Los Angeles Wildfires: As wildfires continue to rage near Los Angeles, they spread to the iconic Hollywood Hills. The relentless flames have already claimed at least five lives and destroyed hundreds of homes, pushing firefighters and water supplies to their breaking point. The situation is dire as the community comes together to battle the destructive blaze.
More than 100,000 people have been ordered to evacuate since the fires began on Tuesday, with dry, hurricane-force winds hampering efforts to extinguish the flames and causing them to spread.
“This fire is very serious,” Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said at a news conference after returning to Los Angeles from an emergency official visit to Ghana.
A new blaze broke out in the arid Hollywood Hills early Wednesday evening, forcing more evacuations and bringing the number of wildfires in Los Angeles County to at least six, Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristin Crowley said at a news conference.
California officials said four of the fires, including two large blazes on the east and west sides of the city, were at 0% containment and continued to grow as night fell Wednesday.
The Sunset Fire in the Hollywood Hills burned 50 acres (20 hectares) on Wednesday, Cal Fire said, and helicopter crews and ground troops appeared to be stopping the fire from advancing quickly.
The Los Angeles Fire Department has issued evacuation orders for the area bordered by Hollywood Boulevard to the south, Mulholland Drive to the north, the 101 Freeway to the east, and Laurel Canyon Boulevard to the west. This area is home to some of the most iconic entertainment spots, including the Dolby Theatre, where the Oscars are held. Due to the fire, the announcement of Oscar nominations, originally set for next week, has been postponed by two days. Stay safe, everyone!
Although the Sunset Fire is relatively small, it is approaching the top of Hollywood Boulevard and the Walk of Fame. If the fire crosses the 101 Freeway, it will endanger the Hollywood sign and Griffith Observatory on the hill.
According to live television footage, a fire broke out in a nearby building, burning at least two homes and spreading to brush in Studio City. The Los Angeles Fire Department said more than 50 firefighters put out the fire and there were no casualties.
House Smoldering
West of Los Angeles, the Palisades Fire has burned 15,832 acres (6,406 hectares) and hundreds of structures in the hills between Santa Monica and Malibu. It is spreading along Topanga Canyon to the Pacific coast.
A home belonging to Hollywood actors Leighton Meester and Adam Brody was reportedly among the buildings destroyed.
Aerial video from KTLA-TV showed smoldering homes in neighborhoods along the Pacific Palisades, with the occasional orange flame from another house still burning on the smoke-filled streets.
In the eastern foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains, the Eaton Fire continues its destructive path, scorching an additional 10,600 acres (4,289 hectares) and consuming 1,000 structures. Tragically, at least five people have lost their lives in this relentless blaze, according to officials.
Private weather forecasting agency AccuWeather estimated preliminary economic losses at more than $50 billion.
“We are facing a natural disaster of historic proportions. I don’t think that can be overstated,” Kevin McGowan, director of emergency management for Los Angeles County, said at a news conference.
Although forecasters predicted that the winds would momentarily calm on Wednesday night, the dangerous “red flag” conditions are expected to persist through Friday.
The wildfires came at a particularly vulnerable time for Southern California, which hadn’t seen any significant rainfall in months. Then, strong Santa Ana winds carrying desert air from the east toward the coastal mountains over the mountaintops and down into the canyons fueled the wildfires.
U.S. President Joe Biden declared the fire a major disaster and went to the Santa Monica fire station with California Governor Gavin Newsom to receive a report on the firefighting efforts.
The White House said Biden canceled an upcoming trip to Italy to focus on directing the federal government’s response to the fires.
Almost 300,000 homes and businesses in Los Angeles County are currently without power, a significant drop from nearly 1 million earlier on Wednesday, as reported by poweroutage.us. Schools in the area will remain closed until at least Thursday. Hang in there, everyone!
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