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Laura Coates Live

State Of Emergency In Los Angeles As Wildfires Spread. Aired 11p-12a ET

Aired January 07, 2025 - 23:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[23:00:00]

ASHLEY ALLISON, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: I would like to introduce an adult cultural exchange program where for one to four months, you extract yourself out of your community, your environment. You go into a community of some people that you don't know, that you disagree with. You really immerse yourself. You don't have to agree with them, but you treat folks with respect. You swap. It's like a life swap for adults' kind of type of thing.

UNKNOWN: It's like an employment.

ALLISON: But --

(LAUGHTER)

-- you keep job security, you have -- you learn more about people, and we start to talk to one another again.

ABBY PHILLIP, CNN ANCHOR AND SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Fascinating idea. Everyone, thank you very much, and thanks for watching "NewsNight." "Laura Coates Live" starts right now.

UNKNOWN (voice-over): This is CNN Breaking News.

LAURA COATES, CNN HOST AND SENIOR LEGAL ANALYST: Welcome to "Laura Coates Live." We begin with breaking news tonight. This is what is happening in the Los Angeles area right now. An apocalyptic hellish scene as a rapidly, growing wildfire tears through the Pacific Palisades neighborhood and it threatens other parts of the city. High winds are fueling the blaze and it's spreading extremely fast. We just learned that a new fire in the eastern part of L.A. has also just popped up.

Officials tell us that it's an extremely dangerous situation, and you're about to see why. We've just gotten some new video in from one of our teams in the field driving down the Pacific Coast Highway in Santa Monica. Here is what they saw.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNKNOWN (voice-over): Oh, my God. We just get past these. (Bleep). Oh, my God. (Bleep).

(END VIDEO CLIP) COATES: Unbelievable. CNN's Natasha Chen describes that as one of the most terrifying exits that her team has made from any assignment in a long time.

This fire is burning the equivalent of -- get this, the equivalent of five football fields every minute. Homes have already burned to the ground. More than 30,000 people have been asked to evacuate.

And the worst part? The winds are expected to get even more severe overnight. The weather service says it will likely be the most destructive windstorm in the area in 14 years. Gusts could reach up to 80 miles per hour. That will make it incredibly hard for firefighters to battle this blaze and for helicopters to help even douse the flames.

The panic has gotten so severe that many drivers have ditched their cars along Sunset Boulevard. Some of the vehicles smashed into each other. And now, officials are very concerned about this fire jumping over roads. The L.A. Fire Department says that it leaped across the Pacific Coast Highway and burned two lifeguard towers on the beach.

Let's go to CNN's Nick Watt in Palisades. Nick, residents are calling this apocalyptic, and what we are seeing right now tells us why. What are you seeing?

We are trying to get Nick here as we're watching this blaze. I mean, the idea that it could go through five football fields per minute. For many people who might be unfamiliar with this area of the country and L.A., you're talking about one that is normally noted as this beautiful, almost bucolic setting along the ocean and, of course, along the coastline. And now, we're seeing what ought to be water views and beyond now engulfed in flames as it is going even across the roads.

I want to go right now to the captain of the Los Angeles County Fire Department, Sheila Kelliher. Captain, what are your firefighters up against at this very hour?

SHEILA KELLIHER, CAPTAIN, LOS ANGELES COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT: Hey, good evening. They are in for a very long evening. You said it at the top of the hour. We've got some extreme wind conditions that are only going to get worse starting around 10:00. And along with the terrain and the wind, it is a massive fight.

COATES: I mean, you've got nearby cities in Malibu, which is, I guess, west of the Palisades fire. They are also facing evacuation orders and warnings. How impactful will this wind be? Is it giving any rhyme or reason to where it could go next?

KELLIHER: I mean, it's definitely blowing in south -- southwest direction, but it's just staying in that direction. It just knocked me over. It doesn't just stay in one direction, it swirls a lot, so that's making it complicated. So, just when you think you know what the fire is going to do, it swirls around and comes behind you.

[23:04:57] So, it's definitely erratic. I think it is one of the best words I can use to describe this wind. And it is strong.

COATES: It almost knocked you over as you're talking to me just now. And, of course, we're looking to you, as so many residents are, to figure out how to contain or battle against it. And it's very dangerous. There were warnings of hurricane force winds overnight from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. Are you, guys, seeing those hurricane force winds already?

