(Image source from: ft.com)
Actors, musicians and other celebrities were among the tens of thousands affected by the deadly wildfires that killed at least five people in Los Angeles this week. More than 70,000 people have been evacuated from Los Angeles and the greater Los Angeles metropolitan area in California in the past 24 hours as four to five large wildfires continue to burn in Palisade, Eaton and Hurst counties due to high wind speeds. Los Angeles is battling the largest wildfire in its history as water supplies and firefighting efforts run out. A state of emergency has been declared for the region and Washington state is sending relief supplies to bring the situation under control. Retired firefighters with firefighting experience are welcome to assist. Fires in America's second-largest city have destroyed more than 1,000 buildings and forced tens of thousands of people to evacuate their homes. The situation in the region remains tense and the sky is full of smoke.
Gusty winds sparked a fireball that jumped from house to house in the posh Pacific Palisades neighborhood, burning some of the most sought-after real estate in California, a popular destination for Hollywood stars. Strong winds fanned the flames, driving embers hundreds of meters and creating new flames faster than firefighters could put them out. Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Malone said firefighters were overwhelmed by the scale and speed of the unfolding disaster. “We do our best. But no, Los Angeles doesn't have enough firefighters in all departments to handle this," he told AFP.
A forest fire in the Pacific has burned about 16,000 hectares of land and destroyed 1,000 homes and businesses as of Wednesday afternoon. Another 10,600-acre fire broke out in the Altadena neighborhood north of the city, with flames engulfing suburban streets. Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said the death toll, previously at two, had now risen and there were fears the death toll would rise. “Unfortunately, the number rose to five as movement continued in the area,” Luna told radio station KNX. And remember, the situation is still very uncertain and there is no stopping this fire. Around 70,000 people from across the region were ordered to evacuate. Several people who ignored warnings to leave suffered “serious injuries,” Marrone said.
Black smoke filled the Los Angeles sky, water supplies ran low and the region ran out of fire hydrants. Janice Quinones, executive director of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, urged people to conserve water after fire hydrants dried up in Pacific Palisades. “We use municipal water systems to fight wildfires, and that’s really difficult,” he said. Joe Biden, who visited Los Angeles with California Gov. Gavin Newsom, was briefed on the situation the president described as "astonishing." “We are taking all necessary measures to contain the fire,” Biden told reporters. The showbiz capital has been hit by several out-of-control fires that left firefighters battling gale-force winds to put out the flames, as well as Pamela Anderson's glitzy awards show and Hollywood events such as her film premiere.
Hundreds of homes have been destroyed in the upscale Pacific Palisades neighborhood, a beautiful hillside neighborhood of million-dollar homes frequented by celebrities, and another inferno has sprung up to the north of the city. Tesla CEO Elon Musk showed the aftermath of a forest fire that completely burned down cars, houses and trees in a Los Angeles suburb. "This Is Us" singer and actress Mandy Moore told her Instagram followers that she, her children and pets were evacuated due to the fire that leveled the Altadena neighborhood. “My precious land. I am devastated and broken for those of us who have lost so much. I'm completely deaf," he captioned the film about the devastation. Emmy Award-winning actor James Woods posted a video of her saying it rings.
“I couldn't believe our little house on the hill could last this long. “We feel like we’ve lost a loved one,” Woods said. Star Wars star Mark Hamill told his Instagram followers that he, his wife and dog fled their Malibu home across a street that was still burning. Oscar-winning actor Jamie Lee Curtis also had to evacuate and later wrote on Instagram: “Our beloved neighborhood is gone. Our home is safe. Many others have lost everything." Meanwhile, next week's Oscar nominations announcement has been pushed back to Jan. 19 to give Academy members affected by the fire time to vote this week.
