This news article details the experiences of several Chicagoans living in Los Angeles as they grapple with the aftermath of the deadly wildfires. Former Mayor Lori Lightfoot shares the heartbreaking story of her aunt and uncle, who lost their home of over 60 years, while actor Chris Witaske describes the fear and devastation he witnesses among his friends and community. Other Chicagoans, like Cameron Petrusevski and Dan Tarpey, share their personal accounts of the smoky air, evacuations, and the overwhelming sense of loss.
The home of former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot's aunt and uncle was destroyed this week amid the deadly Los Angeles , California wildfires. Lightfoot is grateful she has a copy of her aunt and uncle's wedding photo as she says her aunt and uncle lost everything in the California wildfires. 'There is literally nothing left of their house,' Lightfoot said. 'They have lived there for decades. I was just there in October visiting them.
' Lightfoot told ABC7 us her relatives, in their 90s, left their home of more than sixty years in Altadena quickly, with only the clothes on their back. 'I'm still processing the enormity of this loss,' Lightfoot said. 'My aunt and uncle are in their 90s, they are not going to rebuild.'Fire burns near Mountain Wilson in Angeles National Forest; Death toll in CA expected to rise Actor Chris Witaske was born and raised in Saint Charles, Illinois, but he has been in Los Angeles for 10 years. The actor, known for playing Pete on 'The Bear,' says he's prepared to leave if needed. 'I have friends who have lost their homes in Altadena, and people are being evacuated right and left,' Witaske said. 'It's just really scary. It's devastating' Cameron Petrusevski from Orland Park shared photos of the fires with ABC7. He is a grad student at UCLA. He said classes are cancelled or online, and he has a bag ready to go if he has to evacuate. 'You could just see all the smoke and the smoke plume that was popping up,' Petrusevski said. 'You could see the different colors of it, like it was really dark, but orange and red. It was just really weird to see... Just seeing it in real time you can see the destruction and just how genuinely sad it has been.'Dan Tarpey is a Chicagoan living in Los Angeles. On Thursday, he's preparing to host a family who evacuated. Even 25 miles away from the fires in Hermosa Beach, he is feeling the effects. 'It literally felt apocalyptic,' Tarpey said. 'I woke up yesterday morning, 1:30 in the morning, coughing. I was surprised my smoke alarm wasn't going off my master bedroom was filled with smoke there was soot all over my comforters all over my floor.' In the days ahead, some Chicagoans continue to look for ways to help those most impacted by the fire
WILDFIRE CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES CHICAGO EVACUATION COMMUNITY IMPACT
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