A pair of massive wildfires menacing Los Angeles from the east and west were still burning uncontained last night, two days after they ignited, but firemen managed to beat back another blaze scorching the Hollywood Hills.
The Palisades fire between Santa Monica and Malibu on the city’s western flank and the Eaton Fire in the east near Pasadena are already the most destructive in Los Angeles history, consuming nearly 28,000 acres so far – an area exceeding the size of Disney World – and turning entire neighbourhoods to ash.
At least five people have been killed, thousands of structures have been incinerated and nearly 180,000 people have been ordered to evacuate their homes, officials said. The death toll is likely to rise, Los Angeles Sheriff Robert Luna told a Press conference yesterday.
The Eaton Fire’s growth has been significantly stopped, Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said, though it remains zero per cent contained. While still fierce, winds have slowed slightly since the 100-mile-per-hour gusts seen earlier in the week, permitting crucial aerial support for crews on the ground.
“We have a much better posture than we did on Tuesday and Wednesday,” said Marrone.
But officials warned that wind gusts of up to 100kmph were forecast to persist throughout the day, and Kristin Crowley, Los Angeles City Fire Department Chief, said residents should be prepared to evacuate if ordered.
“It is safe to say that the Palisades Fire is one of the most destructive natural disasters in the history of Los Angeles,” Crowley said.
Firemen, assisted by helicopters dropping retardants and water, managed to make gains overnight in battling the Sunset Fire, which had forced mandatory evacuations in Hollywood and Hollywood Hills – including famous show-business locations such as the TCL Chinese Theatre and the Hollywood Walk of Fame – late on Wednesday.
The fire was in retreat, shrinking to about 43 acres, and firemen were making forward progress, Crowley said. No buildings were lost in the area, a city fire department spokeswoman said, and the evacuation order was lifted.
It was one of at least five separate wildfires burning in Los Angeles County yesterday as powerful winds spread flames across parched ground that has seen no rain for months. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass described it as a “perfect storm” of dangerous conditions.
Bass told reporters that her focus right now was on protecting people and that the city would evaluate the response’s effectiveness after the crisis is contained.
“We have to save lives, and we have to save homes,” she said.
The two biggest conflagrations – the Palisades and Eaton fires – formed a pincer around the city so enormous that it was visible from space.
The fires struck at an especially vulnerable time for Southern California, which has not seen significant rainfall for months. Then came the powerful Santa Ana winds, bringing dry desert air from the east toward the coastal mountains, fanning wildfires while blowing over the hilltops and down through the canyons.
The National Weather Service extended Red Flag warnings – issued when the risk for fire is high due to low humidity, high winds and warm temperatures – for Los Angeles and Ventura counties.
US President Joe Biden was briefed on the impact of the ongoing wildfires and met top administration officials in the afternoon to discuss the federal response.
Some residents ventured back to areas the fire had already swept through, where brick chimneys were left looming over charred waste and burnt-out vehicles. The remnants of a tattered and scorched American flag flapped from a pole.
“I had just come from my family home where my mother lives that was burned to a crisp ... And then I came up to my home and – same thing. It’s completely dust,” said Oliver Allnatt, 36, wearing ski goggles and a filtered face mask as he took pictures of the ruins. “Basically just a chimney stack and a pile of ash. I mean, it’s something out of a movie.”
Thousands of Angelenos fleeing the flames sought refuge in temporary shelters. Foad Farid found refuge in the gym of the Westwood Recreation Centre with nothing but his car and his phone. Neighbours dropped off blankets, clothing, water, pizza and pet food.
Aerial video by KTLA television showed block after block of smouldering homes in Pacific Palisades, the smoky grid occasionally punctuated by the orange blaze of another home still on fire.
The scale and spread of the blazes stretched exhausted firefighting crews beyond their capacity.
Firemen from six other US states were being rushed to California, while an additional 250 engine companies with 1,000 personnel were being moved from Northern California to Southern California, Marrone told a Press conference.
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