Star director in L.A.

“Scenes like war are playing out here”

The massive flames have razed entire neighborhoods to the ground. In Pacific Palisades, a once picturesque coastal area, there is hardly anything left to save. What remains is charred rubble and destroyed houses - like that of director Robert Dornhelm.

(Bild: Krone KREATIV/Markus Wenzel; AFP/Josh Edelson)

The fire disaster in the US metropolis of Los Angeles is taking on ever more dramatic proportions: Dead bodies, completely destroyed neighborhoods, apocalyptic air. The "Krone" spoke to Austrian star director Robert Dornhelm, whose house burned down.

The fires have already claimed ten lives and destroyed over 10,000 buildings. The Pacific Palisades region, where the flames have been raging for days, has been hit particularly hard. Satellite images show a terrifying picture: Where luxurious homes once stood, there is now only scorched earth.

One person who has lost everything in the wake of this inferno is the Austrian star director Robert Dornhelm. The filmmaker, who was nominated for an Oscar in 1978, describes the full force and drama with which his house became a victim of the flames to the "Krone". "You have to imagine that scenes like in war are taking place here. My house is no longer there, just like half of the houses in my street have burned down," says Dornhelm, who is currently staying with friends in nearby Encino.

The battle against the flames continues.

(Bild: AP ( via APA) Austria Presse Agentur/Ethan Swope)

In Pacific Palisades, people stand stunned in front of the ruins of their burnt houses. In this area alone, the fires have destroyed more than 7600 hectares and 2000 buildings. Five people lost their lives.

(Bild: AFP/Apu Gomes)

Billionaires' houses burnt away
Of course, it is not an individual fate that he has suffered. "Along the Pacific Coast Highway, all the billionaires' houses by the sea have burned away. None of them cost less than 30 million dollars. But all the expensive residential areas have been hit. It's like a war," says the 77-year-old artist about the drama of the situation, in which insurance companies are now going bankrupt in droves and no longer covering the damage.

For Dornhelm, who will soon be traveling home to Austria, the biggest loss is not just the burnt-down house: "Yes, it's mainly memories, film posters and awards that were irretrievably destroyed by the flames."

(Bild: Krone KREATIV)

"Our dreams have gone up in flames"
Residents like Dornhelm also lament the poor provisions. Evacuation plans were chaotic, fire water reservoirs empty. Firefighters had to improvise and resort to pools and water tanks.

For ecologist Chad Hanson, this is nothing new. "The hydrants are built to protect one or two houses, but not entire neighbourhoods," says the renowned expert from the John Muir Project, a US forest conservation organization. There is a lack of protective measures such as fire-resistant construction methods and buffer zones between buildings.

So it is hardly surprising that criticism of politicians who reduce the problem to deforestation is growing louder. For Hanson, it's all about long-term planning and the safety of people - not headlines. For residents like Dornhelm, who lost their livelihoods in the flames, the insights come too late.

Suspected arsonist arrested
Meanwhile, the fight against the fires continues. They are being fanned anew by strong winds that are constantly changing direction. They blow glowing ash over areas that have already been extinguished and create new sources of fire. A suspected arsonist has also been arrested. The homeless man is said to have started the Kenneth Fire. A propane cylinder was found on him. The investigation is still ongoing.