Jimmy Kimmel chokes up discussing 'terrible' Los Angeles fires as late-night show returns

It was an emotional night for Jimmy Kimmel as he returned to his late-night show for the first time since the outbreak of the devastating Los Angeles wildfires.

In his Monday monologue, the comedian choked up while discussing the "very scary, very stressful, very strange" week in Los Angeles. "Jimmy Kimmel Live!," which tapes in Hollywood, paused production last week amid the fires.

Kimmel told viewers that his crew had to evacuate their studio last Wednesday and showed footage of a fire raging just behind their building.

"Many of us had to leave our homes in a hurry," Kimmel said. "Some of our co-workers lost their homes."

"It's been terrible. Everyone who lives in this city knows someone, most of us multiple people, families, friends, colleagues, neighbors, whose houses burned down, and the truth is, we don't even know if it's over."

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The comedian added that it has been a "sickening, shocking, awful experience" but also a "beautiful experience," and he grew more emotional as he said the crisis has shown "our fellow men and women coming together to support each other."

Kimmel announced Monday he is opening up a donation center in the backlot of his show's studio for those looking to help people affected by the fires by providing items like bottled water and non-perishable food.

"We will quickly distribute essential items to those who need them," he said on Instagram.

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In his monologue, Kimmel said that he had "19 people and four dogs" living with him and his family as thousands were told to evacuate and joked, "It's so strange to look around your house and have to decide what you want to take, and then fight with your kids over what they want to take."

He also quipped that he feels he is now an expert on fires, even though "before this happened, most of what I knew about fire safety came from watching 'Paw Patrol.'"

Kimmel was joined on Monday's episode by Snoop Dogg, who the comedian said he asked to come on in part because he "represents Los Angeles in a big way." The rapper said he and his family were doing well but that he knows people "that I consider family" who "lost everything" in the fires.

"We did what we do," Snoop Dogg said. "We come and we support and we pull our troops together, and we make sure that we represent and we give them everything that they need."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: LA fires: Jimmy Kimmel returns, delivers emotional monologue