- At least 24 people have died in the devastating fires in Los Angeles. 16 other people are still missing.
- The second largest city in the USA fears more fires in the next few days due to new winds.
- The local fire departments are receiving help from Mexico and Canada. 900 prisoners are also deployed.
It is still unclear how many people in total died in the flames. It is not possible for the emergency services to reach all areas – the danger posed by the fire disaster in California on the US West Coast is too great.
According to the new information, 16 people died in the “Eaton fire” near Altadena and Pasadena and eight more in the western Pacific Palisades district.
According to Cal Fire, more than 12,300 buildings have been destroyed or damaged. Since Tuesday, almost 155 square kilometers of land have gone up in flames. Los Angeles and the region are used to fires, but not on this massive scale.
Help from abroad
Help is also arriving from abroad to fight the fire. Mexico sent firefighters by plane to California, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced on X. They will join the more than 14,000 emergency services on site. It had already become known that Canada was also sending help.
900 prisoners help the fire department
Open the box
Box zuklappen
In the fight against the fires in and around Los Angeles, the fire department is supported by more than 900 prisoners. According to the Californian authorities, the prisoners have undergone several days of training and are working voluntarily.
Their tasks include creating firebreaks and removing combustible material such as fallen trees. They get the equivalent of a maximum of 9.99 euros per day for their work. An allowance of just under one euro per hour is provided for emergency operations.
For every day spent working as a rescue worker, the prison sentence is reduced by two days. Only prisoners who are serving a maximum prison sentence of eight years and are not serving time for crimes such as rape or arson may be used as helpers.
The rescue workers in Los Angeles are now preparing again for the increasingly strong so-called Santa Ana winds. The increasing foehn wind and the very dry vegetation encourage the rapid and unpredictable spread of existing and new fires. Wind speeds of up to 110 km/h are expected for Sunday afternoon (local time).
«Devil’s breath» – die Santa-Ana-Winde
Open the box
Box zuklappen
The wildfires on the US West Coast are repeatedly fueled by strong winds. The famous and infamous Santa Ana winds, also known as “Devil’s breath,” are responsible. [Teufelsatem] are known. The wind is named after Santa Ana Canyon in Orange County, southern California.
The foehn winds flow from the high plateau between the Rocky Mountains and the Sierra Nevada towards the Pacific and warm up as they cross the Mojave Desert and reach the coast as extremely dry and hot winds. When the “Santa Anas” blow, temperatures in Los Angeles can rise to 30 degrees, even in winter.
Looting and price gouging
The fires are not the only problem that the authorities see: looting and usury are reported in California. The responsible attorney general said that people and companies were trying to exploit the situation of those affected – for example by charging massively inflated prices for water or emergency accommodation.
-
Legend:
Rescue workers and fire departments in Los Angeles have been fighting the fire inferno for almost a week: a helicopter is dropping water over the Pacific Palisades district. (11.1.2025)
Keystone / EPA
-
Legend:
A woman stands with a child next to a mountain of water bottles. These are donations for the people affected by the “Eaton Fire” at the collection point at the Santa Anita Racecourse in Arcadia. (10.1.2025)
REUTERS / Shannon Stapleton
-
Legend:
Clothes are donated for those who have lost their belongings.
REUTERS / Lisa Richwine
-
Legend:
Tents are available for first responders in front of the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena.
REUTERS / Mario Anzuoni
-
Legend:
People protect themselves with masks – the authorities declare a health emergency.
REUTERS / David Ryder
-
Legend:
A satellite image from NASA shows the smoke columns from the forest fires over Los Angeles (January 9, 2025).
Keystone / NASA
-
Legend:
Destroyed houses after the Pacific Palisades fire in Los Angeles. (10.1.2025)
REUTERS / David Ryder
-
Legend:
A burned property in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles. (8.1.2025)
IMAGO images / Jonathan Alcorn
-
Legend:
“Like Armageddon,” says a Los Angeles resident as the damage begins to clear. (Drone shot from Altadena)
IMAGO images / Scott Mc Kiernan
-
Legend:
Another forest fire has broken out in the famous Hollywood Hills. (8.1.2025)
Keystone / AP Photo, Ethan Swope
-
Legend:
In Altadena in Eaton Canyon near Los Angeles, entire streets have been devastated. (8.1.2025)
IMAGO images / JIM RUYMEN
-
Legend:
Many firefighters are on duty trying to put out the flames. (January 7, 2025)
Reuters / EPA, CAROLINE BREHMAN
-
Legend:
According to authorities, almost 21,000 buildings in California are threatened by the flames. (January 7, 2025)
REUTERS / Ringo Chiu
-
Legend:
Apocalyptic scenes appear in western Los Angeles. (January 7, 2025)
Keystone / AP Photo, Ethan Swope
-
Legend:
Fierce forest fires are raging again in California. (January 7, 2025)
REUTERS/Daniel Cole TPX
-
Legend:
Tens of thousands of people have fled from the rapidly spreading flames. (January 7, 2025)
Keystone/AP Photo/Etienne Laurent
-
Legend:
Almost twelve square kilometers of land and numerous houses were destroyed. (January 7, 2025)
Keystone / AP Photo, Ethan Swope
-
Legend:
The affluent Pacific Palisades district in the west of Los Angeles is particularly affected by the fires (January 7, 2025)
Keystone / AP Photo, Ethan Swope
Authorities are also on the lookout for fraudsters posing as charities and falsely claiming to be raising money for victims of the fire disaster.
Appeals to Donald Trump
Kathryn Barger from Los Angeles County appealed to US President-elect Donald Trump to get an idea of the immense damage. On X she posted a letter to Trump, who will take over from President Joe Biden on January 20th.
Barger, who is also a Republican, wrote in the invitation with a view to reconstruction in the next few years that she looked forward to working with the new administration.
The Democratic governor of the state of California, Gavin Newsom, had previously sent a letter inviting Trump to personally see the extent of the fires. Trump had attributed responsibility for the extent of the fires to Newsom – he criticized, among other things, his water saving measures. Newsom countered that human tragedies should not be politicized.
Trump criticizes California governor
Open the box
Box zuklappen
US President-elect Donald Trump criticized the fight against the serious fires in Los Angeles as inadequate. “The fires in LA are still raging. The incompetent politicians have no idea how to put them out,” Trump wrote on the Truth Social platform he co-founded. “They simply can’t put out the fires. What’s wrong with them?”
Trump had already explicitly criticized the Democratic Governor of California, Gavin Newsom, and blamed him for the extent of the fires in the greater Los Angeles area.
The Republican specifically criticized Newsom’s water saving measures. Newsom then invited Trump to personally see the extent of the fire in Los Angeles.
The governor said he was used to insults from Trump – like “any official with whom he disagrees.” But Newsom emphasized: “He is an elected president. I respect his office.”
Meanwhile, the White House announced on X that US President Biden had discussed the current situation with officials. His team also informs him how federal funds can help and how additional support can be given to survivors.
