AILSA CHANG, HOST:
OK, before we go, a quick update on the major story we've been following today. There are at least three major fires and several smaller fires in the Greater Los Angeles area. That's according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
ARI SHAPIRO, HOST:
Dry, gusty conditions are fueling the flames. At least two people have been killed and many more injured, including firefighters. Tens of thousands of people have been ordered to evacuate. And across the region, people are describing devastating scenes.
CHANG: Ted Soqui is an LA-based freelance photographer who's been covering fires for 40 years. He told the nonprofit news outlet CalMatters that he's never seen anything like this week's fires.
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TED SOQUI: And I'm watching the church, Altadena Baptist Church, burn to the ground. There's no fire protection, and nobody could stop it - there's nobody out here to stop it. And it's eerily quiet, except it's punctuated by loud booms - maybe propane tanks or transformers - and crackling of the fire and then sometimes the complete howl of the wind. You know, people say it's surreal, and this is the proper time to use that term. I mean, it is a surreal experience.
SHAPIRO: The wildfires have left more than 400,000 homes and businesses without power. More than a thousand structures have been destroyed.
CHANG: Stay with NPR for the latest on the wildfires and how local officials are responding.
(SOUNDBITE OF 4FARGO'S "GET HER") Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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