"It felt like my whole life was over": Miami college student loses everything in LA wildfire
MIAMI - Matias Ortiz, a Miami native who moved to Los Angeles for school, returned to find his home reduced to ashes by the wildfires tearing through Southern California.
Ortiz had just returned to the city Tuesday, after visiting Miami to celebrate his birthday with his family, only to arrive at his neighborhood and find a scene of utter devastation.
"The sky was orange, the sun was red and there was smoke everywhere. You couldn't walk outside without a mask," Ortiz said, describing the conditions near his home. "When I got there, everything was destroyed. It looked like a war zone."
The wildfire swept through his community, leaving Ortiz's house burned to the ground.
"Everything I had was in the house. I never got the chance to take anything out," Ortiz said. "It felt like my whole life was over. Everything I'd collected over the years, memories, things people gave me, things I worked hard for - all gone."
Ortiz also described the chaos as residents scrambled to escape the flames while looters moved through burning, abandoned homes.
"Seeing people walking through my house with no sympathy for what we're going through, it just felt horrible," he said.
For now, Ortiz is safe, staying with his girlfriend as the fires continue to rage.
The devastating loss has left him overwhelmed as he considers what to do next.
"I'm taking a break from school," Ortiz said. "I just need time to figure things out."
The wildfires have devastated communities across the region, displacing thousands of residents and leaving many, like Ortiz, to pick up the pieces of their lives.
Matias' mom, Karina, has created a crowdfunding page to help Matias get back on his feet.
"I am creating this... to try and help my son Matias, who has lost everything he had in the recent fires that affected L.A. He lived in Altadena. He is a college student with no family members in California, only a few friends. We are from Florida."
"He moved to L.A. in January of 2024 looking for a better future and pursuing his career in Industrial Design."
Matias is a graduate of Design and Architecture Senior High School in Wynwood.
