(KTLA) - "Barry" actor Bill Hader's Pacific Palisades home survived the catastrophic wildfire, but he wasn't prepared when he witnessed the devastation surrounding the area upon his return. "People keep saying 'unreal,' it does ... it doesn't seem real," he explained to Nexstar's KTLA. "I'm sorry, I'm in shock. It's just gone. Everything. Alphabet Streets, which is, to me, kind of the heart of the Palisades, this beautiful, beautiful area is gone. The whole thing is gone." Fire tornadoes a risk under California’s extreme wildfire conditions When evacuations began in his neighborhood, the "SNL" alum wasn't at home but at work. "Barry" actor Bill Hader's Pacific Palisades home survived the catastrophic wildfire, but he wasn't prepared as he witnessed the devastation surrounding the area. (Credit: KTLA 5 Morning News) "I got a video showing the fire and rushed back, but by the time I got back it was gridlocked (traffic)," he said. KTLA was with Hader when he returned to his neighborhood for the first time. He found his home still standing but with some damage. "I'm glad my family got out," he said about the evacuation. "It's kind of mind-boggling how fast it happens." Palisades Fire firefighters taking part in first-of-its-kind cancer study As for right now, he just hopes for "everyone to be safe." From this experience, he learned that if you feel unsafe, it's best to evacuate for your own peace of mind. "If you get an evacuation notice, just leave," he said sternly. "I do know people who were like 'Well, wait and see' and things like, 'I'm in the yellow zone' or whatever. This thing, once it went red, you couldn't get out." "Don't listen to your friends who are like 'Ah, you're being a little freaked out,'" he advised. "Just get out." The Palisades Fire began on Jan. 7 and has erupted to 23,713 acres with just a 19% containment as of Jan. 15. Officials say, so far, eight people have died in the wildfire.