Stylist Maeve Reilly Shares Scary Story About Rescuing Her Pets and Escaping L.A. Fires: ‘The Fire Came So Fast’

Maeve Reilly shares her terrifying experience of evacuating her home from the ongoing wildfires in the Los Angeles area.

Taking to her Instagram Stories on Saturday, January 11, the 37-year-old celebrity stylist walked followers through what she and husband Zach Quittman went through after they were called to the Palisades fire and had to flee it on Tuesday, January 7.

She began her story with a video of smoke billowing from behind the mountain, saying she was “30 minutes away” from her home when “the fire started,” and she and her husband immediately “tried to get home from different directions.”

She noted that she “cried” on the drive “through five different stop zones,” as she showed a video of her car racing to get home. She said she was worried about her pets still in her house and “there was no way I wasn’t going to take them.”

Maeve Reilly said she and her husband got on an electric bike to try to get back to their house and save their pets.

Maeve Reilly/Instagram

Celebrities who lost their homes or had to evacuate due to the Los Angeles fire and what they said

Reilly then shared a video of herself and her husband riding an electric bike while trying to get back to their neighborhood through traffic.

“We had a maximum of 10 minutes in the house,” she said in the next post. “We took nothing but the sleeping bag and our animals. We couldn’t breathe in the house and that was the scariest thing. We had no idea we would ever come home again.”

Maeve Reilly shares a view of traffic leaving the fire evacuation zone.

Maeve Reilly/Instagram

However, she noted that “the fire came so fast,” recalling that “10 minutes before” when they got to their house, “it wasn’t close to us,” but then “we were surrounded.” She said the authorities “won’t let the cars out” and they were left in the “parking lot”.

She said “the next part was the scariest moment of our lives,” explaining that LAPD “ran to our cars and told everyone to run for their lives” and “run to the beach.”

“So Zach gave me all 3 animals and told me to run,” she said, adding that her husband “went back for his truck” and “miraculously pulled it out” and picked them up “down the hill.” Then they bounced from house to house, going to her in-laws and then to Zach’s sister’s house, which had been evacuated in the following days due to separate fires.

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Maeve Reilly shows a view of smoke from the fire surrounding people trying to evacuate.

Maeve Reilly/Instagram

See the most dramatic, terrifying photos of the devastation of the wildfires in California

She said they ended up just going to Palm Springs because they “couldn’t take it anymore” and “just needed to get far enough away that they could feel safe.”

On Friday, January 10, they were able to find a police escort that took them back to their neighborhood to “see if there was anything left.”

She showed the charred remains of buildings in her neighborhood before revealing what her house looked like after the fire. The house was reduced to rubble in the video posted by Reilly. She wrote: “There was nothing,” along with several heartbroken emojis. She also showed a photo of her shoes walking on the remains of the house, writing: “Our whole lives turned to dust.”

“I have never seen anything like this. I still can’t process it,” she wrote along with several other videos and pictures showing the extent of the damage. “I’m in shock for a minute. The next groan. We’re going into survival mode and figuring out the next steps.”

Maeve Reilly shares a view of her house after the fire.

Maeve Reilly/Instagram

The stylist noticed that her car, which was left on the road, had survived the fire damage and she was able to get into it and grab some items including her “purse,” “sunglasses,” “a pair of earrings” and her “camera.” She said she was “grateful for the few things” she had in the car that she was able to get.

She ended her post on a positive note, saying in part, “We arrived at my office last night. The comfort I felt in a familiar place was enormous. I wish I had more personal stuff in there. I can’t believe I didn’t.”

“So many people lost their homes and jobs in the Palisades. “Small victories seem big today,” she continued. “Our hearts are full of gratitude not only for what we have received, but also for LOVE!!!! While the material things are gone, what remains is a renewed appreciation for life, community, and the moments we share with those we love.”

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Source: HIS Education