LA residents recall harrowing escape from wildfires as homes, businesses go up in flames: 'Like a war zone'

We were scared to stay, and we were scared to leave,

Cosentino told Bill Hemmer and Dana Perino on Wednesday

Margaret Howard, Countess of Nottinghammph, fire spokesperson

This is a dynamic and dangerous fire that is continuing to grow. We do have many structures damaged and destroyed but we are not able to quantify that at this time,

Stewart also said

Luckily, the police took down groups of cars with an escort after the other cars had been bulldozed, so we were able to drive through the congestion point, which looked like a war zone,

Robertson said

All of our landmarks, our schools, our grocery store, our churches, everything on the way down to PCH was on fire around us, so it was really hard to see that, and then and then drive away,

he continued

We need to be able to fly our aircraft. Our helicopters cannot fly under this wind condition. They are continually evaluating it. Unfortunately the winds are not forecasted to lessen over the next hours,

she continued

Everyone I know... has been evacuated, and I would say half of them have lost their homes,

she continued

We are in extreme wind conditions. We have winds sustained and gusting over 80 mph, which is hurricane force. It is not possible to stop a fire that is wind-driven like this, with this kind of topography, from the ground,

she said

The winds are expected to continue throughout today and even into Thursday as well, providing very little in terms of any relief.

Mullinax said

We don't know if the house is burnt down or not but the whole palisades is on fire, so it's bleak.

He said

We looked across and the fire had jumped from one side of the road to the other side of the road,

Trainor said

There were no lights, and everything was on fire,

Oei said

The decision most people made: how long can I stay before I can’t really drive the one road out any more?”

Oei said

It is crazy, it’s everywhere, in all the nooks and crannies of the Palisades. One home’s safe, the other one’s up in flames,

Adams said

She vacated her car and left it running,

Adams said

I’d be very surprised if people in the area didn’t have go bags already set up,

he said

I think a lot of people ignore the first call,

he said

It was a moment where I was torn because I was so mesmerized by what was happening in front of me and shocked by the fact that I was so oblivious to it just minutes before,

Maholias explained

Don't worry, no matter what happens, I can make it to the ocean if I need to'

Maholias then texted his girlfriend ... even though he was still stuck in gridlock at that time

We were blessed to have LA fire and police depts doing their jobs so well

he later said

We are not out of danger... The National Weather Service has predicted that the winds are going to pick up and get worse."

Los Angeles County Fire Department chief Anthony Marrone said