KELLIHER: They're already picking up. That's for sure. I wish you could see -- I don't know if you can see over here, but this hillside, it's pretty hard to see with my camera, is burning and it's just whipping tornado like, you know, columns and spouts. So, it's the perfect storm, as they say, with a low relative humidity, the high gusty winds, the low fuel moisture, the lack of rain, and the excessive fuel growth that we've had over the last three years really have set this up for this, you know, once in a decade wind event.

COATES: What kind of resources do your teams need moving forward? If it keeps being erratic and going everywhere, what kind of help do you need to be able to try to combat this?

KELLIHER: Hey, you know, with the air assault, when we can get the helicopters and the fixed wings above, which they did a lot of work today, I have not gotten an update yet on what's going on right now, what the limitations are, but that makes a huge difference. But with this extreme wind, that we're kind of limited there.

So, the biggest thing is life safety first. That's our first priority. And then we go for property. So, our biggest thing is to make sure that people are out to heed those back and forth warnings and notices. We have another fire. (INAUDIBLE). And, you know, I want people to pay attention because this wind is no joke, they keep changing all the time, and you're stuck.

COATES: You said life and, of course, safety first. Are you getting people out of their homes? Are people heeding the warnings? Are you having any pushback from people who don't know what to do next?

KELLIHER: Yeah. You know, I think you're always going to have that few that say, no, I want to stay. And unfortunately, that just makes things super challenging for first responders to get in and do their job.

So, fires like this with erratic wind like this, you're not going to -- you're not going to beat this one by yourself. You need to get out of the way, go somewhere safe, and then let the -- let the professionals take care of it, and then we'll go from there because -- really, people understand how bad a hurricane is or how bad a tornado is. You know, you can't stop those. The wind is so strong. There's nothing you can do. You wait till it passes through, and then you fix what's left, right?

Well, add fire on top of that, and that's what we're up against. So, you know, we've got to mitigate it. And the biggest thing is stay safe. Get out. Like, we've been to many memorials over the years but never for a building, right? So, we can rebuild. But people need to get out of harm's way.

COATES: How will you keep yourself and those who are fighting this blaze safe? There's no training for something like this.

KELLIHER: Well, I mean, yes and no. Like, we definitely can predict what we're doing and where the wind is, and we put ourselves in a safe situation. I think our biggest thing is making sure the public stays safe and we do the best of what we can. That's for sure.

COATES: What about the use of helicopters that are normally there to try to douse homes from overhead? Is that even possible with these hurricane-force winds?

KELLIHER: So, yeah, like I was saying earlier, I haven't gotten my breaking off from the air yet to see what their limitations are with this wind. I don't know what their cutoff is for this fire, but they're assessing that as we go. And as soon as they're able to go up or if they're able right now, they will. So, they really have to weigh that out based on the winds.

COATES: Captain Sheila Kelliher, please be safe. The images that you have on your phone that we're seeing behind you are just so scary. Please, be safe.

KELLIHER: Thank you. You, guys, take care.

COATES: We've got back CNN's Nick Watt, who is in Pacific Palisades. Nick, we were just speaking to the fire captain. Unbelievable images. And here you are with the blaze behind you. What are you seeing?

NICK WATT, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Laura, for the past few hours, we've been driving up around these little narrow roads through the mountains in the Pacific Palisades, and pretty much every street you drive on, you find a scene like this.

We stumbled upon this house. Five minutes later, the fire crews arrived. They're going to go in and see what they can do. I mean, obviously, they're not going to save this house. But those flames, those embers are dangerous. They will be carried on the wind, and they can start fires a mile, two miles away from here. So, that's what they're trying to do here. Obviously, this house is a goner. We have seen so many houses up here just destroyed.

And it's just amazing how quickly this happened. You know, this morning, the wind started picking up at maybe 8:00. At 10:30, this fire had started. Now, over 1,200 acres, 30,000 people forced to flee from their homes, and we do not know how many structures damaged.

[23:10:04]

And you know what? This is sadly going to just be the start of it. The winds are going to be at their worst sometime in the very early morning hours before dawn. So, these 250 or so firefighters are going to be out here pretty much all night, playing whack-a-mole with these flames.

And right now, I don't fancy their chances much. You know, this is very steep. These roads are narrow. There are a lot of tightly-packed homes, and there is so much vegetation. We haven't had rain here all summer. So, all of these hillsides are just covered in fuel, frankly. That's what it is, fuel.

