Los Angeles fires burn 10,000 structures as new blaze spreads

According to local officials, at least 10 people have died and around 10,000 have been destroyed by a third wildfire, which also caused the evacuation of thousands more residents in the Los Angeles area.

As firefighters were frantically battling to control the Palisades and Eaton fires in West Hills, a neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley, on Thursday afternoon, the Kenneth fire broke out.

Mayor of Los Angeles Karen Bass stated, “We are anticipating this fire to quickly spread due to high winds.”

According to the County of Los Angeles Department of Medical Examiner, there were at least 10 deaths as of 9 p.m. local time, an increase from seven earlier in the day.

The Palisades and Eaton fires, which included homes as well as other property like cars and sheds, were the subject of the most recent evacuation orders as a result of an investigation by authorities.

The two fires have consumed more than 30, 000 acres (12, 000 hectares) of land between them, according to the state wildfire agency Cal Fire.

Robert Luna, the sheriff of Los Angeles County, earlier stated in a press conference that he anticipated an increase in the then-reported death toll of seven.

In these locations, it appears to have dropped an atomic bomb. I don’t expect good news, and we’re not looking forward to those numbers”, Luna said.

Nearly 180, 000 people are under evacuation orders due to the fire, with another 200, 000 residents subject to evacuation warnings, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

More than 285, 000 residents are without electricity in Southern California, according to PowerOutage. while the region’s water and sewer infrastructure has suffered significant damage thanks to us, which tracks outages nationwide.

Since the fires started on Tuesday, with winds of more than 70 mph (112 km/h) causing the wealthy communities of Malibu and Pacific Palisades to reduce dozens of blocks to ash.

The National Weather Service has advised that after dropping earlier in the day, winds are expected to increase on Thursday night.

Among the celebrities who lost their homes in the fires are James Woods, Paris Hilton, and Billy Crystal.

“There are areas where everything is gone, there isn’t even a stick of wood left, it’s just dirt”, said Barbara Bruderlin, head of the Malibu Pacific Palisades Chamber of Commerce.

Reporting from the Pacific Palisades, Al Jazeera’s Rob Reynolds said the extent of the destruction was “hard to fathom”.

“The hillsides are burned. There’s a high school … that has been heavily damaged. You can see houses where there’s nothing left but the chimney remaining”, he said.

“It goes on – literally – for kilometre after kilometre, block after block after block”.

Authorities are looking into various possible ignition sources despite not having fully identified the cause of the fires.

The National Fire Protection Association notes that no one had reported any lightning in the area when the wildfires started, despite lightning being the most prevalent cause in the US.

Power lines and intentionally lit fires are other common causes.

According to California Governor Gavin Newsom, the state’s National Guard was being deployed to help with rescue operations and maintain order in the midst of rumored looting.

“We’re using every resource we have, including our National Guard service members,” Newsom said.

“And to those who would seek to take advantage of evacuated communities, let me be clear: looting will not be tolerated”.

The federal government will pay 100% of the cost of California’s recovery efforts for the next 180 days, according to US President Joe Biden, who will take his place in the White House on January 20.

“I told the governor, local officials, spare no expense to do what they need to do and contain these fires”, Biden said after meeting with senior advisers at the White House.

Biden expressed his hope that the newly formed Trump administration, who has criticized Newsom and Bass for how they handled the disaster, will continue to aid the state.

“I pray to God they will”, he said.

Once the damage had been fully documented, Biden urged Congress to provide aid to cover the costs.

According to Biden, “I hope they’re ready to step up because we can afford it,” and that lawmakers won’t “make a political deal out of this.”

Source: Aljazeera