Northeast Ohio natives living in California give their account of the impact of the California wildfires

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) – As deadly wildfires tear through southern California, we’re getting a first-hand account from some Northeast Ohio natives caught right in the inferno.

Kaylie Harden of Cleveland can see the gigantic flames and smoke from her balcony. She lives in an apartment on the Hollywood borderneighborhoods and has a suitcase packed just in case she’s forced to evacuate like thousands of others, “This is so devastating because a large portion of what’s been burned is neighborhoods and communities. When you get an evacuation order, you have to look around your home and decide what things don’t matter and which ones really do. It’s a tough position for anyone to be in. Unfortunately, a lot of people have had to make those choices this weekend — lost everything that was left behind.”

Harden tells 19 News at one point the massive flames were spreading towards her apartment, “It definitely was growing down towards my street. Thankfully it seems like they got a good handle on restraining the part of the fire that was coming down the hill in my neighborhood’s direction.”

The Cleveland native says it’s frightening for residents not to know if the city officials have everything under control.

But most people are using several apps for the latest updates on efforts to control the fire, information on where you can go during an evacuation, and even information on animal shelters willing to foster pets during the crisis.

But she feels it’s not just the massive wildfires creating concern, but smaller fires that keep popping up and may get few resources because firefighters are working to save homes and lives that could be impacted by the larger wildfires. “There’s been fires all over the city and the scary thing is that the winds are so high that they’re able to carry the embers for a mile — which is causing little fires everywhere.”is

Mitch Pannito of Mayfield Heights is also currently in California near Encino and Studio City and says he has not been evacuated at this point even though he can see the fires from his apartment and his job.

He’s also concerned about the pop-up fires because they can quickly spread out of control, and firefighters are working overtime to try and control the much larger fires, “They’ve been closer, a lot closer relatively than these other ones are and that’s the most nerve-racking because you just never really know.”

Pannitto makes it clear he’s extremely thankful for the firefighters risking their own lives to try and protect others’ lives and property. But he says it’s heartbreaking that people have to evacuate and leave so much behind,

“It’s devastating. It’s really sad to see families and generations of homes that people are losing.”

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