Fires rage out of control in Southern California, affecting churches and presbyteries
At least one PC(USA) church is destroyed and five people have been killed in the wind-whipped blazes
LOUISVILLE — A series of dangerous fires in the Los Angeles area had grown so large and so destructive by Wednesday that the Rev. Heidi Worthen Gamble could hardly wrap her mind around it.
“This will go down as the worst disaster in the history of Los Angeles, no doubt, and quite possibly the whole state,” said Worthen Gamble, a mission catalyst for the Presbytery of the Pacific. “It's monstrous. It's hard to put words to it.”
So far, communities from the Pacific Coast to Pasadena have been affected by the wildfires, which began popping up Tuesday, and have killed at least five people, according to The Associated Press. Scores of structures have been damaged or destroyed, including Pacific Palisades Presbyterian Church, and much of the inferno remains uncontained.
“Multiple churches have been impacted and multiple Presbyterians have lost their homes,” said the Rev. Jim Kirk, Associate for National Disaster Response for Presbyterian Disaster Assistance.
Describing the situation at one point on Wednesday, Worthen Gamble said, “Because of the winds and the 100-mile-an-hour gusts and then windstorms that are created within the fires, there's just no way for firefighters to get the helicopters dropping the fire retardant, so firefighters are just on the streets trying to hose things, and it's not working,” she said, adding, “there will be thousands of homes lost.”
Though winds have eased up since then, “this is a very dangerous and ongoing disaster,” Kirk said. And gusty winds will continue to be present at times, according to forecasters.
An estimated 130,000 people have been under evacuation orders as the fires have ravaged communities, consuming about 42 square miles, which is almost as large as the entire city of San Francisco, according to the AP.
In addition to the Presbytery of the Pacific, the fires are also thought to have impacted the San Fernando and San Gabriel presbyteries, Worthen Gamble said.
“PDA is reaching out and has been in communication with the impacted presbyteries, offering support,” Kirk said. “However, at this time, because it's still an ongoing disaster, it's not safe for people to come in. We pray for the hundreds of first responders who are working diligently and faithfully to keep people and property safe.”
While California is no stranger to wildfires, people are more used to them happening in “canyonlands,” Worthen Gamble said. The individuals who build out there “know those risks,” but the current fires are affecting densely populated areas.
Some roadways became choked with abandoned cars as people opted to flee on foot because of the fast-moving flames in places such as the Pacific Palisades, according to the AP.
Worthen Gamble confirmed that the Pacific Palisades Presbyterian Church, which is part of the Presbytery of the Pacific, was lost in the massive Palisades fire, the largest blaze at more than 17,000 acres.
“It's a beautiful church, beautiful campus,” she said. “They had a nursery school on that campus, and it sits on one of the most expensive pieces of real estate in the country … so it's a tremendous financial loss, but we are grateful that there were no lives lost. They were able to evacuate everyone.”
In Facebook posts, the church thanks neighbors who reportedly picked up hoses to assist firefighters when the church caught fire. Another post quotes Isaiah 9:10: “The bricks have fallen, but we will build with dressed stones; the sycamores have been cut down, but we will put cedars in their place.”
Meanwhile, the fires remain unpredictable, and “there are some other churches in the line of fire,” Worthen Gamble said.
Reports of the fires have filled the airwaves, and newscasters have used terms like “apocalyptic” to describe the scenes of billowing smoke and flames. Homes of celebrities and everyday people have been lost as well as many businesses.
In the midst of the emergency on Wednesday, the Rev. Juan Sarmiento, executive presbyter of the Presbytery of San Fernando, provided this glimpse into the situation. “Our home is under evacuation warning. No electricity or internet. Prayers for our family and wisdom on how to support the churches in the presbytery are appreciated.”
In addition to the Palisades fire, several other blazes have broken out, including the Eaton, Hurst, Lidia and Woodley fires.
Early Thursday, a wildfire tore through the Hollywood Hills, adding to firefighters’ workloads.
“Pray for those who are in harm's way and the hundreds of firefighters who are risking their own well-being to keep people and property safe” in all areas, Kirk said.
Worthen Gamble said she is grateful for PDA’s support. “I just want the denomination to know how helpful, how effective, how wonderful PDA is, and just encourage folks to support PDA, to help us through donating to PDA for wildfires,” she said. “We will really need all the resources and support possible here. This is just catastrophic.”
Donations can be made to PDA’s U.S. wildfires account, using the code DR000165.
Presbyterian Disaster Assistance is one of the Compassion, Peace and Justice ministries of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)’s Unified Agency.
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