CNN team describes fleeing Southern California wildfire as flames surrounded their vehicle

CNN national correspondent Natasha Chen and her team were wrapping up a long day of reporting on the devastating wildfires racing through the Los Angeles area on Tuesday, as the sun set over the scorched landscape.

CNN national correspondent Natasha Chen and her team were wrapping up a long day of reporting on the devastating wildfires racing through the Los Angeles area on Tuesday, as the sun set over the scorched landscape. But what began as a routine assignment quickly escalated into a dangerous ordeal, as flames threatened homes and prompted the evacuation of thousands of residents. “We were there from about noon until just after 6 p.m. local time when we had just finished our last live shot,” Chen recounted to CNN’s Rosemary Church. “What we hadn’t quite surmised was exactly how bad it had gotten south of us on the Pacific Coast Highway. We had heard reports that the flames jumped the highway, but we hadn’t seen with our own eyes just what that meant.” After finishing their broadcast in Pacific Palisades, Chen and her crew approached a firefighter for guidance on how to safely exit the area. “We pulled up to a fire truck and waved at a firefighter, asking, ‘Where do you think is the best way to get out of here?’ He shook his head and said, ‘Well, I guess if you go south.’ So that’s what we did.” As they drove south, the situation was far worse than what they were prepared for. “Pretty quickly, we realized there were flames on both sides of the highway. Embers were flying over the road. I spotted an emergency vehicle and decided our best bet was to follow that car as closely as possible. If he’s driving, then he probably knows the best way out,” Chen said.