California’s evacuees agonized over when to leave and what to take. These are the items they grabbed – and left behind

As Santa Ana winds propelled a series of raging wildfires that wiped out houses and businesses across once-picturesque swaths of Southern California, tens of thousands were forced from their homes in a haze of uncertainty.

A vintage green-leather Rolex watch case. An Alekos Fassianos painting. A hard drive and albums with family photos. Phone chargers and laptops. Medications and passports, of course. Some clothes. Most importantly, the pets. As Santa Ana winds propelled a series of raging wildfires that wiped out homes and businesses across once-picturesque swaths of Southern California – killing at least 16 people – tens of thousands have been forced from their homes this week in a haze of uncertainty: What to pack? How long will they be gone? What will they return to? Destruction on their doorstep, evacuees like Maryam Zar grabbed what they could in their final whirlwind moments at home. “You’re just kind of on autopilot,” said Zar, former chair of the Pacific Palisades Community Council, who knew her hillside California neighborhood has long been vulnerable to wildfires. “In my head I had sort of thought it through. So I ran through the house pretty quickly and gathered it together. As I look back, I think I pretty much got all the things I would have wanted to get.” With the fast-spreading blaze approaching her Pacific Palisades home on Tuesday, Zar grabbed a suitcase and some bags. She recalled the pungent smell of burned eucalyptus trees, their sap and bark extremely flammable. A wave of flames flashed through a rear window. Thick smoke turned the sky murky orange. Zar’s teenage son grabbed sweatshirts and shoes. Her daughter, in her 20s, packed extra clothing because she was traveling in a few days. Zar rushed to a drawer and grabbed from it passports, as well as insurance and banking documents. She packed a few pieces of clothing that had “emotional value.” Three pairs of pants and some shirts for her husband, who was out at the time. And the old watch case, which belonged to her late father.