Inferno in California

Austrians in LA: “Fire of a new dimension”

According to Michael Postl, Consul General in Los Angeles, several Austrians have already lost their homes. Melanie Herrmann from Styria, who lives and works in Los Angeles, hopes that the disaster will prompt a rethink on climate protection.

(Bild: Krone KREATIV/BMEIA Gruber, AGUSTIN PAULLIER/AFP, privat)

Wildfires in Los Angeles have already claimed more than five lives and 12,000 buildings have been destroyed. The Austrian Consul General in Los Angeles speaks of a "fire of a new dimension".

Melanie Herrmann from Styria lives in West Los Angeles on the border of Santa Monica and Brentwood. In the morning, everything still seemed normal when she was working from home, until the first text messages from her friends arrived at 1 p.m. to say that a large fire had broken out in Palisades. "The events came thick and fast, as thick clouds of smoke were already hanging over West Los Angeles at 3 p.m. and the glow of the fire after sunset lit up the night sky in orange-red behind Wilshire Boulevard," reported Herrmann. 

Melanie Herrmann from Styria sent the "Krone" a picture of the view from her balcony in Los Angeles as the fire approached.

(Bild: privat)

Worried about the risk of evacuation at night
She quickly realized that it would be a very critical night. Because of the power cuts, they had to eat dinner by candlelight. "As the evacuation zone was only a mile away from our house on Tuesday evening, with persistently bad air, we knew that there was a risk that we would have to evacuate our homes overnight," says the Styrian, who has lived in California since 2013 and works as a consultant in the field of biotechnology.

There was a sense of collective solidarity and sadness about the incredible destruction. Now they could only pray that the hurricane-like storm would soon come to an end. Many friends had written to Herrmann saying they would be there if she needed anything. "I just need a little climate protection from everyone," she says desperately. 

The massive fire engulfs one house after another - 130,000 people have already had to leave their homes. "New fires everywhere," says Austrian director Robert Dornhelm from Los Angeles, describing the desperate situation on Ö1's "Journal um acht". The flames have also spread to Hollywood and Santa Monica.

Escape at the last minute
Dornhelm reported that he almost waited too long to escape from the flames. "As we drove away, it was already burning left and right," the filmmaker reported of a "doomsday atmosphere". Hurricane-force winds made the situation so dramatic. The combination with the fire was devastating. The fire department told him that everything in his residential area had burned down - but he hopes that his house may have been spared after all. 

Consul General: "This event has a different dimension"
Michael Postl, Consul General in Los Angeles, had to cut short a business trip to Las Vegas. "We have experienced forest fires here before, but this event has a different dimension," Postl told the "Krone" newspaper. The drought coupled with hot winds from the desert are turning the entire region into a single inferno. 

As things stand, there are currently no Austrians among the many injured, but two have already lost their homes in the blaze. Others have to watch on video cameras in their homes - or at least from a safe distance - as the flames devour their belongings piece by piece ...

50 Austrians in the danger zone
According to the Foreign Ministry, the Consulate General in Los Angeles is in contact with almost 50 Austrians in the danger zone. They are available to those affected if necessary, but also to relatives who are worried about family members. Around 200 people have submitted a travel registration, which is valid for the entire USA, to the Foreign Office.

US media are already reporting one of the worst fire disasters in the history of the city of Los Angeles. Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden has canceled his planned trip to Italy, including an audience with Pope Francis. Around 7500 firefighters are battling fires. "We are using all available resources to fight these fires," announced the Governor of California, Gavin Newsom. Newsom fears an increase in the number of victims. In an interview with CNN, he spoke of "utter destruction".

"Chaotic scenes" during evacuations
Numerous residents tried to leave the area, which led to massive traffic jams, according to US media. One local resident told CNN about "chaotic scenes". The fire is burning north of Hollywood Boulevard, an area that is home to several tourist destinations, including the Hollywood Walk of Fame and the Chinese Theatre.