5th Street and Idaho Avenue, one block away from the mandatory evacuation zone, in Santa Monica yesterday. Credit: Gloria Musca / Courtesy
As wildfires rage across Southern California, burning over 29,000 acres and displacing over a hundred thousand, Cal Poly students with ties to Los Angeles County are navigating the emotional toll of the devastation this week.
With nearly 20% of the university’s student body from LA County, many have been left waiting for updates from loved ones while others recount firsthand experiences.
The number of incoming freshmen from L.A. County per year, starting in 2018. Alie Hall | Mustang News
For Charlotte Pluimer, the destruction has struck painfully close to home. The theatre arts sophomore from Los Angeles said that, while her home has been spared, her close friend’s home and entire neighborhood burned down yesterday.
“The damage it does to people is kind of irreparable because you don’t consider how much of your life is stored in your house. It’s like her entire childhood is gone. It’s stuff you can’t get back.”
Charlotte Pluimer, theater arts sophomore
The Pacific Palisades fire consumed over 17,000 acres as of Thursday afternoon, according to CAL FIRE.
The City of San Luis Obispo Fire Department dispatched four firefighters and a battalion chief as part of a group of five engines to assist with the Palisades Fire the night of Jan. 7, according to Fire Battalion Chief Ray Hais. The five engines hailed from San Luis Obispo, Morro Bay, Atascadero, and CAL FIRE San Luis Obispo, Hais said.
The deployment was coordinated through the California Master Mutual Aid Plan and the Office of Emergency Services, which mobilized resources from across the state to combat the blaze. The San Luis Obispo strike team battled the fires for approximately 36 hours until this morning, focusing on structure defense to protect homes.
“Single handedly, our strike team was able to save more than a dozen homes,” Hais said.
Communications studies junior Liam O’Gorman said the fires brought back painful memories of similar disasters he experienced while living in Sonoma County.
“Whenever I smell smoke or see orange in the sky, it really brings me back,” O’Gorman said. “It’s hard, but moments like these show the importance of community and being grateful for what you have.”
O’Gorman expressed concern for his aunt, a single mother who owns a small farm very close to one of the current fire zones.
“It was just heart-dropping to think about the house and how much love she’s put into her property, and all the animals she cares for is really sad,” O’Gorman said.
Southern California’s wildfires are worsening due to a dangerous combination of Santa Ana winds, drought, and climate change, AP reports. The winds fan flames rapidly while rising temperatures and dry vegetation fuel year-round fire risks. With over 70,000 residents currently under evacuation orders, AccuWeather estimates damage and economic loss from the fires to reach $52-57 billion.
Urban sprawl into fire-prone areas increases destruction, putting more lives and homes at risk when fires ignite. These overlapping factors have made Southern California wildfires more destructive and harder to contain, making this year its most devastating season of winter fires in more than four decades.
Alie Hall | Mustang News
Amidst worsening fire conditions, students received an email yesterday from the Vice President for Student Affairs office extending support and highlighting campus resources, including the Cal Poly Cares office.
“We understand that this situation may cause either direct or indirect disruption to you or those within your community,” the email read. “Our thoughts are with everyone experiencing hardships during this challenging time.”
Music transfer freshman Lili Zimble is taking to social media to support the Los Angeles Fire Department and spread the word about evacuation orders.
“There’s nothing in my control besides sharing resources, so I like to share that on my social media for people to see,” Zimble said.
Construction management freshman Daniel Foad emphasized the importance of community support.
“I know for a fact Cal Poly is a great community,” Foad said. “Everyone’s going to rally around it.”
Seth Pintar and students of Cal Poly’s JOUR 352 class contributed to the reporting of this story.
Caroline Ohlandt is the Print Editor for Mustang News. She joined the newsroom as a reporter her freshman year and later served as News Editor, overseeing daily digital content and helping lead large-scale...
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