Lakers coach JJ Redick says Los Angeles wildfire has forced his family to evacuate: ‘People are scared’

The Los Angeles Lakers lost their game against the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday night, but there a lot of people in the Los Angeles area who have lost, or who stand to lose, a lot more than a basketball game.

As wildfires spread through the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles, Lakers coach JJ Redick confirmed that his family is among the 30,000 people that have been told to evacuate their homes, according to CBS News. 

“I just want to acknowledge and send thoughts and prayers to everyone in Palisades right now,” Redick said. “It’s where I live. My family, and my wife’s family, my wife’s twin sister, they’ve evacuated. I know that a lot of people are freaking out right now, including my family. And from the sound of things, with the winds coming tonight, I know a lot of people are scared, so I just want to acknowledge that. Thoughts and prayers for sure, and I hope everybody stays safe.”

Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr is also feeling the effects of the fire. He said Tuesday after his team’s loss to the Heat that his mother was forced to evacuate. Additionally, the family home of team staffer Everett Dayton is “lost,” according to Kerr. 

“With everything I’m seeing and reading, it’s just terrifying what is happening,” Kerr said. “Just want to send thoughts to everyone who is going through the devastation of the fire. The game is secondary to that and many things in life.”

As indicated by Redick and Kerr, some pretty frightening details regarding the fire are being reported, including extreme winds that are expected Tuesday night with the worst yet to come.

The following information is via CBS News:

• Over 30,000 people have been told to evacuate from the Pacific Palisades community in Los Angeles.
• More than 10,300 homes are threatened by the fire, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department.
• Multiple major roadways were “jammed” as residents flee the area. The Pacific Coast Highway was completely shut down near Topanga Canyon Boulevard, according to the California Department of Transportation.
• California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency as the wildfire “exploded in size,” fueled by a major windstorm with gusts that could reach up to 100 miles per hour in some parts of the region.