Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility

PBS and NPR Mount Last-Ditch Fight to Save Federal Funding

16 hours ago

Netanyahu Under Mounting Political Pressure After Party Quits

16 hours ago

Wall Street Opens Higher After Inflation, Bank Results

17 hours ago

Sick of Loud Ads on Netflix? A Proposed California Law Turns Down the Volume

1 day ago

Record Numbers of Americans Say Immigration Is Good for Country: Gallup Poll

2 days ago

In California Strawberry Fields, Immigration Raids Sow Fear

2 days ago

Newsom’s Office Attacks Stephen Miller, Calling Him a ‘Fascist Cuck’

2 days ago

Trump’s Spending Bill Will Likely Boost Costs for Insurers, Shrink Medicaid Coverage

2 days ago
UCLA Students Panic as Wildfires Approach and Communication Lines Falter
Rahaf Website Photo
By Rahaf Qutob
Published 6 months ago on
January 16, 2025

UCLA students, including TikTok users @natalyamishriki and @itzmelmaot, are frustrated and fearful as wildfires approach, citing poor communication, inadequate support, and perceived favoritism toward athletes. (GV Wire Composite/Paul Marshall)

Share

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

UCLA students are expressing growing frustration and fear as the threat of wildfires looms near campus. Many feel left in the dark, and the university’s response has done little to ease their anxiety.

As smoke fills the air and flames approach, tensions are rising among students. Social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram have become outlets for coping, with some students sharing their experiences and concerns. Titilope Olotue, a UCLA student documenting the crisis on TikTok, has voiced her frustration with the university’s handling of the situation. She has also launched a GoFundMe campaign to support wildfire victims.

Aya Almasri, a senior and student housing employee, shared her perspective on the growing panic. Despite warnings from friends urging evacuation, Almasri has remained on campus, continuing her shifts. Meanwhile, a student from the San Fernando Valley, who requested anonymity, described her panic after receiving an emergency alert urging evacuation. She later learned the alert had been sent in error, but the confusion left her shaken as she returned home.

Students in Dorms Fearful

Almasri noted that students living in dorms are particularly alarmed. Smoke seeps into poorly insulated buildings, exacerbating fears. While she has lived in wildfire-prone areas for much of her life, she sympathizes with first- and second-year students unfamiliar with California’s fire risks. Without reassurance from the university, she said, the fear continues to grow.

Adding to the uncertainty, rumors circulating on campus and social media have heightened tensions. One claim alleges that student-athletes received priority evacuation assistance. Reports suggest that shuttles arranged by the sports administration transported athletes to safety early Wednesday morning, leaving other students feeling abandoned.

Some are questioning whether the university is prioritizing athletes over the broader student population.

For many, the lack of clear guidance has compounded the sense of emergency.

A photo of the LA-area fires from the dorms of UCLA. (Special to GV Wire)

RELATED TOPICS:

DON'T MISS

What Are Fresno Real Estate Experts Predicting for 2025 and Beyond?

DON'T MISS

First California EV Mandates Hit Automakers This Year. Most Are Not Even Close

DON'T MISS

So Your Doctor Is a DO. Does That Matter?

DON'T MISS

Fresno Man Found Dead After Hike Near Courtright Reservoir

DON'T MISS

Former US Army Soldier Pleads Guilty in Phone Company Hacking, Extortion Case

DON'T MISS

Fresno City Attorney Briefly Ineligible to Practice Law, Cites State Bar Error

DON'T MISS

Grass Fire East of Sanger Contained at 21 Acres, CalFire Says

DON'T MISS

Age Is Just a Number: 80-Year-Old Conquers Death Valley to Mt. Whitney Ultramarathon

