A HOST of Today was seen choking back tears as he encountered his childhood home while reporting on the LA wildfires.
Los Angeles and the Hollywood Hills are experiencing mass devastation as uncontrolled blazes continue to burn on amid the current wildfires.
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Jacob Soboroff, 42, was in the Pacific Palisades when he encountered his childhood home.Credit: Today/NBC
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The Today host was overcome with emotionCredit: Today/NBC
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His childhood home was in ruinsCredit: Today/NBC
The blazes have burned through LA homes and celebrity enclaves and caused 179,000 to flee.
Reporting on the wildfires for Today, Jacob Soboroff, 42, was in the Pacific Palisades when he encountered his childhood home.
The home that Jacob grew up in had been demolished by the LA wildfires, with the reporter crying out: “It’s gone!” when he saw it.
Driving his car through the ruins, Jacob said: “Oh, my. This is my childhood home. It’s gone.”
Trying to take it all in and process the devastation of seeing his former home after it had been destroyed, Jacob looked somber and sad.
The camera zoomed in on the ruins, with only some brickwork visible as the rest lay on the ground.
He then said: “I look around the town, the neighborhood, the place that I grew up in, and it’s hard to imagine what comes next and what happens next.”
Jacob went on to say that the Pacific Palisades “has been effectively wiped off the map, as we know it” before driving through the neighborhood.
‘NOT A SINGLE HOUSE LEFT’
As he drove through the area, he said: “There’s not a single house left standing here.”
Many homes and buildings in LA have been destroyed by the fires that continue to blaze.
How tiny garden fire & 80mph winds sparked worst-ever LA wildfires that destroyed 2,000 homes
The fires have been fueled by hurricane-strength winds that have reached speeds of more than 90 miles per hour.
Reacting to a video of Jacob that was shared on his Instagram and Today’s Instagram, fans were quick to thank him for his reporting.
“I’m so sorry Jake. Thank you for your reporting,” penned one.
Another added: “Thank you for your reporting – may God be with you, the firefighters and first responders.”
Wildfires – what are they?
Here’s what you need to know…
A wildfire is an uncontrolled fire that typically occurs in large rural areas of vegetation
Types of wildfire include brush fires, bush fires, desert fires, forest fires and peat fires
Fossilised evidence suggests that wildfires began soon after land plants appeared 420million years ago
Wildfires can destroy large areas of vegetation, and also threaten human property and life
They are common on Earth due to the carbon-rich vegetation, dry climates, high levels of atmospheric oxygen, and widespread lightning
Serious wildfires are hard to control and supress, as they can spread unpredictably and move quickly over large areas
Wind can also be a major factor in the fast spread of wildfires
While a third said: “Thank you for reporting. Let’s make sure the insurance companies hold up their under the bargain.”
THE EXTENT OF THE WILDFIRES REVEALED
This comes after satellite pictures shared by The Sun revealed whole blocks of homes in Los Angeles have been burned to rubble by the wildfires.
The snaps show before, during, and after the uncontrolled blazes.
The pictures from outer space show the devastation wrought by the Palisades fire in Pacific Palisades and the Eaton fire in Altadena and Pasadena.
The before photos show the neighborhoods full of green trees, multi-colored roofs, and grey roads.
But the after photographs of the same areas show bright red and orange fires burning, thick smoke flying into the air, and brown rubble where houses once stood.
‘War zone’ LA feels ‘broken’ as fires still ravage the city – but we will rebuild
The U.S. Sun’s Assistant Editor for Exclusives Katy Forrester is an LA resident and she witnessed first-hand the horror as flames engulfed the city. She said the city feels like a “war zone
EVERY year Los Angeles braces itself for wildfires. It is not uncommon to see flames torching the hills and even houses burning to the ground.
But many residents have never witnessed anything as devastating as this week. And it’s nowhere near over.
I spent time near Pacific Palisades, where thick smoke filled the air, and saw desperate families fleeing the city while others begged police to give them access to their properties as roads were blocked off.
“Everything is gone” was heard many times, as thousands of people were left homeless and with few possessions.
I was lucky to only have the power go out in my home, but I’ll never forget what I witnessed traveling throughout the city.
It was like a war zone.
During a visit to a shelter, I spoke with a resident who has lived in his home for almost 30 years and is battling cancer. He stayed long after he was told to pack up and go.
It was only when flames began leaping around his building that he finally gathered his belongings and ran out.
I reported from Altadena, where buildings were still engulfed in flames, and few fire trucks were in sight as emergency services were overwhelmed.
Cars and school buses were completely torched, and heartbroken families stood around in shock, not being able to process what had happened.
As the sun went down, I drove back home towards the city center, which I felt was safe, until I saw orange flames leaping behind buildings just minutes from my house.
I felt sick. I’ve never known wildfires so close to Hollywood, and suddenly, phones were blaring with emergency notifications to evacuate the area.
Traffic lights and street lamps were out, and areas filled with fallen trees from the strong winds became gridlocked.
I feel extremely lucky I live minutes outside of the evacuation zone, but friends panicked and fled their homes.
Although many worldwide will merely shrug when they hear wealthy people have lost their homes, the reality is very different.
The city as a whole feels broken, everyone from single mothers to elderly people have been through hell.
And people are angry.
Dozens have spoken of their insurance policies being canceled just months before the fires, while others are reeling over alleged corruption and mismanagement.
They may be angry. But they are also hopeful. The people of Los Angeles are made of strong stuff.
We will get through this. And we will rebuild.
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It was a tragic discovery for the reporterCredit: Instagram/todayshow
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Los Angeles and the Hollywood Hills are experiencing mass devastationCredit: Getty
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The fires are continuing to blaze on
