NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — The California wildfires are hitting too close to home for a woman who used to live in New Orleans. She was forced to evacuate during Hurricane Katrina, and now she's evacuating once again, this time in California. "People use the saying that it is like an apocalypse, it is like a movie set in Los Angeles," Danielle Lovell-Walsh said. This isn't a movie being filmed in Los Angeles, it is real life, and it is a nightmare. "It's very frightening, I can't sleep, I can't rest and I'm always on high alert," she said. How did the wildfires in Los Angeles start? The "Sunset Fire" threatened her home in Hollywood. "It was just this glow, and I could see the flames. I opened my front door and it was right there, so I started knocking on my neighbor's doors," she said. For her evacuating felt all too familiar. She used to live in New Orleans and was forced to evacuate during Hurricane Katrina. "It can bring back a lot of memories. I was shaking, and I couldn't believe it was that close. It felt very similar to a hurricane situation, and you know it is coming in and you're watching it," she said. And she wants to give New Orleanians a perspective on the magnitude of the fire near her home. Covington Police reports crime reduction in 2024 "It's the size of entire French Quarter and lower Garden District, all leveled, all gone," she said. After evacuating, it's now safe for her to return home, but she doesn't feel in the clear. "I slept with my shoes on, my car's still packed, my gas tank is still full, and I'm still ready to go at a moments notice," Lovell-Walsh said. She went on to say, "We're still nervous about fires and nervous about a lot of the hot spots, I still have to be reminded to take care of myself, and I'm trying." Another concern for her is looting, which was also something she said she experienced during Hurricane Katrina. Stay up to date with the latest news, weather and sports by downloading the WGNO app on the Apple or Google Play stores and by subscribing to the WGNO newsletter. Latest Posts City leaders share game plan ahead of Super Bowl LIX 'Pizzagate' gunman killed by police in North Carolina after traffic stop, authorities say Iowa restaurant receives backlash after adding 'inflation fee' With Williamson suspended, McCollum scores 38 to lead Pelicans past 76ers 123-115 'It sparked a light in me': Josh Allen's massive impact on New York hospital children