So, the 30,000 people who got out, you know, we saw traffic jams, stationary traffic, people taking whatever they could with them and walking to get out of the way of this fire. And then, of course, the fire department had to bulldoze all those cars off the road so they could bring in these engines and try to save these people's homes.

Now, the command center for the fire departments, that was the other side of the Pacific Coast Highway, that highway that snakes along the Pacific Ocean there. No one thought that the fire was going to jump the highway. The fire did jump the highway. So, the fire department is now to move their command center elsewhere. They've been forced to by these flames. Now --

COATES: Wow.

WATT: -- how far this is going to go? That is the big question. They are now issuing evacuation orders in Santa Monica, which is about five miles away. The evacuation orders now the next block from my house. So, you know, everybody over there packing up, getting ready because they've seen what happened here.

Listen, you know, last night we were getting warnings. Everybody knew that this wind was going to kick up today. But it's very different. Now, we have seen, we can see the destruction that is being wrought here by these flames.

And who knows how much worse it's going to get? If it gets down to Santa Monica, that is a much more densely-populated area, that will be horrific. It is already, I would say, the word "apocalyptic" is being used. What I'm seeing out here looks like that. When you look across these little canyons, you just see houses ablaze --

COATES: Hmm.

WATT: -- dots of orange in the night. That is what you see. That is what these firefighters are up against, and I wouldn't want to be one of them. Laura?

COATES: Nick, we're learning 80 mile per hour winds expected, burning five football fields a minute. Behind you, we are seeing a fire in full blaze. Tell me about the scope and your proximity to it. This is -- are these houses far from one another? How close are these flames? And what are you seeing in terms of the battle?

WATT: No. So, the issue is that these houses are pretty tight-packed up these little windy roads. Now, look, Chris, if you pan over here, you see -- so these huge fire trucks are having to gingerly make their way up these little roads to try to fight these fires. You know, this is possibly -- this is one of the worst environments to fight a fire in, in terms of topography, in terms of the wind. You know, the wind, you were talking to the chief earlier, you know, it's hard to get those aerial assets up. The last fire I covered here in '21, they doused that thing from the air, and some houses were lost but nothing on this scale The fact that it's hard to get aerial assets, the fixed wing and the helicopters up there, that is a problem. All they are relying on here are these men and women on the ground and these trucks to try to contain this.

But I don't know how you can contain this. It is really, as I say, whack-a-mole. Any street you go on, you're going to see something like this. They're going to try and contain it. But the wind -- and the wind is odd. You know, one minute, you won't feel anything, and then suddenly, you will just -- there's wind so strong it could knock you off your feet.

COATES: Ahh.

WATT: And that's only going to get worse during the night. So, it's going to be painful to see what damage occurs over the next few hours. Laura?

COATES: Nick Watt, stand by. And please, stay safe. Please. I want to bring in actor Steve Guttenberg, who helped fire crews today by trying to help move some of these abandoned cars. Steve, what we are seeing is unimaginable and it's ongoing, and it seems as though this might be the beginning. Have you ever seen anything like the fire that you saw today?

STEVE GUTTENBERG, ACTOR: Laura, I haven't seen anything like this in my entire life, and I don't think many people have. At 9:00 in the morning, it was an idyllic Pacific Palisades. And then by 10:00, 10:30, the sky was dark. It was as if it was nighttime. So, I got my car, I was in town, and I drove toward my house, and it was bumper to bumper traffic. Finally, I got to the corner of PCA (ph) Sunset, where they weren't letting anybody up. So, I got out of my car, and I started to try to help people, because people were just coming down the road.

[23:15:02]

I was helping people in wheelchairs. There were people that didn't have -- their feet were dragging on the floor. There were mothers who were hysterical, in panic attacks, helping them with their suitcases, and they were worried about their families up there because they couldn't get them out in time. There were little kids crying. There were people who couldn't speak English.

They were driving their friends' cars or their bosses' cars and being careful where they drove. I said, look, don't worry where you park these cars. Let's park them on the side. We need to get these fire trucks in.

And then in front of Calvary School, the fire was so close that everybody was told to get out of your cars. The cars were bumper-to- bumper traffic from two miles, and it was dangerous. So, the fire was coming. The police said, get out of your cars. So, everybody left their cars in the middle of the street. Now, some people left the keys in them. And the reason I want to be here and tell people is, when you abandon a car, leave your keys in them.

