An area in Los Angeles on January 10
“This is the most widespread forest fire and brought about the greatest destruction in California history,” AFP on January 10 quoted US President Joe Biden as saying during a special meeting with senior Washington government officials at the House of Representatives. White.
The leader said people in Los Angeles were “living a nightmare” and called firefighters “heroes” in their efforts to respond to simultaneous wildfires.
President Biden canceled his scheduled visit to Rome and met Pope Francis on January 9 to stay in Washington to direct the response to the California wildfire disaster.
Climate change is real
At the White House meeting, Mr. Biden said: “Climate change is real… Global warming is real,” adding that the world is forced to adapt to the new situation.
The US President affirmed that the federal government will fund 100% of the costs of dealing with forest fires within 180 days, at the request of California Governor Gavin Newsom.
Mr. Biden said he had dispatched 400 federal firefighters and 30 firefighting planes and helicopters to Los Angeles, while the Pentagon sent 8 large aircraft and 500 firefighters to handle forest fires.
President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris at a disaster response meeting in California
US President Biden also rejected information from President-elect Donald Trump that there was a water shortage making it difficult for firefighters to fight fires.
According to Mr. Biden, the problem comes from power outages due to power companies shutting off electricity because of concerns that if the lines have problems, it could cause more fires. This causes the water to also be cut off.
The National Guard stepped in
As of this morning (Vietnam time), authorities still cannot control the forest fires that burned down entire residential areas and forced thousands of people in Los Angeles to flee overnight.
The National Guard has been mobilized to help stabilize the situation on the streets of the world’s cinema capital.
Many areas of the second largest city in the US are left with only rubble, with smoke continuing to rise and the smell of burning and chemicals hanging in the air in most buildings.
The scene after the fire passed in the Palisades area of Los Angeles on January 10
While firefighting efforts entered their third day, looting occurred forcing the police force to stabilize the situation.
“The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office has officially requested the assistance of the California National Guard,” AFP quoted Sheriff Robert Luna as saying.
“Within 24 hours, we received the support of 400 National Guard members,” Luna said.
Fire consumed all the villas along the beach in Malibu
0% of fires are extinguished
NBC News quoted Los Angeles County Fire Department Chief Anthony Marrone as estimating that up to 5,000 structures were damaged or destroyed in the Eaton fire. In it, a structure is defined as a house or residence, or vehicle.
The Eaton fire is raging in the Altadena, Pasadena area, and is currently spreading over 5,540 hectares. Like the Palisades Fire, Eaton was fueled by strong winds.
To date, 0% of fires have been controlled. The cause has not been determined.
A total of at least 5 large fires occurred simultaneously in California.
While the fire remains difficult to control, private drones are endangering firefighting aircraft operating in Los Angeles, according to authorities.
