Horror stories are still surfacing from California amid the deadly wildfires in the region. One woman, who evacuated the area, described one of the most haunting things she's seen in her life.
Sisi Makhanya took to her TikTok to describe a haunting sight. In the video, she showed just how close the wildfire was getting to her car. In the video, children and their mother, carrying just a few items on their back, ran fro the blaze. Makhanya said, "Please keep everyone in L.A. in your prayers. The traffic is obviously insane, but we're trusting that God is covering us."
In an interview with People, Makhanya said that she initially didn't realize that she should be worried about the wildfires. She thought it was a normal small fire that would be quickly put out. But a day later, things were getting a bit apocalyptic with the neighborhood preparing to flee.
"I'm naturally so inquisitive," she explained. "I took the time to examine the neighborhood earlier in the day and saw how rapidly things changed versus in the evening. I was prepared to evacuate."
California Wildfires Causes People To Flee
They chose to flee their home later that evening.
"At around 6 or 6:30 p.m., we started packing a small bag in preparation for any evacuation notice," she said. "At around 8:40 p.m. we saw the evacuation notice and we left. Even though at the time it wasn't the mandatory evacuation notice yet, we wanted to leave early as we didn't want to get evacuated during the night when we're sleeping."
Makhanya described leaving her home to the wildfires as traumatizing. She said that she noticed a mother and children running for their lives. It's a haunting side that she would never forget.
"Evacuating was quite traumatizing," she told the outlet. "I left a few sentimental items by mistake. Also, seeing people on the street panicking and in a frenzy ... The most traumatizing was seeing a mother with her little children and their little backpacks running for help and safety. That is an image that's engraved in my mind and has haunted me."
Right now, she doesn't know if she will have a house standing when she returns. She said that it's a frightening reality.
"I know it's just material, but there are so many memories in our home, and it's just really scary to think that it's a huge possibility. Our house is still under the red zone on the map," Makhanya says. "We are hoping the winds don't blow it towards our home but we have been mentally preparing ourselves for the worst and are grateful to be alive and safe."
