Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr acknowledged the “terrifying” impact of the wildfires in California, while also revealing that his mother was forced to evacuate her home in Pacific Palisades.
Tens of thousands of people were told to flee their homes as a fast-growing fire spread across the Palisades area on Tuesday, while others sought safety after abandoning their cars on highways.
The fire has already ripped across more than 2,900 acres and officials have warned that the worst is yet to come with “tornado-like” winds complicating firefighters’ battles against the blaze.
After the Warriors’ 114-98 loss to the Miami Heat on Tuesday, Kerr described how his mother had evacuated her home, while team video assistant Everett Dayton, who grew up in Pacific Palisades, lost his family home in the fire.
“Everything I’m seeing and reading is just terrifying, what’s happening down there,” Kerr told reporters. “So, just wanted to send thoughts to everyone who’s going through the devastation of the fire.”
While the Palisades fire has been growing at a rate of about five football fields a minute, two other fires have also erupted in Los Angeles County: the 500-acre Hurst fire north of San Fernando and the Eaton fire in Altadena, which grew to 1,000 acres in a matter of hours. More than 200,000 homes and buildings are currently without power in LA county.
Speaking to reporters before his team’s 118-97 defeat to the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday, LA Lakers head coach JJ Redick revealed that his family has also been affected by the fires.
“I just want to acknowledge and send thoughts and prayers to everyone in the Palisades right now,” Redick said. “It’s where I live, my family and my wife’s family, my wife’s twin sister, they’ve evacuated.
“I know that a lot of people are freaking out right now, including my family. From the sound of things, with the winds coming tonight, I know a lot of people are scared.”
Beyond the NBA, the NFL’s Los Angeles Rams said that “our hearts are with those affected by the Palisades wildfires and the first responders protecting our community. Be safe.”
A state of emergency has been declared in Los Angeles with more than 1,400 firefighters deployed to fight the multiple fires happening across the county, according to Gov. Gavin Newsom.
The-CNN-Wire
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