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LA Palisades fires live updates: Death toll rises in most destructive ...

LA Palisades fires live updates Death toll rises in most destructive
All four fires burning - Palisades, Eaton, Hurst and Woodley - are 0% contained and five people have been killed, officials say.

'The restaurant was there for 36 years'published at 23:38 Greenwich Mean Time 8 January

23:38 GMT 8 January

Isabella BullBBC World Service

The landmark Reel Inn restaurant on the Pacific Coast Highway is one of the sites that’s been destroyed by these enormous wildfires.

Teddy Leonard, owner of the popular fish shack, told the BBC World Service’s OS programme how she and her husband found out their business had been destroyed when they saw videos of it burning on social media.

"The restaurant was there for 36 years. A lot of our employees had been with us for over 30 years, started as bus boys and ended up as head cooks. Those are the people that I am just devastated for, because we were their livelihood and trying to put that back is going to be difficult."

Teddy and her husband Andy also had to evacuate their Topanga home as flames encroached on the property.

“Having lost the restaurant, we were both in a state of shock – wandering around grabbing things, making sure we had our dog.

"Looking up this morning at the sky – it feels a little like Armageddon. This is the worst we’ve ever seen and we’ve both lived here for many, many years.”

She says she’s been touched by the outpouring of support from the community.

Quote Message

People come to the Reel Inn – they get engaged there, they bring their kids years later. Its become such a staple in the city of LA that everywhere you go if you mention the restaurant people know it. And they feel like they own it. It’s a great loss for all of us.”

Teddy Leonard

Image source, Getty Images
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