Woman Who Evacuated L.A. Fires Is 'Haunted' by Watching 'Little Kids and Their Little Backpacks Running for Help' (Exclusive)

Sisi Makhanya is sharing a look at how life for many took a sudden and frightening turn when the Palisades wildfire threatened homes and communities this week.

In a video posted to her TikTok account on Wednesday, Jan. 8, Makhanya, who moved to L.A. from South Africa two years ago, can be seen filming from her car as she and members of her household evacuate the area near the Palisades fire.

In one clip, Makhanya flips the camera, showing just how close the flames from the fire are to the car as they evacuate. A mother and her children can be seen in the video, running alongside the sidewalk as they attempt to make their way to safety.

In the video, Makhanya urges, "Please keep everyone in L.A. in your prayers. The traffic is obviously insane, but we're trusting that God is covering us."

Speaking with PEOPLE, Makhanya details how she was driving along the Pacific Coast Highway near the Palisades and Malibu around 10:40 a.m. on Jan. 8 when she first saw smoke heading toward the ocean.

"I searched on social media to see the cause and saw that there was a fire that was being attended to," she recalls. "I initially thought it was a normal small fire, but that they had control over it."

However, as the day went on, the situation began to intensify rapidly. From 2 to 5 p.m., Makhanya says she scouted her neighborhood as winds worsened, weighing evacuation options.

Related: L.A. Fires Live: At Least 10 Dead, Officials Say, as New Blazes and Strong Winds Challenge Responders

Despite the chaos of the unfolding scene, Makhanya says that her natural curiosity and preparedness helped her stay calm and evacuate safely.

“I’m naturally so inquisitive,” she explains. “I took the time to examine the neighborhood earlier in the day and saw how rapidly things changed versus in the evening. I was prepared to evacuate.”

"At around 6 or 6:30 p.m., we started packing a small bag in preparation for any evacuation notice," she says. “At around 8:40 p.m. we saw the evacuation notice and we left. Even though at the time it wasn’t the mandatory evacuation notice yet, we wanted to leave early as we didn’t want to get evacuated during the night when we’re sleeping.”

Related: Before-and-After Photos Show the Sudden Devastation from the L.A. Wildfires

Makhanya and her family drove three hours away from L.A. to stay with relatives and get out of the fray.

“Evacuating was quite traumatizing,” she tells PEOPLE.

“I left a few sentimental items by mistake. Also, seeing people on the street panicking and in a frenzy ... The most traumatizing was seeing a mother with her little children and their little backpacks running for help and safety. That is an image that’s engraved in my mind and has haunted me.”

Despite the uncertainty, Makhanya says she never feared for her life during her evacuation. Wondering if she has since lost her home, however, has her anxious.

"I know it’s just material, but there are so many memories in our home, and it’s just really scary to think that it’s a huge possibility," she says.

"Our house is still under the red zone on the map," Makhanya says. "We are hoping the winds don’t blow it towards our home but we have been mentally preparing ourselves for the worst and are grateful to be alive and safe."

In videos posted to her TikTok account after evacuating, Makhanya contends with the reality of losing her home and sentimental items that she left behind.

"We evacuated last night and I just remembered that I left all my phones with images and my memories of my late grandmother and some of my late family members," she says in one of the videos. "When I looked at the map of our home, it's just red."

By sharing her experience with TikTok, Makhanya hopes to raise awareness on how the fires are impacting people from all different cultures and backgrounds. She wants the issue to be viewed from a more human perspective, and combat the spread of false narratives.

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"I was also sharing with my followers from back home in South Africa as I didn’t want anyone to think I’m in danger," she says. "Also to show how rapidly everything changed. Many people, myself included, didn’t think it would be this bad."

Makhanya also shares a message for those watching the fires unfold from elsewhere: "People need to be more kind," she says. "When tragedy hits, it doesn’t matter if you’re rich or poor. Famous or not. We are all humans experiencing the same emotions. Hurt. Pain. Confusion and frustration."

Click here to learn more about how to help the victims of the L.A. fires.

Read the original article on People