Valley woman originally from California watches hometown burn, fears for family

GOODYEAR, Ariz. — Karla Corzo moved to Arizona a few months ago, becoming one of many Californians coming to the Grand Canyon State.

But now she’s watching her hometown of Monrovia, California, coming dangerously close to the fires devastating southern California, and watching her family and friends in the area prepare to leave quickly — all from her new home in Goodyear, about 400 miles away.

“If I could have them here with me, that would be awesome, like in the snap of a finger,” Corzo said. “We just want to make sure they’re all safe.”

According to the Associated Press, nearly 180,000 people have been ordered to evacuate as of Thursday evening. The death toll is currently at seven people and more than 10,000 structures have burned down in the Los Angeles-area fires. 

Corzo said some places she and her family would go to while growing up have been destroyed by the fire, like her brother’s elementary school and their church.

Now she is afraid her family home could be next. Her grandparents and brother, who are still there, can see the fire getting closer and closer.

“It’s just something scary, but we’re praying for them,” Corzo said. 

Her family members have packed up their belongings, Corzo said, and are ready to leave at a moment’s notice. But it’s not just evacuating that worries her.

“We don’t know if everything’s just going to be burned down,” Corzo said. 

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