SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — A South Dakota native has returned to her California home after voluntarily evacuating.
Allyson Geditz Thompson lives in Burbank, which is between the Palisades and Eaton Fires.
She and her family left the area last week to escape the bad air quality and get their minds off the situation.
Allyson Geditz Thompson and her family returned home Sunday.
“We didn’t have any damage to our house, but it was never in harm’s way. And we knew that when we left,” Geditz Thompson said.
Geditz Thompson says it feels great to be home, but there’s also a feeling of survivor’s guilt.
“Just knowing that so many people are suffering and sad and had their lives changed literally overnight, so I’m feeling a little guilty because it could’ve been us. It could’ve been any of us at any given moment and it just happened not to be,” Geditz Thompson said.
Geditz Thompson says people are springing into action to help each other.
“L.A. is so big, and I know a lot of people think a lot of negative things about it because it’s a big city and we have Hollywood and celebrities, but I’ve never seen anything like this. We have people joining together to help and posting things to Instagram and putting people together, ‘Oh, I have this size of clothes. Who needs this size of clothes,'” Geditz Thompson said.
Still, concerns of more fire danger are not over as high winds are in the forecast.
“We’re all kind of keeping our bags packed, keeping our documents ready, not letting our guard down,” Geditz Thompson said.
When KELOLAND News talked with Geditz Thompson Monday morning, she was hoping to go to a donation center Monday to help out.
