Fires in Los Angeles –
“I have never seen anything of this magnitude”
Valais actress and model Alizée Gaillard witnesses the disaster on site.
Published today at 11:17 a.m.
The Pacific Palisades neighborhood in Los Angeles was largely destroyed by the flames.
Keystone/AP Photo/Jae C. Hong
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On the phone, Alizée Gaillard pauses several times. “I’m in shock,” she apologizes. Passing through her native Valais, the actress and model living in Los Angeles takes stock of the fires on her way back. “Before boarding in London, I understood the scale of the disaster. Several of my relatives lost their homes, it’s terrible.” The disaster has already caused the death of at least 10 people.
Upon her arrival Wednesday evening, Alizée Gaillard was able to return to her house located in Culver City, near Santa Monica. “I have never seen anything of this magnitude. There are fires all over Los Angeles. A fire broke out on a hill next to my house, but we did not need to evacuate,” says the woman who follows the evolution of the disaster via an application called Watch Duty.
The Valais model and actress Alizée Gaillard has lived in Los Angeles for more than ten years.
Paul Smith / Featureflash/Imago
This service lists households directly according to the location of users. She sent us a screenshot where we observe five fires including that of Sunset and Palisades which border her position. In the driveway, his car is covered in ashes.
If the climate is anxiety-provoking, Valaisanne does not give in to panic. “I try to stay calm, but it’s difficult,” she notes. My bag is packed and I’m ready to leave at any time.” Several of his friends have already been evacuated. “Residents are being displaced left and right, it’s a shock.”
Resilience in the face of disaster
Despite the disaster, Alizée Gaillard observes strong solidarity between the residents. “People help each other and show remarkable composure,” she emphasizes. My friends who lost their homes, their possessions, are just grateful to be alive. Such a catastrophe reminds us of priorities.”
If the model makes a point of “staying positive”, she also knows that such a disaster will haunt the American city for years to come. “The wound is deep.”
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