ROANOKE, Va. (WDBJ) – Firefighters are continuing to battle the devastating fires in Los Angeles that have destroyed thousands of homes and led to the evacuations of over 180,000.

While the fires are thousands of miles away those flames have connections to our hometowns. WDBJ7 spoke with two Virginia Tech Alumni living in Los Angeles on Thursday. While neither of them have had to evacuate their homes, they shared what it’s like to be in LA during the fires and how people there are handling the destruction.

“It definitely feels like a little apocalyptic, just the sky being somewhat black and grey. Here it’s more like the sun is covered by the smoke so it’s just very eerie,” said Jillian Ostick, a 2017 Virginia Tech graduate who lives in Los Angeles.

Ostick lives in the South Bay area of Los Angeles about 10-15 miles from where the fires are.

“It’s close by but in terms of being evacuated or anything we’re very safe down here. We’re really just affected by the air quality and being worried about other people,” she said.

Ostick works in residential real estate and says many of her clients have lost their homes or evacuated and her team is currently working to help them find rentals.

“People have lost everything and they’re just scared but I think people have a place to stay and have resources. Our team is collecting blankets and clothes and is just messaging out to everybody ‘If you need help, no questions asked just fill out this form’,’” she said. “A lot of people did have to just pack up quick last night if they were in an evacuation area.”

Leah Gay is a 2014 Virginia Tech Graduate who is from the Blacksburg area. She lives in the West Hollywood area of LA and hasn’t had to evacuate yet but says she is prepared to do so if needed.

“Everything so far in our area has just been super smokey, there’s been ash on the ground, on the car, everything like that but in terms of actual fires our area is safe,” said Gay. “Last night we got a new fire that was in the Hollywood Hills. It’s since been contained so that’s good but we could see those flames, the second you open the door it smelled like you were right in a fireplace. It was super close to us so we could see it, especially with the night sky it was super illuminated with all that fire.”

Gay said that she is remaining alert and closely following the latest updates on the fires.

“There’s an app called Watch Duty that pretty much everyone in LA is using for updates. It gives you real-time information about where first responders are being placed and where needs to be evacuated, where the flames are even if they’re moving in a certain direction. It’s a really great app, it has an amazing map in it so you can see in real-time who is being affected and what you need to do next,” she said.

Gay said that she does know several people who have had to evacuate. She said that it is an emotional time in Los Angeles.

“It’s super heartbreaking, so many people’s lives have been affected by this. It feels almost like COVID outside how there are so many less people out on the streets, many people are wearing masks to stay safe from the smoke, so it’s kind of feeling like a completely different Los Angeles,” she said.

Both Gay and Ostick said that people are already doing everything they can to help those who have lost everything to the fires. They both noted that there are many places where people can donate to help those in need.

While not everyone in L-A has had to be evacuated from their homes, the smoke from the fires is causing major air quality problems that can be harmful to people. The air quality is being adversely affected as far as 100 miles from the fire.

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Citrus College edge rusher Keenan Eck is one of several transfer portal recruits who will be in Morgantown this weekend for an official visit to West Virginia.

He began his career at Division II Black Hills State in South Dakota, and in his freshman season, he was responsible for 13 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, and 8.5 sacks. Eck then transferred to Citrus where he notched 6 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, six sacks, and one forced fumble.

“I love it,” Eck said about the opportunity of playing at West Virginia. “A huge culture of winning is being built there; I would love to put in every bit of hard-hitting energy when it comes to rushing the passer for the mountaineers!”

Eck has had several conversations with head coach Rich Rodriguez and defensive coordinator Zac Alley, whom he looks forward to meeting in person this weekend.

“I really like how fired up they are for a turnaround. They’ve proven to be successful for many years, and they’re bringing the heat with this class of athletes. They want some dawgs that are ready to WORK!”

In addition to West Virginia, Eck has also heard from Eastern Illinois, Montana, San Diego State, Southern Utah, and Texas State. He will have three years of eligibility remaining.

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Democratic former U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger and Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears are in a neck-and-neck race for Virginia governor, according to the first Emerson College Polling/The Hill poll of the 2025 election. Spanberger leads Earle-Sears by a razor-thin margin, 42% to 41%, with 4% of voters supporting another candidate and 13% undecided, the survey found. 

With 10 months to go before the 2025 Virginia gubernatorial election, the race “is tight overall, but significant demographic differences are emerging”, said Spencer Kimball, executive director of Emerson College Polling. 

Kimball noted that Earle-Sears has strong support among male voters, who favor her 52% to 37%, and white voters, who back her 50% to 35%. Spanberger, on the other hand, leads among women, 47% to 31%, as well as older voters over 70 and younger voters under 30, who support her 46% to 43% and 43% to 33%, respectively.

Both women are currently the only declared candidates for their parties in Virginia’s 2025 gubernatorial race. Earle-Sears appears poised to secure the Republican nomination after endorsements from Gov. Glenn Youngkin and Attorney General Jason Miyares. 

On the Democratic side, however, the race could expand, as U.S. Rep. Bobby Scott, D-Newport News, has openly mused about running. Meanwhile, former GOP Rep. Denver Riggleman is considering a bid for governor or lieutenant governor as an independent candidate.

Thursday’s survey shows little change in the dynamics of the Virginia gubernatorial race since a September poll by the University of Mary Washington’s Center for Leadership and Media Studies, which found Spanberger and Earle-Sears tied at 39%, reflecting a consistently tight contest as the 2025 election approaches.

The new poll further highlights significant voter dissatisfaction with the economy, as 51% of respondents feel their financial situation is worse than it was four years ago. Only 27% believe their situation has improved, and 22% feel it has stayed the same.

“Among those who feel their economic situation is worse than four years ago, 56% think the state is headed in the right direction and 56% have a favorable view of the Governor,” Kimball said. 

“Additionally, 66% of those who feel they are worse off than four years ago have an unfavorable view of President Biden, suggesting they may be blaming the president rather than Governor Youngkin for their current economic situation.”

Youngkin, who is term-limited, remains popular among Virginia voters, with a 48% favorable rating and 35% unfavorable. 

Both gubernatorial candidates are less well-known to voters: Spanberger has a 38% favorable rating and 21% unfavorable, with 24% neutral and 17% unfamiliar. Earle-Sears holds a 33% favorable rating and 22% unfavorable, while 27% are neutral and 18% unfamiliar.

Voters are evenly split on President-elect Donald Trump, with 47% holding a favorable view and 47% unfavorable. President Joe Biden fares slightly worse in Virginia, with a 43% favorable rating and 50% unfavorable.

The poll shows a majority of voters (59%) believe Virginia is headed in the right direction, while 41% think the state is on the wrong track. The economy is the top issue for Virginia voters (38%), followed by housing affordability (14%), healthcare (10%), education (8%), and threats to democracy (8%).

Additionally, 56% of voters agree that climate change could be a factor in the recent heavy snowstorms that disrupted parts of the state, while 44% disagree.

The Emerson College Polling survey, conducted Jan. 6-8, included 1,000 registered Virginia voters and has a credibility interval of +/- 3 percentage points. Data were weighted by gender, education, race, age, party registration and region.