US comedian and actor Bill Hader, whose home survived the Pacific Palisades fire, said he was “in shock” and “at a loss for words” at the devastation left behind in his Los Angeles neighbourhood.
The co-creator and star of drama Barry, which won him an Emmy for best actor in a comedy series in 2019, was at work when the evacuation alerts were triggered.
“I got a video showing the fire and rushed back, but by the time I got back it was gridlocked (traffic),” he told US outlet KTLA 5.
“It’s kind of mind-boggling how fast it happens,” the 46-year-old said of the area he touted as a “great community”.
Upon his return, Hader found his home still standing, but appeared visibly shocked by the destruction left in the wake of the fires.
“People keep saying ‘unreal’, it does. It doesn’t seem real,” he said.
“I’m in shock, but I’m glad my family got out.
“I really am at a loss for words…I just hope everybody is safe. That’s all you can hope right now.”
“I do know people who were like ‘Well, wait and see’ and things like, ‘I’m in the yellow zone’ or whatever. This thing, once it went red, you couldn’t get out.
“Don’t listen to your friends who are like ‘Ah, you’re being a little freaked out’. Just get out.”
The fires, which first ignited last Tuesday, spread quickly to different parts of the city.
The disaster has killed at least 25 people and forced thousands of people to flee their homes as winds scattering embers threatened the progress made so far on the infernos.