Then there were some people who locked their cars as if they were in a mall and left them in the middle of the street. So now the fire trucks can't get up there. So, I spent all day moving these cars up on the hill, trying to get them out of the way so that fire trucks could get through. And then finally, I, along with a bunch of other people, said, we got to get bulldozers in here. And finally, these giant bulldozers hours later came. They're pushing everything out of the way.

But, you know, this is the most unbelievable fire I've ever seen. So, what happened was my car was far away and my friend drove me finally to my car about 6:00. I got my car. I tried to go down Sunset. And there were trees coming down on Sunset, burning. I couldn't get through. And you couldn't see more than five feet in front of you.

Then I went the other side down Sunset Boulevard to try to get out, and I was stopped in front of one of the most iconic supermarkets, Gelson's. Gelson's was on fire. The Pierson Playhouse, which is our live theater playhouse, is on fire. The Woman's Club is on fire. And they told me to turn around, so I turned around and went down Temescal Canyon. All of Temescal Canyon is on fire, both sides. All the houses are on fire. The school, the high school is on fire. And I was in the car on Temescal. I could hardly see in front of me.

Finally, I got to PCH. But it was -- the whole day was trying to help people. And I think that this is a really important time for us to remember that we're not only a street, a block, a town, a city, a state, a country, a world, we are one big community. And when a crisis occurs, that everybody realizes that cars, jewels, none of these matters. What matters is people and saving lives, and that we all get out because everything is replaceable.

But this is a time that we all have to remember also, not only during a crisis, but during any time, we need to treat people nicely, we need to have empathy, we need to care, and that's something that's just unbelievable right now. People are so scared. You have 30,000 people evacuating.

COATES: I mean, just thinking about the mothers with the children, people who were unable to move, the fear and the pace, the quick pace that all this was happening. And I understand that you have friends, Steve, who were in Pacific Palisades who tried to evacuate but couldn't. God, have you heard from them?

GUTTENBERG: Yeah. Finally, I found out that one of my neighbors, she came down in a big car and she was just having a panic attack. And I came up to her and said, are you okay? And I took off my mask and said, Mrs. Geller, it's me. And she said, okay, my husband, my husband. So, I said, don't worry, he's going to get out, he's going to get out. I helped her with the suitcases. She got out. Finally, I heard that he was actually told not to leave. The evacuation orders didn't come to like 4:00. He couldn't get down because the entire Palisades Drive was a parking lot. You could not get down. They have to get on Sunset. They have to get on PCH. So, finally, everybody got down, and that was terrific. And then I found out, but my neighbor, Mark, he's in Japan. He had all -- his dogs and cats were up there.

COATES: Oh.

GUTTENBERG: And they're favorites of mine. And nobody could get up there. So, what I did was -- I don't know if this -- I guess this is illegal. I commandeered a car that had the keys in it, I drove up Palisades Drive, and then I was stopped by the police in a certain area. I got out of that car, and I hiked way up there. And finally, somebody had a car, and they drove me to my house.

I went to them. These dogs and cats were so afraid. They were so scared. They were shaking. So, I fed them, I opened up the house, I let them in, and thank -- you know, hopefully, thank God, they're going to be okay.

And I came downstairs. And when I finally got my car, I found a little loose dog, and I couldn't find -- I couldn't catch it. It was a little Pomeranian. Somebody let that got out. It was just heartbreaking.

[23:19:58]

You can't -- you know, at one in the afternoon, it was nighttime. It was so -- this is the most unbelievable fire that I've ever -- anybody has ever seen.

COATES: Yeah.

GUTTENBERG: I mean --

COATES: It's so disorienting to think about that. And we were actually, Steve, watching right now another community. Altadena, California also in flames. This is spreading so quickly. And Steve, we were told tonight by even the fire captain and local authorities that the strongest winds have even yet to come. Just think about that.

GUTTENBERG: It's frightening.

COATES: How frightening must that be knowing that you haven't perhaps seen the worst of the wind?

