As wildfires continue to spread through Los Angeles County, some from Massachusetts now living in California are faced with the likelihood of evacuations.
"Our bags are packed and we're ready to go somewhere else if we have to," said Justin Bitensky.
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The native of Hopkinton, Massachusetts, now lives in Calabasas, a city impacted by the wildfires.
"As a dad and a husband, it definitely hits a little different," he said.
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According to Bitensky, 70 mph winds whipped through his neighborhood Tuesday night.
Since then, his family has been without power.
"At this point, everyone kind of knows someone who has been evacuated, or their home has burned down, or both," he explained. "There's almost no one who hasn't been affected."
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The mortgage broker added that his family is waiting to see which roads remain open if evacuations do come to fruition.
"Lives are on the line, homes are on the line, people's businesses are on the line," Bitensky said. "I don't think it can be understated how serious it is."
At Boston's Logan Airport Wednesday, passengers who flew in from LA described the inferno from the sky.
"You could look out the window and see the flames burning," explained Amy Aldrich of western Massachusetts. "You could see the black smoke. We could smell it. My daughter and I smelled it and said, 'That smells like wildfire smoke.'"
"A lot of people got on planes to start heading kind of west and all," said Cam Mahseni of Boston. "A buddy of mine, Chris, is in Pasadena, and he had to kind of evacuate, and a power line went down, too, outside his house."
"From the highway, we saw the fire and the big smoke," another passenger added. "It's like a movie."
