New Hampshire Natives in LA Describe Wildfire Chaos, Community Resilience

LOS ANGELES, Calif. — As wildfires continue to ravage parts of Los Angeles, New Hampshire natives living in the area are sharing harrowing accounts of the devastation and the community’s efforts to support one another. Leenda Lucia, a Nashua native and content creator, is among those witnessing the destruction firsthand while stepping up to help first responders.

Lucia, who splits her time between Nashua and her Woodland Hills apartment, said her home has so far been spared. However, many of her friends in the Pacific Palisades area have lost everything. “They have lost their homes. They were at work. They can’t even go home to get their pets because they’re barricading the areas, rightfully so,” Lucia said.

Inspired by her brother-in-law, a New Hampshire firefighter, Lucia began assembling snack bags for first responders and delivering them to fire stations. “I was able to get to five of them, and they were extremely appreciative,” she said.

Litchfield natives Brendon and Mason Jeffrey, who moved to Los Angeles a few years ago, described the eerie transformation of the sky. “We’re used to blue skies out here, and then, like, I go out and it’s like a weird amber, grayish tone,” Mason Jeffrey said. Despite the chaos, the brothers noted the resilience of the community. “As distressing as it is, it does have like a big community come together to kind of heal some things,” they said.

Meanwhile, York County native Brittany Dorm, who recently relocated to Los Angeles, was forced to evacuate her home due to the Pasadena fire, burning just 11 miles away. “My car is covered in ash. The sky has just been a glowing orange ever since,” Dorm said. After navigating evacuation gridlock, she found refuge at her cousin’s home in Menifee, California.

Dorm emphasized the widespread impact of the wildfires, which are affecting both affluent and working-class neighborhoods. “It’s not just the people with money who are losing their secondary homes. These are real people,” she said. “Those of us that aren’t on fire, our air quality is horrible.”

As firefighters battle the blazes, the stories of Lucia, the Jeffrey brothers, and Dorm highlight the human toll of the disaster and the strength of communities coming together in the face of adversity.