James Woods tearfully remembers the evacuation after the Pacific Palisades fire

James Woods survived the worst of the Pacific Palisades fire, but is still reeling from the natural disaster that devastated Los Angeles.

The Oscar-nominated actor, who previously spoke out on social media about fleeing his home amid the fire, described the harrowing evacuation in an interview with CNN’s Pamela Brown on Wednesday.

Woods said he and his family were “right at the epicenter of the fire when it started” and were forced to evacuate with “the clothes on their backs.”

Sparked by a severe wind storm in Los Angeles County, a wildfire spread across 1,200 acres on Tuesday and forced the evacuation of thousands of homes. A mandatory evacuation order has been issued in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood due to life-threatening conditions between Piedra Morada Drive and Pacific Coast Highway.

“There was so much chaos. It was like an inferno,” Woods told Brown. “Every house around us was burning.”

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He added: “One day you’re swimming in the pool and the next day it’s all gone.”

Other impacts of the LA fire:The Critics’ Choice Awards were postponed and the BAFTA Tea Party was canceled due to the Pacific Palisades fire

Woods became emotional at various points during the interview as he recalled the events of the fire and the destruction of his home, which he had recently moved into after a three-year renovation. The “Salvador” star also helped save his 94-year-old neighbor, who was suffering from dementia.

“I thought I was stronger than that,” Woods said with tears in his eyes, to which Brown replied, “Strength is not measured by whether you hold back from crying. …Strength is what you do now, helping your neighbors and shining.” Shining light on the great, amazing work of all those firefighters and emergency response teams.

“Escape for our lives”:Mark Hamill and other celebrities evacuate amid wildfires in Los Angeles

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James Woods tearfully remembers the evacuation after the Pacific Palisades fire

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