Officials reported on Wednesday that at least five people had died in wildfires raging throughout Los Angeles, with firefighters being overpowered by the intensity and pace of many fires, including one in Hollywood.
Fires have erupted around America’s second-biggest city, destroying up to 1,500 buildings and displacing over 100,000 residents.
In the upscale Pacific Palisades neighborhood, hurricane-force winds created fireballs that jumped from home to house, destroying a large portion of California’s most sought-after real estate, which was favored by Hollywood stars.
The world’s entertainment capital was ordered to evacuate when a fresh fire broke out in the Hollywood Hills on Wednesday night, only a few hundred meters (yards) from the famous Hollywood Boulevard.
Anthony Marrone, the fire chief for Los Angeles County, stated that the magnitude and velocity of the ensuing catastrophes overpowered his troops.
“We are exerting every effort possible. But no, there aren’t enough firefighters in LA County across all agencies to deal with this,” he stated.
As of Wednesday afternoon, the Pacific Palisades fire had spread to around 16,000 acres (6,500 hectares), destroying 1,000 houses and businesses in the process.
In the vicinity of Altadena, north of the city, another 10,600-acre (4,300-hectare) fire was raging, tearing through residential streets.
According to Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna, there have been five confirmed deaths and more are suspected.
Keep in mind that there is no containment on this fire and that the situation is still quite fluid. I fervently hope we don’t discover any more, but I doubt it will happen,” he remarked.
The hydrants are empty.
Up to 500 buildings have been destroyed by the fire, according to Pasadena fire commander Chad Augustin. He praised first responders for their bravery. “Without their valiant deeds, our death toll today would be much higher,” Augustin told reporters.
Red-hot embers were whipped hundreds of yards (meters) by violent winds that propelled the flames, igniting new spot fires more quickly than firemen could put them out.
Near famous locations including the Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, the Walk of Fame, the El Capitan Theatre, and the AFP bureau, a fire broke out in Runyon Canyon in the center of Hollywood late on Wednesday.
Firefighters flew to the sky to issue an evacuation order for several streets, extending down to Hollywood Boulevard.
Get in your cars, pick up your friend who doesn’t have a car, and head south. We want everyone to leave safely.
The unexpected eruption caused traffic jams on Hollywood’s streets, making it difficult for residents, who live in a mix of upscale residences and rent-controlled apartments, to evacuate.
Following the depletion of water hydrants in Pacific Palisades, Janisse Quinones, chief executive of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, urged residents to conserve water.
On Wednesday, President-elect Donald Trump incorrectly claimed on social media that the state’s environmental regulations were to blame for the scarcity of water.
In actuality, the Colorado River provides a large portion of the water used in Los Angeles, and the majority of the water flowing into Southern California is used for farming rather than for residential purposes or firefighting.
In order to concentrate on the federal response to the fires, US President Joe Biden postponed his trip to Italy this week.
Biden had earlier told reporters, “We’re doing everything we can, for however long it takes, to contain these fires.”
“Panic mode”
The Pacific Palisades fire appeared to be one of the most expensive fires in history, having destroyed possibly hundreds of mansions worth millions of dollars.
According to AccuWeather, the losses might reach $57 billion.
According to Poweroutage.us, over 300,000 households in the area were without electricity. In order to reduce the likelihood of new fires, California utilities regularly de-energize lines during strong winds.
In the US West, wildfires are a natural occurrence and an essential component of the ecosystem. However, experts claim that weather patterns are changing due to human-caused climate change.
After two decades of drought and two extraordinarily rainy years, Southern California had a flurry of vegetative growth, leaving the area brimming with fuel and ready to burn.
The strong winds, which have reached gusts of up to 100 miles (160 kilometers) per hour, are not surprising, according to meteorologist Daniel Swain, but they are greater than the typical seasonal Santa Ana winds.
“This amazing antecedent dryness is the real catalyst, but the winds are the driver,” he stated. “We haven’t observed that in records dating back to the 1800s.”
By
