Over the past 48 hours, Los Angeles has become a battlefield against nature’s fury. Five relentless wildfires are raging across the region, leaving behind a trail of devastation. And, on TikTok, college students are sharing their experiences firsthand.
Thousands of structures lie in ruins, with over 130,000 residents have been forced to flee their homes and over 1.2 million have been left grappling with power outages. Beloved communities, cultural landmarks, and lives are hanging in the balance, while firefighters wage an unyielding battle to contain the inferno.
For many college students, the spring semester marks a fresh start, filled with new academic goals and social connections. But for some, the realities of these wildfires have turned their California student’s lives completely upside down. And TikTok has unexpectedly become a raw, unfiltered archive of the wildfire crisis as California students are using the app to share firsthand glimpses of what it’s like to live through this disaster — showing evacuations, smoky skies, and the heartbreaking loss of homes.
In one TikTok clip, a UCLA student walks through campus square with the caption, “POV: you go to UCLA and the fire is literally less than 5 miles away.” The usual sunny LA blue skies in the area are replaced by ominous smoke clouds, a harrowing backdrop to what should have been a lively spring semester.
Another video features a volleyball student-athlete heading to the dining hall under ashen skies, sarcastically captioned, “Nothing like walking to class in the fresh air.” Meanwhile, other students share drive-by videos of campus, emphasizing the eerie contrast between normal routines and the looming disaster.
Some of the most jarring TikToks show the fire blazing in full view from dorm windows. One video, in particular, captures three striking photos taken from a student’s dorm, captioned, “the air quality is ‘hazardous,’ but the campus classified it as ‘within normal levels.’” These vivid photos of the blazing fire just miles away have users commenting, “it’s giving apocalypse,” to which the creator replied, “really giving end of the world.”
https://www.tiktok.com/@kennedyhayashi/photo/7457686311651101983
Meanwhile, the practical consequences of the disaster are hitting students hard. With Pacific Palisades nearly engulfed by flames, local evacuation shelters are overflowing. Power outages are making it tough for many to attend online classes or finish assignments.
Also on social media, packing videos are trending, with students sharing what essentials they’re bringing as they evacuate. One viral video, captioned “UCLA life: packing our whole lives away bc school is cancelled cause LA is on fire,” features roommates talking about how they had just settled into their dorms for the semester.
But these TikToks aren’t just about going viral. They show the heartbreaking realities of the wildfires — how they’re impacting people, the planet, and our future. Yet, even in the middle of all this chaos, they highlight incredible moments of resilience and hope. Students are opening their dorms to displaced friends, organizing donation drives, and raising money to support firefighters. Some videos even spotlight life-saving apps like Watch Duty, making it easy to stay informed and help out.
These clips aren’t just content to scroll past — they’re a wake-up call. They show us how communities are stepping up and how we can all get involved, no matter where we are. Whether you’re in California or watching from across the country, these TikToks remind us of something powerful: the fires may burn, but so does our spirit to rebuild.