GUTTENBERG: The winds were so hot today, Laura. They were burning my face. I mean, I've never felt that before. And they were screaming. When I was going down to Temescal, the winds were screaming. The only time I've ever heard winds like that was in South Africa, where they call it a devil wind. It's just -- you can -- it's almost like a thousand ghouls are playing on each side of Temescal, burning things up. Burning, burning, burning and screaming and yelling. It was -- it's just the most unbelievable wind. And I guess it's another two days. And I pray that tonight, that nothing horrible happens. I pray that nothing horrible happens. It's just -- nobody could imagine. You know, you never imagine in a crisis, your town. You never imagine getting hit by a car. You never imagine anything bad happening. This is unbelievable. This is unbelievable.

But here's the point, and that's why I went on television, I wanted to say, help your neighbors. If you're able-bodied, do what you can to help people. You know, don't put yourself in danger. But this is the time for us to remember that we're part of a community.

COATES: Yes.

GUTTENBERG: We have to help each other and be kind to each other. And you see somebody, help them, ask them what they need. This is the time --

COATES: Absolutely.

GUTTENBERG: -- that if you're able to watch, do what you can.

COATES: So important. Thank you so much for sharing what you experienced. We are all watching with our heart in our hands and a lump in our throat, trying to figure out what could be next. Steve Gutenberg, thank you so much.

GUTTENBERG: Thanks, Laura.

COATES: My God, just looking at these images and what all have endured. Just tonight, President Biden issuing a new statement saying that he has been briefed on the fire and that -- quote -- "My administration will do everything it can to support the response."

Chad Myers is standing by from the CNN Weather Center. Chad, there are reports of wind gusts over 80 miles per hour in that Palisades area. How quickly is this fire spreading?

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST AND SEVERE WEATHER EXPERT: Well, we're at five football fields per minute.

COATES: Wow.

MYERS: And I think, for a while, that was even ramped up from there when it was burning some of the wildland areas. But we have wind gusts that are over hurricane force, and tonight will be the worst night. Ninety-five percent of the world, the winds die off at night. Not here, because of what we have in the Great Basin. We have a desert out here. That desert gets very cold.

And think about like taking a bucket of water and pouring it on the ground. When it hits the ground, it spreads out rather quickly. Well, when this cold air hits the ground that is generated in the nighttime, it also spreads out like a big bottle of water hit the ground. Those winds are going to go through the canyons, and those winds are going to pick up tonight from that devastating wind that you saw Nick Watt have there in Pacific Palisades. We still have the red flag warnings going on, and that's certainly going to be the case. By morning, we could see gusts again to 80 miles per hour. So, we are going to have at least the potential for more fire starts.

If you know your phone is on, make sure you can get the warnings from your phone because this night is not over. And for them, it's only what, 8:30. So this night is just beginning. The winds will be the worst somewhere between 4 a.m. and 6 a.m. I can't imagine because I watched Nick, and I watched our entire crews all day long, and how those winds were howling to 50 to 60. I can't really imagine what they're going to look like at 60 to 90. It's going to be brutal. It's going to be devastating.

COATES: Chad Myers, and to think that that wind brings fire, right? Along with it.

MYERS: Absolutely.

COATES: Thank you. Please heed the warnings you're getting from your phones, everyone. Much more ahead on this breaking news tonight out of Los Angeles. A local high school also reportedly now engulfed in flames as the fire continues to spread. A school board member standing by to join me, next. And later, another live update from the fire line as we get new reports of the fire burning out of control in different parts of L.A. County. Stay with us.

[23:25:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COATES: We are following the breaking news out of Southern California where the Pacific Palisades wildfire is devastating an area the size of at least 2,100 football fields.

The trustee at the L.A. Unified School District, Nick Melvoin, joins me now. Nick, it's almost incomprehensible to think about the scope of this fire and it's raging on, including overnight. I understand that the fire has reached the high school and possibly other schools as well. What can you tell us?

NICK MELVOIN, SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER, L.A. UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT: Yeah, I mean, as we've heard, things are moving quickly and the winds are picking up.

[23:30:00]

But Pali High, Palisades Charter High School, is currently engulfed in flames. We know that there are firefighters working heroically who are on the scene now trying to preserve the main structures. But the baseball field, tennis courts, some bungalows, the athletic building have been destroyed. But, again, we know that the fire department is there now trying to preserve the structures. Palisades Elementary School, not too far away, also on fire. And we have a few other schools, Marquez Elementary, Paul Revere nearby. We're grateful that (INAUDIBLE) the vicinity. And so, what we're hearing is both from firefighters and county and city emergency officials on the ground, and then reporters and also neighbors. But we're grateful and encouraging folks who have not evacuated to evacuate. Schools are closed tomorrow.

