars can move. It’s just totally chaos.”
Williamson said her partner Steve lost many family and childhood photos in the fire and Williamson lost her passport.
Nadia Williamson (right) and her partner, Steve (left). (Submitted/Nadia Williamson)
“He writes a diary every day. He has his whole life and he saves all that and that’s all gone,” she said.
Williamson said it would have been better had it just been only her home or a few that were lost, but said it was tragic for the entire community to lose theirs.
“That’s really what is sad about it is the community and the area — everyone’s so kind and nice and generous and supportive. It’s been such a beautiful place to live (with) beautiful, kind people,” she said.
Video from Williamson of smoke in the sky:
Williamson said she has friends in Malibu who have previously had their homes burned down and they’ve told her that it took about four years for their homes to be rebuilt.
For context to those in Saskatchewan, Williamson said the destruction would be similar to seeing the whole of downtown Regina and Cathedral being wiped out.
– With files from 980 CJME’s Alex Brown and the Canadian Press.
