When a wildfire ripped through the Pacific Palisades neighborhood in Los Angeles, Australian family Joel and Maria House had just 30 minutes and a pushbike to get their 18-month-old daughter to safety. They describe the terrifying experience of driving through a 'tsunami of smoke' as the flames closed in. The family is now living out of an Airbnb while they process their insurance claim and aim to rebuild their lives.
When fire tore through the Pacific Palisades neighbourhood in Los Angeles's affluent west, Australian Joel House had 30 minutes and his pushbike to get his 18-month-old daughter to safety."It wasn't just a lot of smoke, it was rolling clouds, a tsunami of smoke, it was actually quite terrifying, it looked like it was about to cover the whole street," Maria told the ABC.
"It started in the highlands. It was such a quick response, we thought, 'Okay, you've got to leave for safety reasons because of the smoke,' but no way, let alone destroy our neighbourhood … and take over half of LA. "Some things can't be replaced, some things can, but it's the memories that you've got to make sure don't get burnt down here," she said.The couple, originally from Queensland, moved to America in 2020 to make a life here.Originally, they moved to New York but figured out within six months that LA suited them better.
"I think the best word would be despair, there's a mixture of anger and sadness, and I don't think that will ever go away, and I think all we can do is start creating a future that's exciting enough to overcome how painful this experience is," Maria said.
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