A United Airlines passenger recalled the moment he got a bird’s eye view of the raging forest fires it engulfs the Los Angeles area, describing the sight as “Mordor from ‘Lord of the Rings’.”
Mark Viniello told Fox News Digital that he was aboard his flight from Denver to Burbank on Tuesday evening when passengers were told before takeoff that the plane would be diverted to Los Angeles International Airport due to strong winds.
“About twenty minutes before we landed, I opened my window and saw what can only be described as Mordor from ‘Lord of the Rings,’” Viniello said, referring to the fiery, volcanic plain of the story’s antagonist, the Evil Lord Sauron.
“Other passengers looked out their windows and there was a gasp and a general sense of disbelief,” he said.
Aerial photos of the fires breaking out in California. (X/ Karel V Payne)
In addition to the nightmarish spectacle unfolding beneath them, Viniello said the plane experienced some turbulence due to the high winds that passengers had previously been warned about.
“The landing was difficult, scary and ultimately worth a round of applause,” he said.
At least currently there are five active forest fires across the state, in Eaton, Hurst, the Palisades, Woodley and Tyler. Fire officials say Tyler is 50% contained, but the others remain largely untouched as wind gusts of up to 100 miles per hour fuel the growth of the wildfires.
CALIFORNIA WILDFIRES: WHAT TO TAKE IF EVACUATE
Officials said at least two people were killed and “several” firefighters and civilians were injured as the fires engulfed Southern California. More than 1,000 buildings have been burned.
Trees sway in high winds as the Eaton Fire burns buildings on Wednesday, January 8, 2025 in Altadena, California. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
About 30,000 residents have been evacuated and more than 13,000 buildings are threatened by the wildfires.
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California Governor Gavin Newsom deployed the state’s National Guard on Wednesday. Nieuwsom was quickly criticized by President-elect Trump for opposing a plan to send more water to the state’s agricultural Central Valley over concerns it would endanger endangered species.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