But we're just devastated. This is a school that I've represented for nearly eight years, also grew up playing soccer on those fields. We're all just in shock. But our priority right now is preserving life of people and pets, and also evacuating and then doing all we can to preserve the structure. But yeah, Pali High and part of Palisades Elementary School are engulfed in flames right now.

COATES: And were students even present at school in the early part of the day or was there no school at all? How did you have the evacuation orders affect those who were in school?

MELVOIN: Yes, so, Pali High School was not in school, thankfully. They don't go back from the winter break till next week. And so, we didn't have to evacuate and don't have to do anything. Obviously, going forward now, there'll be a lot of discussion around what to do in coming weeks and months.

COATES: Right.

MELVOIN: And the residents and my constituents have my commitment to rebuilding and do all we need. The elementary schools and middle schools in the area, we did have students there. I'm grateful to staff, teachers, students, and parents for their flexibility as we evacuated earlier in the day, well before things got as bad as they did. Those schools that I just mentioned, Palisades Elementary, Marquez Elementary, Paul Revere Middle School, and Canyon Elementary School will all be closed tomorrow. Many communications have gone out, but if our constituents are watching, those schools are closed, and we'll stay tuned for further updates.

COATES: I mean, I can't imagine what the students are thinking right now, and what you're telling them to feel confident about the path forward.

MELVOIN: Yeah. Well, one thing I think we heard from Steve and others is that I'm really already just so impressed by the resilience and the unity of the Palisades community. It's a community I'm proud to represent and grew up adjacent to. And so, we know that folks all around L.A. are housing folks who have evacuated, including some folks on my staff who are evacuating and potentially losing their homes tonight. My parents who live nearby are safe, but are out hosting others. And so, we're grateful.

And I think this is what we're showing, not just L.A., but the country, what happens when a community comes together and takes care of one another. I think that's a lesson for our kids. But we're also making sure that they know that the adults in their lives will take care of them, continue to educate them, and then rebuild.

But right now, again, we're just making sure that we have homes for everyone. I'm just so grateful for everyone who's housing multiple family members and getting the word out. And, you know, despite this tragedy, it has been really uplifting. I'm proud to represent these kids and their families.

COATES: Nick Melvoin, thank you so much.

MELVOIN: Thanks for having me.

COATES: Up next, we have another live update from the fire line as these dramatic wildfires continue to explode across L.A. County. Plus, the other big news tonight, Donald Trump now escalating his legal fights against the Jack Smith investigations and his hush money sentencing now just three days away.

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[23:35:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COATES: We continue to follow along as we are watching the scene unfold. This appears to be a medical facility of some kind. Patients being evacuated in the midst of the raging wildfires that we are seeing across the L.A. County region in the Palisades area. We're seeing people be wheeled out in chairs. They have what appears to be medical gowns on. I'm looking at elderly patients who seem to be being attended to by members who are in scrubs, who are going from person to person.

We're seeing a variety of people outside. You can only imagine with the masks that are on, the people who are aiding and those who appear to be patients, near a bus that looks to maybe being used to try to transport patients as well from the area. Many have limited mobility, it appears, from the seats that we are observing them being in as they are being attended to. Some of the patients do not have the masks on that those who are attending to them do have on.

You must wonder about the air quality for patients who might be particularly respiratory vulnerable in some way. They seem to be waiting their turns to be loaded onto a particular bus. I'm seeing one patient who is shaking in the chair as she is being tended to by several people in scrubs and also plain clothes. This seems to extend over a period of at least a block in the area of Los Angeles tonight as people are frantically trying to attend to each and every one of them. The backdrop, of course, being this raging fire that we're seeing as they continue across L.A.

Let's get back to the captain of the Los Angeles County Fire Department, Sheila Kelleher. This is unbelievable to see this all unfold as quickly as it's happening. What do you see right now, Captain?

[23:39:58]

KELLIHER: It is extreme. I had to come into my cab and sit in here because the winds, if you can believe it or not, have picked up. And they've been strong and horrible all day, so they've gotten worse.

What I'm looking at as I'm sitting right here at Pacific Coast Highway at Will Rogers Beach in the parking lot, it's kind of like a command post that we've set up, and what I can see is that the fire has come down to the actual PCH and down the way just a little bit. It actually jumped and burned down two of our lifeguard towers. So, I haven't seen such extreme fire behavior in a very long time, and the erratic winds are what is the story here because that's what's driving this.

