Dozens of seniors from multiple assisted living facilities and nursing homes had to be rushed out into the streets as a fast-moving wildfire closed in on Tuesday night.
The Eaton Fire started in the Angeles National Forest but fueled by high winds, it quickly pushed into neighborhoods in Altadena and Pasadena, north of Los Angeles.
Staff at The Terraces At Park Marino sprang into action and pushed residents out in wheelchairs and hospital beds, getting them to a nearby parking lot.
Residents at the Pasadena Park Healthcare & Wellness Center were also rushed out and weaved through jam-packed streets. Dozens of seniors were then loaded into ambulances and any other vehicles available to get them to safety.
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As the chaotic scene unfolded, staff and emergency workers struggled in the high winds that swirled smoke and embers around them, bringing the fire closer. There were no immediate injuries reported but at least five deaths have now been blamed on the Eaton Fire.
Before sunrise on Wednesday morning, local reports showed evacuated facilities going up in flames. Mandatory evacuation orders are in place across Pasadena and Altadena and classes were canceled across the Pasadena school district on Wednesday.
The Eaton fire started around 6 p.m. local time on Tuesday and it’s now burned more than 16 square miles with 0% containment. It is one of three large wildfires burning in the Los Angeles area, fueled by fierce Santa Ana winds.
Wind gusts got as high as 99 mph in the region overnight, according to the National Weather Service. Dozens of buildings have burned and tens of thousands of people have been forced to evacuate.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom also declared a state of emergency due to the fires.
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