Local TV news is covering the Palisades Fire live as it unfolds, producing some surreal scenes that even longtime Los Angeles residents never have witnessed.
Among those is the wild video of a giant bulldozer powering through dozens of cars — including Mercedes, BMWs, Teslas and other high-end makes — that were abandoned along Palisades Drive as gridlock hit during mandatory evacuations and panicked residents fled. Watch it above.
During a live phone interview with KTLA-TV on Tuesday afternoon, retired Los Angeles County Fire Capt. Bob Goldman stressed the need for area residents to be prepared to evacuate on short notice. “I don’t recall a wind event like this in 15 to 20 years, so this is really unique,” he said. “I, like most people, was rather shocked to see what was going on with the dozer pushing the cars out of the way — having to go to that extreme measure. … You know, people have got to have a plan. There’s really nothing glamorous or sexy about preparedness.”
Earlier, KTLA reporter Gene Kang was doing man-on-the-street interviews and encountered a local resident who was bemoaning the vehicles blocking the road. It turned out to be Steve Guttenberg, whom the reporter did not recognize immediately.
“What’s happening is people take their keys with them as if they’re in a parking lot,” he said. “This is not a parking lot. We really need people to move their cars. If you leave your car behind, leave the key in there so a guy like me can move your car so that these fire trucks can get up there.”
Not too long after that, the dozer was called in to clear the street so firefighters and equipment could reach fire-threatened homes. As the vehicle moved cars to either side of the road, viewers could see at least one structure going up in flames in the background.
The story continues to unfold live on L.A.’s network affiliates KCBS, KNBC and KABC, along with local outlets PBS SoCal, KTLA, KCAL, KTTV and others. Gov. Gavin Newsom is in town to survey the situation as super-strong winds are expected later and overnight in the area.