COATES: Describe the air quality.

KELLIHER: You know, I heard you talking about that with the patients. As I'm looking out my front window, it looks like -- you know, when snow is falling or sleet is falling with the winds, but that's the ash and that's the smoke, it looks like sleet coming down. That's how strong it is. So, I'm sure the air quality is horrible right now.

COATES: And what is the danger that presents to have that level of smoke in addition to the flames?

KELLIHER: I mean, that's just compounding it, right? The biggest thing is getting people out of smoke and flames' way. But this air quality is really something to pay attention to, especially if you're vulnerable, susceptible to any type of respiratory issues.

COATES: Orient our audience. And you're talking about Will Rogers Park. It's along the beach. It's a stretch of land that also has homes and hotels above in the higher parts of the hills and beyond. Orient our audience. The idea that there would be a fire to jump across a road towards water, how strange is this?

KELLIHER: Yeah, you know, in my career, I've been on this job 25 years, and I've seen it a few times where we've jumped over the 101 with the Woolsey Fire and earlier Topanga Fire. So that 100% tells you it's all wind. And this wind is blowing strong south, southwest, so it's coming over that canyon, but it is erratic and it does swirl and it does change up. So, that's just indicate how powerful the weather is. Again, it's like a hurricane with its best friend, fire, to come alongside of it.

So, you know, there's only so much you can do with wind blowing that hard. So, everybody is in position and doing the best. Life safety is our number one priority. And as you can see with what you're showing earlier, that's number one priority, is getting people safe. So, we've been putting out evacuation warnings and orders, and everybody really needs to heed those warnings and those orders and get out of harm's way.

COATES: We're watching video right now. We were seeing fires blazing, the force of the wind moving, what looked to be pretty mature trees back and forth as if they are asparagus spears in this particular weather. How many firefighters have been deployed in that area to try to combat this, and will you seek help from other regions of California?

KELLIHER: This is like -- I'm just hoping you can hear that wind. So, you're right, it's extreme and it's crazy in that respect. When it comes to these mutual aid and resources that we share up and down the state, that is assessed by, you know, the I.C. and the command incidents. They definitely will put those orders out for the help that they need when it comes to this type of wind-driven fire.

COATES: So, what are you directing your firefighters to do now? Is it to try to contain it in small areas? Is it waiting to see and have a consistency with this erratic fire? What are the orders being given?

KELLIHER: So, on a fire like this, general orders are life safety first. So, if someone is in direct threat of, you know, harm due to the fire, obviously, we try to get people to evacuate on their own early on. And if it comes up too quick, then it's to help people get out of harm's way. After that, it's one of those where, as this burns through, it's like a storm that burns through, and we've what they call fire front following, and so as it burns through and kind of hits its targets, then we come in behind it and try to save what we can save.

And so, some buildings and structures are not that far gone and it's an actual fight we can win. Some are too far gone, so there's not a lot we can do for it because, you know, it has already gone too far. So, that's what we do, we're doing the best with the resources that we have to go in and save what we can.

COATES: Captain, we were learning earlier about the presence of abandoned vehicles on the paths that the fire trucks were trying to be able to access to try to prevent and contain the flames. How hard has it been for the fire trucks to navigate around these abandoned vehicles and on these roads?

KELLIHER: That is a huge challenge.

[23:45:00]

And, you know, we're still gettin1g more of the story of that. People, again, underestimate how much time they have to leave. So, when the trigger is set and a warning is up, people should be packing their cars and headed out. So, when that order comes, they're not fighting the traffic. So, I'm not exactly sure if that's what happened in this case where everybody got backed up on the road and they had to just get out and walk.

You know, every area is different and every kind of municipality has plans with those local communities on what the best way is out. Sometimes, the best way is out on foot. And if they've got plenty of time, it's like, hey, get out, get out of these little canyon passes because you see what happens. I bet a lot of those people just had to get out and get out of there.

COATES: You know, most of the country doesn't have --

KELLIHER: And it doesn't make -- to your point, it makes it -- yeah, it makes it hard.

COATES: Yeah. Absolutely. I can only imagine. I mean, most of the country doesn't have the same topography that California and this particular region has. The presence of canyons, the presence of the ocean, the windy roads and beyond. Tell me how the topography in that area is impacting the way in which you could fight these flames.

