LOS ANGELES — The massive wildfires that started in the Highlands of the Pacific Palisades may seem far from Wisconsin. However, some people from Southeast Wisconsin are facing the horrific sights of the deadly fires.

“Just picture palm trees on fire, ash blowing all around, and orange smoke everywhere,” said Milwaukee native Brooke Bayer.

Bayer moved to the Los Angeles area to work for Warner Bros. She said the typically sunny skies outside the studio are now filled with black and orange clouds.

“When you’re not here and you’re not in it, you’re like, ‘Oh, wow, that sucks, there’s a fire. You know, that’s a bummer.’ But when you’re actually here, you’re like, ‘Wow, that’s my friend’s house on fire. It really just hits home,’” Bayer explained.

Watch: Wisconsin natives closely monitor devastating wildfires in California

Wisconsin natives closely monitor devastating wildfires in California

She has a bag packed just in case the flames come too close for comfort.

“It’s just so sad. I mean, there are no other words than heartbreaking and devastating seeing your friends have to evacuate,” Bayer said.

Brooke Bayer

Another Wisconsinite, Josh Silberman, is prepared to evacuate as soon as the wildfires get too close to his home.

“It all just happened so fast, and it’s been absolutely insane,” he explained.

The Mequon native is closely monitoring the fires and packing his belongings.

“There are fire trucks everywhere, the highways are jammed with first responders going back and forth on the 405. There are helicopters over my house consistently. There are planes flying everywhere. It’s just crazy,” Silberman explained.

Click here to read about another Wisconsin native who had to evacuate the area.

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ONTONAGON COUNTY, MI – A 56-year-old Wisconsin man is dead after a snowmobile crash on Tuesday in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, WLUC reports.

An Ontonagon County Sheriff’s deputy responded around 12:24 p.m. Tuesday to the crash on Trail No. 1 in Bergland, the report said. The man was found dead at the scene.

The crash is under investigation, the report said. Neither the victim’s identity nor the cause of the crash have been released.

Other agencies assisted at the scene, the report said.

GREEN BAY, Wis. (WBAY) – The first federally-funded electric vehicle charging stations in Wisconsin are now online.

Gov. Tony Evers’ office says fast-charging stations opened at a Kwik Trip in Ashland (Ashland County), Menomonie (Dunn County) and Chippewa Falls (Chippewa County).

More stations are set to open across the state in the coming months in a growing EV charging network at gas stations, hotels, supermarkets and other locations.

There are 12 federally-funded EV charging station sites planned in Northeast Wisconsin, including Oneida Casino; a Festival Foods on Green Bay’s east side; Kwik Trips in Green Bay, Bonduel, Marinette, Oshkosh and Fond du Lac; a BP station in Neenah; and Sleep Inn & Suites in Sheboygan.

Wisconsin received $78 million from National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure program, which was part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law signed by President Biden. So far the state has released $23 million to support 53 projects.

There are currently 29,000 electric vehicles registered in Wisconsin, according to the state Department of Transportation.

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