Ireland Eurovision star Bambie Thug says they were very lucky to escape from the LA fires after a blaze broke out near where they were staying in Hollywood.
The Cork musician is in LA on holiday after a busy year of performing and touring. They were staying with pals in Hollywood when an evacuation order was issued and a friend came to their rescue to drive them safely away from the raging blaze.
“I was staying in Hollywood, just next to the Hollywood Hills and the Runyon Canyon fire broke out,” they said, “I was watching the news, but I had turned it on mute and unmuted it and it immediately said Hollywood Hills evacuate now.”
Tens of thousands of people have been evacuated from their homes as wildfires whipped up by extreme winds sweep through the affluent Los Angeles neighbourhood.
The Doomsday singer opened up on how they and seven pals climbed up onto the roof of their building and watched as fire raged around the trendy city suburb.
Bambie Thug during the opening ceremony of The Eurovision Song Contest 2024 Grand Final
(Image: Martin Sylvest Andersen/Getty Images)
“I went up to the roof and behind the house… there was like this big fire next to it and there were like eight of us on the roof and I was like, should we leave?,” the Macroom native said, speaking to The 96FM Opinion Line.
“Then immediately after I said, that we got an evacuation notice and it was… well, I’ve never experienced a natural disaster. Obviously in Ireland, we’re lucky.”
The US National Weather Service has warned the windstorm is likely to continue for days, could be “life-threatening” and is the strongest to hit Southern California in more than a decade, the Irish Mirror reports.
Bambie said they had tried to book a taxi away from the area being ravaged by fire but Uber kept cancelling the trip. They ended up getting a lift with a friend and said they felt lucky to have been able to leave.
They said: “I was trying to book an Uber and they were cancelling on me and then a friend of mine actually came back into the building and gave me a lift down. So I was so lucky, lucky the Irish.”
Bambie is taking a break from performing, enjoying a well-deserved holiday in the US
Bambie added they are safe in the city now: “I’m in downtown LA so it’s concrete so that’s not going to burn, you know” and praised the “amazing community spirit” of the locals helping out.
“There’s an amazing community spirit. Like somebody was driving around, putting out, giving out masks out the window when I was leaving… And everyone’s taking everybody in and everyone’s coming together,
“It’s lovely to see, actually, there’s a beautiful spirit here.”
Bambie said the air pollution is a concern so their friend group is “trying to stay inside as much as we can.”
They added that aside from the scary experience of evacuation from a wildfire, they are enjoying their holiday from work. They are planning to be in America for the coming weeks giving themselves a “well deserved break.”
“I’m actually just over (in America) to reboot. I’m on a holiday visa. I’m just resting and seeing my friends. I’m writing.”
It has been a year since Eurosong, which took place on February 7, 2024.
“It’s beautiful, it’s crazy,” said Bambie and added they are excited to work on more music.
They said: “There is Eurovision and then there is the music industry… I want to do my own stuff. You know, it’s a whole year of dedicating to one song basically. And I have too many songs.”
“I’m so grateful. It’s been amazing.”