DON'T MISS

What to Know About the Epstein Files, a Perfect Recipe for Conspiracy Theories

DON'T MISS

US Military to Remove 2,000 National Guard Troops From Los Angeles

DON'T MISS

Mexico Pledges Action Should US Talks Fail by August Tariff Deadline

DON'T MISS

Fresno Police Arrest Armed Man Found Asleep in Car

UP NEXT

Fresno Man Found Dead After Hike Near Courtright Reservoir

UP NEXT

Former US Army Soldier Pleads Guilty in Phone Company Hacking, Extortion Case

UP NEXT

Fresno City Attorney Briefly Ineligible to Practice Law, Cites State Bar Error

UP NEXT

Grass Fire East of Sanger Contained at 21 Acres, CalFire Says

UP NEXT

Age Is Just a Number: 80-Year-Old Conquers Death Valley to Mt. Whitney Ultramarathon

UP NEXT

What to Know About the Epstein Files, a Perfect Recipe for Conspiracy Theories

UP NEXT

US Military to Remove 2,000 National Guard Troops From Los Angeles

UP NEXT

Mexico Pledges Action Should US Talks Fail by August Tariff Deadline

UP NEXT

Fresno Police Arrest Armed Man Found Asleep in Car

UP NEXT

Trump Says Democratic Rival Schiff Should Be ‘Brought to Justice’ for Alleged Fraud

Fresno City Attorney Briefly Ineligible to Practice Law, Cites State Bar Error

8 hours ago

Grass Fire East of Sanger Contained at 21 Acres, CalFire Says

8 hours ago

Age Is Just a Number: 80-Year-Old Conquers Death Valley to Mt. Whitney Ultramarathon

8 hours ago

What to Know About the Epstein Files, a Perfect Recipe for Conspiracy Theories

8 hours ago

US Military to Remove 2,000 National Guard Troops From Los Angeles

9 hours ago

Mexico Pledges Action Should US Talks Fail by August Tariff Deadline

9 hours ago

Fresno Police Arrest Armed Man Found Asleep in Car

9 hours ago

Trump Says Democratic Rival Schiff Should Be ‘Brought to Justice’ for Alleged Fraud

10 hours ago

Madera County Authorities Seeks Help Finding Missing Bass Lake Man

10 hours ago

Crypto Bills Hit Procedural Snag in Congress

11 hours ago

So Your Doctor Is a DO. Does That Matter?

By most measures, osteopathic medicine is a profession in its prime. The number of doctors of osteopathic medicine, or DOs, has grown 70% in...

7 hours ago

The number of osteopathic doctors has increased dramatically. People still don’t know what they are. (Sonia Pulido/The New York Times)
7 hours ago

So Your Doctor Is a DO. Does That Matter?

7 hours ago

Fresno Man Found Dead After Hike Near Courtright Reservoir

A hooded man holds a laptop computer as cyber code is projected on him in this illustration picture taken on May 13, 2017. (Reuters File)
8 hours ago

Former US Army Soldier Pleads Guilty in Phone Company Hacking, Extortion Case

8 hours ago

Fresno City Attorney Briefly Ineligible to Practice Law, Cites State Bar Error

A grass fire east of Sanger burned 21 acres Tuesday, July 15, 2025, afternoon before being contained, CalFire said. (CalFire)
8 hours ago

Grass Fire East of Sanger Contained at 21 Acres, CalFire Says

8 hours ago

Age Is Just a Number: 80-Year-Old Conquers Death Valley to Mt. Whitney Ultramarathon

Jack Posobiec, a far-right political activist, carries a binder labeled “The Epstein Files: Phase 1” as he exits the White House in Washington, Feb. 27, 2025. Here’s what to know about the disturbing facts and unsubstantiated suspicions that make Jeffrey Epstein, a registered sex offender, a politically potent obsession. (Haiyun Jiang/The New York Times)
8 hours ago

What to Know About the Epstein Files, a Perfect Recipe for Conspiracy Theories

A demonstrator raises his hand holding flowers as members of the National Guard stand in formation outside a federal building during the No Kings protest against U.S. President Donald Trump's policies, in Los Angeles, California, U.S., June 14, 2025. (Reuters File)
9 hours ago

US Military to Remove 2,000 National Guard Troops From Los Angeles

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend