Pittsburgh-area woman describes fleeing California wildfires: "I absolutely felt fear"
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — An Allegheny County woman now living in Hollywood, California, was forced out of her home on Wednesday amid a wildfire outbreak.
Ashlynn Thompson, a Gibsonia native, was one of the tens of thousands of people ordered to evacuate as wildfires rage across Southern California.
"I absolutely felt fear," Thompson said. "I was like how close is this fire and how much time do I have."
Thompson moved to Hollywood from Gibsonia a few years ago. On Wednesday, she grabbed what she could and left her apartment after the Sunset Fire ignited.
"I had a go bag just in case there were more fires in range closer to where I was," she said. "But I was pretty shocked that it made it near where I was so quickly."
Thompson said she could not see the fire, but she knew the flames were close.
"That's when I could really smell the smoke," she said. "It was just overwhelming. It was very strong. Clearly, the fires were very close."
She said she is staying at a friend's place for now. She remains in constant contact with her family.
"They are very concerned. I'm getting calls just about every hour by my grandmother and my parents," Thompson said.
The Pine-Richland High School graduate moved west to live her dream of designing costumes for movies and TV.
"I have worked very hard to be here," she said.
Thompson feels anger, blaming the government for not being better prepared.
"These wildfires do happen," Thompson said. "They are not uncommon in the California area, and we should be better prepared."
She said on Thursday that she is not sure when she can return home. But she hopes she will have a home to return to once the fires stop burning.
