Nightmare-inducing video out of Palisades, CA, where wildfires have been raging since Tuesday afternoon, shows two men and a dog seemingly trapped in a home veritably surrounded by out-of-control flames. The fires, exacerbated by powerful winds, have forced the evacuation of at least 30,000 residents in the affluent Los Angeles community.
And it goes without saying that the video demonstrates why people should heed those warnings.
In the 90-second clip, which was shared to social media on Tuesday night, the blaze can be seen completely surrounding the home outside floor-to-ceiling windows. "You’re going to be OK. Hi, you’re going to be OK, all right?" the man filming can be heard telling the terrified pooch.
When a second man asks off-camera whether they should pack, the first man responds, "Don’t worry about that, dude." "Holy s--t," he continues, surveying the situation. Moments later, he confirms that the gas has been turned off. "Don't open the window, don't do anything," he tells the first man. "Just stay over here."
Nightmare Fuel
— Kevin Dalton (@TheKevinDalton) January 8, 2025
Two men and a dog trapped in a home surrounded by the Palisades fire. pic.twitter.com/YDCkFmLNbH
It's unclear what became of the two men and the dog, but Kevin Dalton, who posted the clip to X on Tuesday night, updated shortly after noting that he was told that "the dog and both his humans were eventually able to somehow safely evacuate the property," although these claims have not been independently verified.
The Palisades Fire was first reported around 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, and by Wednesday morning, had exploded to nearly 3,000 acres with zero containment, CBS News reports, per the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. More than 10,000 homes have been threatened, though the extent of the actual damage is still unknown.
Los Angeles County Fire Department officials have had reports of multiple burn victims, and as major roads became gridlocked with residents attempting to flee, many were forced to abandon their vehicles and walk ton safety.
Unfortunately, there is no relief in sight as Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said early Wednesday that the windstorm "is expected to worsen through the morning." She likewise advised residents to "heed local warnings, stay vigilant and stay safe."
