Kings’ DeRozan reacts to devastating fires in familiar Los Angeles County. ‘A sad sight’
The fires scorching Los Angeles that have destroyed more 12,000 structures and killed at least 25 people have hit Sacramento Kings star DeMar DeRozan close to home.
“It’s a sad sight to see,” DeRozan said Tuesday. “So many places I’m familiar with, growing up there, having friends and family all over the city, to see the devastation, just through pictures, is heart breaking.”
DeRozan, 35, is from Compton and went to Compton High School before attending USC. He’s paid attention to the fires from a distance while the Kings have been on a three-game road trip through Boston, Chicago and Milwaukee.
DeRozan said his immediate family has remained safe.
“My heart goes out to everybody in Southern California,” he said. “It’s going to be a long rebuild, in many ways. Emotionally, every type of way.
“My heart definitely goes out to them for sure.”
The Los Angeles Lakers and Clippers each postponed games on Saturday amid the fires raging through the Pacific Palisades and the Eaton Fire in the Altadena area, which have been the most damaging blazes in what’s considered the most destructive group of fires in Los Angeles County history.
The deadly fires, stoked by Santa Ana wind gusts last week that approached 100 mph, continue to displace tens of thousands of evacuated residents. The wildfire threat is ongoing, with National Weather Service forecasters implementing a “Particularly Dangerous Situation” alert that is in effect from 3 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday in an area overlapping the Eaton Fire zone and just north of that of the Palisades Fire.
Weather officials say more wind gusts up to 70 mph are possible Wednesday, with authorities adding that the evacuated resident total of 88,000 people could roughly double if the fires spread further in the wind.
Los Angeles Lakers coach JJ Redick last Friday said his home in the Pacific Palisades burned down, while Warriors coach Steve Kerr said his childhood home in the area burned down and his 90-year-old mother was successfully evacuated.
