logo
episode-header-image
Jan 2025
26m 35s

LA fires: “It was like watching the end ...

Bbc World Service
About this episode

It’s been a week since wildfires started sweeping through Los Angeles, California, destroying swathes of the city and reducing communities, homes and schools to little more than rubble and ash. The inferno has now ravaged an area larger than Manhattan. Some fires have been extinguished but many are still burning, and with warnings in place for high winds, LA’s exhausted firefighters and residents have more difficult days ahead. Jonny Dymond speaks with BBC freelance reporter Lucy Sheriff about her experience of evacuating and losing her house and community, all while six months pregnant. They also discuss what rebuilding Los Angeles might look like. The Global Story brings you trusted insights from BBC journalists worldwide. We want your ideas, stories and experiences to help us understand and tell #TheGlobalStory. Email us at theglobalstory@bbc.com You can also message us or leave a voice note via WhatsApp on +44 330 123 9480. Producers: Alice Aylett Roberts, Peter Goffin, Eleanor Sly and Richard Moran Sound engineers: Ben Andrews and Jonny Baker Assistant editor: Sergi Forcada Freixas Senior news editor: China Collins

Up next
Oct 16
America’s rogue ambassadors
A diplomat’s job is traditionally to represent their country’s interests while maintaining good relations with their host nation. But some of Donald Trump’s ambassadors are taking a different approach. On Tuesday, Kimberly Guilfoyle resigned from her ambassadorship in Greece afte ... Show More
26m 51s
Oct 15
Why Trump is not going to war with the Houthis
Is Washington leaving Saudi Arabia to fend for itself? Last week, Houthi rebels launched a series of missile strikes on Riyadh, Saudi Arabia’s capital. Surveillance footage showed a fireball erupting as airport passengers ran for cover. At least 14 people have been killed and hun ... Show More
26m 39s
Oct 14
Could Gen Z bring down India’s Modi?
This week tens of thousands of young people have taken to the streets of Delhi, India’s capital, demanding changes to the electoral system and the resignation of the country’s electoral commissioner. Thousands have been detained by police in the process.They represent the ‘cockro ... Show More
26m 43s
Recommended Episodes
Jan 2025
Los Angeles is burning
<p><span style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Early Tuesday, wildfires started burning across Los Angeles County. The scale of the destruction is massive; entire neighborhoods are in flames, with longtime businesses, schools and houses of worship burnt to t ... Show More
19m 59s
Jan 2025
Los Angeles wildfires: What we know so far
The fires that have ripped through Los Angeles county have flattened whole neighborhoods, charring them beyond recognition.  So many people have lost their homes and businesses - some have lost their lives. Why were these fires so powerful, and what comes next for LA? Reporters L ... Show More
16m 49s
Jan 2025
L.A. on Fire
<p>Over the past 48 hours, wildfires have consumed acre after acre and building after building across greater Los Angeles. More than 100,000 people have been ordered to evacuate, and at least five people have died.</p><p>The Times’s L.A. bureau chief, Corina Knoll, and our staff ... Show More
22m 23s
Jan 2025
Could the L.A. Fires Have Been Stopped Sooner?
<p> A week after fires broke out in the Los Angeles area, Californians are grappling with the widespread destruction.</p><p>They’re also seeking answers from their leaders about why so much has been lost.</p><p>Mike Baker and Christopher Flavelle, who have been covering the fires ... Show More
39m 9s
Jan 2025
Why is Los Angeles on fire?
The fires burning through Los Angeles now are already the worst in the history of California, a state known for its wildfires. Thousands have lost their homes, and nearly 180,000 have been forced to evacuate. What is it like to be in the city on fire?  In this episode: Manuel Ráp ... Show More
17m 33s
Jan 2025
After the fires
The fires in Los Angeles are almost out. Residents are starting to trickle back into their burned-out neighborhoods. When they get to their houses, they face a series of almost impossible questions: Do we want to live here amongst all this destruction? And if we do, how do we eve ... Show More
25m 25s
Jan 2025
CBS Evening News with Norah O'Donnell, 01/08/25
At least five people are dead and nearly 200,000 are under evacuation orders and warnings as multiple fires scorch parts of Southern California. Hurricane-force winds and dry conditions have created catastrophic wildfires in Los Angeles. 
19m 48s