BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) -- As of Wednesday night, at least five people are dead and over 1,000 structures have been destroyed in the wildfires raging in Los Angeles County. For some former Western New Yorkers, the crisis is hitting especially close to home. WIVB News 4 spoke with a few residents that traded Buffalo's winters for the West Coast sunshine. Now, they are saying they are devastated and scared for what's to come. Nathan Nikel, who used to live in Cheektowaga, now lives in California with his girlfriend Ashley Aldape. "It's pretty shocking. I've never seen anything like this," Nikel said. "We're used to six feet of snow at our front door, not wildfires." The couple was traveling back to their home in Los Angeles, just a short drive from where the fires are raging. Aldape said seeing pictures and videos on social media has been gut-wrenching. "I'm very emotional like I don't even want to talk about it," Aldape said. "Just seeing my city be on fire breaks my heart." One of the biggest challenges firefighters are keeping an eye on is the wind. Ventura County resident Kaitlyn Betterton, whose husband was born in Rochester, is worried the gusts will spread the fire near her home. What to know about wildfires raining embers onto the Los Angeles area "The wind can be blowing to the west and then it's blowing to the south in just a couple minutes," Betterton said. "When it changes direction that quickly it's nerve-wracking. Fires are very unpredictable." Calli Heussler is a former East Aurora resident who now lives in Hollywood. She is located right between two major fires and said the sky has been an eerie mix of black and orange. As of now, Huessler is planning on traveling to Highmark Stadium for Sunday's Bills game, but is worried about her flight being impacted. "I have a flight out Friday morning," Huessler said. "I know a lot of people got diverted from both of the LA airports so there are a lot of flights that aren't leaving." While all of the residents are frightened, they say the community has come together in a remarkable way. People have been opening their doors to anyone who might have been displaced from their home and local restaurants are offering free meals for first responders. "Pray for Los Angeles and Ventura County, we definitely need it right now," Betterton said. "Even though we're taking quite the hit, we will come back stronger." Latest Local News How will parking look around Highmark Stadium for playoff Sunday? ‘Breaks my heart’: Western New Yorkers now living in California react to wildfires Fire causes $60K in damage to Buffalo home, displaces 1 ‘It’s an honor to be chosen:’ ‘The Chefs’ to represent Bills Mafia at the Super Bowl BestSelf shuts down inpatient drug treatment program for youth Trina Catterson joined the News 4 team in 2024. She previously worked at WETM-TV in Elmira, a sister station of WIVB. See more of her work here.