“I promise you that you will be held accountable. “Shame on those who take advantage of our residents during this time of crisis,” Barger said, adding that police patrols were on duty and 20 arrests had been made.
Yesterday, authorities said at least five people died in wildfires raging in Los Angeles, and firefighters were overwhelmed by the speed and ferocity of multiple fires, including in Hollywood.
Up to 1,500 buildings have burned in fires that have broken out around the second largest city in the United States, forcing more than 100,000 people to flee their homes.
Hurricane-force winds whipped up fireballs that jumped from house to house in the luxurious Pacific Palisades area, incinerating a swath of California’s most desirable real estate, favored by Hollywood celebrities.
On Wednesday night, a new fire broke out in the Hollywood Hills, just a few hundred yards from historic Hollywood Boulevard, prompting an evacuation order for the entertainment capital of the world.
Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said his crews were overwhelmed by the scale and speed of the unfolding disasters.
“We are doing the best we can. But no, we do not have enough fire personnel in Los Angeles County across all departments to handle this,” he said.
The Pacific Palisades fire had consumed 16,000 acres (6,500 hectares) by Wednesday afternoon US time, taking with it 1,000 homes and businesses.
A 10,600-acre (4,046 hectare) fire was burning around Altadena, north of the city, where flames swept through suburban streets.
Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said five people were known to have died and more deaths were feared.
“Remember, this is still a very fluid situation, there is no containment for this fire. “I’m really praying that we don’t find more, but I don’t think that’s the case,” he said.
William Gonzales made it out alive, but his home in Altadena was gone.
“We have lost practically everything; “The flames have consumed all our dreams,” he told AFP.
The hydrants dry out
Pasadena Fire Chief Chad Augustin said up to 500 buildings had been lost to the flames.
He praised the bravery of the first responders.
“Our death count today would be significantly higher without your heroic actions,” Augustin told reporters.
Strong gusts pushed the flames, whipping red-hot embers hundreds of meters and sparking new spot fires faster than firefighters could put them out.
Late Wednesday US time, a fire started in Runyon Canyon in the heart of Hollywood, near historic sites such as the Grauman Chinese Theatre, the Walk of Fame and the El Capitan Theater, as well as the office from the AFP.
An evacuation order was issued for several streets, all the way to Hollywood Boulevard, as firefighters flew into the sky to dump water on the blaze.
“There is no time for delays,” said Margaret Stewart of the LAFD.
“We don’t want people to stay stagnant. We want everyone to get out safely. Get in your vehicles, grab your friend who doesn’t have a car and head south.”
The sudden eruption created gridlock on the streets of Hollywood, hampering efforts by people who live in the area – a mix of luxury homes and rent-controlled apartments – to leave.
Los Angeles Department of Water and Power CEO Janisse Quiñones pleaded with people to save water after hydrants in Pacific Palisades ran dry.
President-elect Donald Trump took to his social media platform to claim (incorrectly) that the lack of water was a result of the state’s environmental policies.
In fact, much of Los Angeles’s water comes from the Colorado River, and agriculture, rather than residential use or firefighting, takes the lion’s share of all the water that flows into Southern California.
US President Joe Biden canceled a trip to Italy this week to focus on the federal response to the fires.
“We are doing whatever it takes to contain these fires,” Biden previously told reporters.
‘Panic mode’
Having leveled perhaps hundreds of multimillion-dollar homes, the Pacific Palisades fire seemed destined to be one of the costliest on record.
AccuWeather said it estimated up to $57 billion (NZ$100 billion) in losses.
According to Poweroutage.us, more than 300,000 homes were without power in the region. Utilities in California frequently shut off power to lines during high winds to minimize the risk of new fires.
Wildfires are a part of life in the Western United States and play a very important role in nature.
But scientists say human-caused climate change is altering weather patterns.
Southern California had two decades of drought followed by two exceptionally wet years, which sparked furious vegetative growth, leaving the region flush with fuel and ready to burn.
Meteorologist Daniel Swain said the strong winds, which have reached gusts of 100 mph, are stronger than the usual seasonal Santa Ana winds, but are not unexpected.
“The winds are the drivers, but the real catalyst… is this incredible history of dryness,” he said.
“That’s something we haven’t seen in records going back to the 19th century.”
– France-Presse Agency
