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Forecasters say strong winds are picking up again in the LA area, meaning wildfires are a constant threat in the region. A new round of evacuation orders were issued Friday night, meaning there are now more than 160,000 people in the area under such orders. To date, about 12,000 structures have been destroyed by the fires, including homes, schools and storefronts. The Reel Inn was one of those places. Located on the Pacific Coast Highway, it was a place where you could find surfers, celebrities and tourists waiting in line to eat after a day at the beach, and now it has been completely lost in the Palisades fire. NPR’s Kira Wakeam caught up with the owners to find out how they’re coping.
ANDY LEONARD: I’m Andy.
KIRA WAKEAM, BYLINE: I’m Kira. Nice to meet you.
A LEONARD: Pleasure.
WAKEAM: I’m so sorry.
A LEONARD: It wasn’t what we ordered.
WAKEAM: This is Andy Leonard. He and his wife, Teddy, have owned and operated Reel since 1988.
A LEONARD: OK. Come and meet Ted.
WAKEAM: Thank you.
I met with the Leonards at an Airbnb in Mar Vista, where they have evacuated while they wait to hear about the fate of their home, also in the path of the massive Palisades fire. But they say the loss of the restaurant is especially hard to fathom.
TEDDY LEONARD: I went on our Instagram and I started looking at the pictures and stories of people that they had posted on our Instagram and I started crying so much that I had to stop because it was the loss of the community.
A LEONARD: We’ve given many people a place to come that they honestly believe is theirs.
WAKEAM: Having lived in LA for decades, the Leonards have had close contact with wildfires before. But they say the latest wave of fires is unlike anything they’ve ever seen.
A LEONARD: It was so fast. It was like a car accident. I mean, usually when there’s fire, it’s coming, coming, coming. What should we do? What should we do? It’s coming. That was like, wham. And it was gone.
WAKEAM: Both say they’re not ready to see what might be left where the restaurant once was.
T LEONARD: Just looking at the videos that people have sent and the pictures of what’s left is like getting punched, you know? I think we’re not quite – I’m not quite ready. And I really don’t – do I? No, I don’t think so. we are not. We will get there. We’ll get there, and – you know, and then we – maybe we’ll meet the crew there, you know, so we can all have a moment where we can – but it’s going to be a while.
WAKEAM: Despite this personal turmoil, the couple say they are focused on helping their staff, some of whom have worked with them for decades.
A LEONARD: Our chef called…
T LEONARD: Called this morning.
A LEONARD: …Crying and said, what do you guys need? – “Because you’re hurt and we’re rushing over here to help them. I mean, it’s a family.
T LEONARD: I mean, that’s the kind of people we had working for us. And that’s why we’re trying to get the word out to raise funds for them. We will do anything for them, and they will do anything for us.
A LEONARD: I did.
T LEONARD: I did.
A LEONARD: They did.
T LEONARD: Yes.
WAKEAM: And while their world has been turned upside down, they say the support from the community is strengthening their resolve and has taught them a valuable lesson.
T LEONARD: Honestly, as strange as this sounds, this time has blessed us to understand humanity, the beauty of humanity. We’ve had more than our share of love and compassion, and I just want everyone to remember that. And let’s do it all the time, you know? Let’s bring goodness into the world. That seems fair to me.
WAKEAM: And though they know there’s a long road ahead, the Leonards hope to rebuild what the community once had. Kira Wakeham, NPR News, Los Angeles.
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