KELLIHER: The topography is everything along with the wind. Because of these chutes and canyons, it's incredibly steep. So, it's not the easiest thing to get a fire line around like if you had just a flat open brush fire without this type of topography.

But then, on top of it, you have these small canyon roads that, you know, lead to people's homes that are kind of up-secluded. So, these small roads are really what also make it challenging when everybody is leaving at the exact same time, those roads get congested, and then you have fire engines and trucks trying to come through. So, it's a congestion issue, for sure. That's why we try to give those warnings ahead of time, and it's up to the general public to heed those warnings and get moving.

COATES: What an unbelievably daunting task.

KELLIHER: My whole car is shaking. Yeah, it is.

COATES: We're watching you right now. This is the wind that's moving your car. This is not your hand. This is the wind.

KELLIHER: No, no, no. I could step out really quick. I mean, it's -- like I said, it looks like snow is coming down out here. It's so strong. But it is just the smoke is so bad.

COATES: Oh, I can see it now. You're mentioning the way it falls as if it's ash. This is the --

KELLIHER: Yeah.

COATES: -- this is the smoke result. My goodness.

KELLIHER: Yeah, that's just the smoke and the ash. And it looks like sleet or, you know, rain. Sheets of rain coming down is what it looks like. But that's piece of fire, just smoke and the ash. So, the wind is extreme.

COATES: Yeah.

KELLIHER: It keeps gusting.

COATES: My God. Captain Sheila Kelliher, please -- no, please, please stay safe. We know you have very hard work ahead of you. Keep us informed, but keep yourself and your crews safe. Thank you so much.

KELLIHER: We appreciate you. Thank you.

COATES: My goodness. Up next, an update from CNN's Nick Watt, who is live on that fire line. Stay with us.

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[23:50:00]

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COATES: Wildfires are rapidly spreading across Southern California. We're watching right now as one firefighter is trying to combat the blaze. You can see just how striking the wind is. We're told at least 80 miles per hour winds expected tonight while mass evacuations are underway. Look at the way the winds are just throwing and tossing the pressure of a fire hose as if it was some sort of child's toy.

Let's go to Nick Watt. He's on the ground in the Pacific Palisades. Nick, what are you seeing right now?

WATT: Well, so we have spent most of the day up in the hills above the Pacific Palisades. We are now in Palisades Village. We are right in the heart of Pacific Palisades, and this is the scene. A three or four (INAUDIBLE). There are many, many fire personnel here trying to do what they can.

But, I mean, this is the heart of this community, and this is what the scene is right now. Embers just flying on this wind. You can't see, but the (INAUDIBLE) is one of the fanciest shopping malls in all of Los Angeles. Palisades Village, we've seen little spot fires popping up around that. So, yeah, 250 plus firefighters doing all they can to try to contain this inferno. And, whoa! It's just -- it's going to get harder as these winds get stronger and stronger overnight.

I mean, you know, we've been talking all day about the undergrowth, the fires, and the brush. Now, this is fire just in a purely urban environment. I mean, it's crazy to see this. And the embers just floating all around this gas (ph) station as those flames lick up to the sky from that building that is just destroyed.

The damage from this, I cannot begin to think how many houses we will have lost overnight by the time the dawn arrives. But this is a terrible battle. This is a terrible battle. And it just keeps on moving. And the sheer scale of it, I mean, (INAUDIBLE) three or four miles (INAUDIBLE). And evacuation is ongoing. (INAUDIBLE). And the fire is expanding, as I say, Laura, down here, right in the heart of the community.

[23:55:00]

COATES: Nick, we are hearing the wind, what seems to be crushing the phone, just the sheer pace of it, looking at this image of an apartment building burning in an area that has many shops in a downtown area. It is not at all recognizable.

WATT: It is completely unrecognizable. And, you know, as I say, I've been seeing, as you drive along the road, you see these little spot fires popping up all over the place.

COATES: Unbelievable.

WATT: And firefighters don't get to those spot fires quickly. They become something much bigger. They become what you're looking at right now. This entire apartment building just up in flames.

COATES: Nick, please, stay safe. We're relying on your coverage, but thank you for bringing it to us. Please, stay safe as we're watching all of this rage on. Thank you all for watching. CNN's live coverage of the Southern California wildfires continues with Polo Sandoval in just a moment.

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