As of yesterday (January 10), Los Angeles County authorities announced that the number of deaths due to forest fires had increased to 10 people while at least 10,000 houses were burned down, including the residences of many famous figures in the industry. American art, according to AP.
5 fires at the same time
The forest fire broke out on January 7 and spread quickly due to hot, dry winds blowing at a speed of 160 km/h in some places. Rainfall in southern California from the beginning of May 2024 until now is less than 2.5 mm. According to statistics, at least 5 fires are taking place, affecting an area of 142 km². In particular, the fire in the coastal Pacific Palisades area destroyed more than 5,300 houses, becoming the most damaging fire in Los Angeles history, according to AP. The Eaton Fire north of Pasadena City burned more than 5,000 homes.
A terrible forest fire burned down the million-dollar homes of many Hollywood stars
All of the fires occurred in an area about 40 km north of downtown Los Angeles, increasing concern for residents of America’s second largest city. California Governor Gavin Newsom deployed more than 1,400 firefighters to fight the fire while many other states and Canada also sent forces to assist. Planes drop fire retardants and water continuously. A Super Scooper firefighting aircraft rented from Canada broke down and stopped working after hitting an illegal civilian drone near the Palisades fire.
Firefighters at the West Hills fire on January 9
At least 180,000 people were ordered to evacuate and all schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District, the second largest school district in the country, closed since January 10 due to dust. Air pollution and smog warnings were issued in areas home to 17 million people in southern California. More than 285,000 customers in Southern California were without power while electricity, water and sewer infrastructure across the region suffered serious damage. A series of events in the region were postponed. On January 9, county authoritiesLos Angeles mistakenly sent an evacuation notice to all 9.6 million residents but later corrected that it only applied to the Kenneth fire area near the West Hills area.
Firefighting helicopter in the West Hills area of Los Angeles on January 9
Damage of 150 billion USD?
US President Joe Biden on January 9 described this as the most devastating forest fire in California history, according to AFP. The leader pledged to use all measures to control the fire and announced that the federal government would pay 100% of the costs of cleaning up hazardous materials, temporary shelters, and salaries for first responders. and life-saving measures over the next 180 days.
Many rows of houses in Pacific Palisades burned down on January 9
Meanwhile, National Guard members have been deployed in Los Angeles since the evening of January 9 to patrol, ensure order and people’s property while a curfew is enforced from 6:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. the next day. Officials announced that at least 20 people were arrested for taking advantage of the opportunity to steal items.
Although winds have subsided on January 9, the area is not forecast to see rain and the fires are likely to expand. Authorities have not yet estimated the damage, but weather data company AccuWeather predicts damage and economic loss from this fire could reach $150 billion.
According to AP, investigators are investigating the cause of a serious forest fire in Los Angeles. Lightning is believed to be the most common cause of fires in the US, but investigators quickly dismissed this possibility because there were no reports of lightning at the two largest fires currently occurring. Intentional arson or power line problems could also be the cause, although authorities have not seen any signs of these two possibilities. In addition, burning trash and fireworks are also other common causes.
