Chicago Natives Share Stories of Devastation from California Wildfires

LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot and actor Chris Witaske, a St. Charles native, are among the Chicago-area natives sharing their personal connections to the devastation caused by recent wildfires in Southern California. The fires, fueled by powerful Santa Ana winds, have destroyed homes, forced evacuations, and left thousands displaced.

Lightfoot revealed that her aunt and uncle, who have lived in Altadena for over 60 years, lost everything in the fires. “There is literally nothing left of their house,” Lightfoot told ABC7. “They have lived there for decades. I was just there in October visiting them.” Her relatives, both in their 90s, evacuated with only the clothes on their backs. Lightfoot emphasized the emotional toll, stating, “I’m still processing the enormity of this loss.”

Chris Witaske, known for his role as Pete on the hit show “The Bear,” has been living in Los Angeles for a decade. He expressed his concern for friends who have lost homes in Altadena and the widespread evacuations. “It’s just really scary. It’s devastating,” Witaske said. The actor, originally from St. Charles, Illinois, is prepared to evacuate if necessary.

Cameron Petrusevski, a UCLA grad student from Orland Park, shared photos of the fires with ABC7. He described the surreal and destructive nature of the flames, saying, “You could just see all the smoke and the smoke plume that was popping up. It was just really weird to see… Just seeing it in real time, you can see the destruction and how genuinely sad it has been.” Petrusevski has a bag ready in case he needs to evacuate.

Dan Tarpey, a Chicagoan now living in Hermosa Beach, California, described the apocalyptic conditions. “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, and there was soot all over my comforters and floor.” Tarpey is preparing to host a family who evacuated from the fire zone.

The wildfires, which began on Tuesday, were fueled by Santa Ana winds gusting over 70 mph, spreading embers and igniting block after block. Firefighters faced challenges as the winds made it too dangerous for aircraft to assist in firefighting efforts. While the winds lessened on Thursday, the damage was already extensive, with thousands of acres burned and numerous homes destroyed.

Lightfoot urged people to support those affected, calling for prayers and donations to relief efforts. “Their story is the story of thousands,” she wrote on X, highlighting the widespread impact of the disaster.