Fire around Los Angeles: New fire in the west, death toll unclear – News

What happened?
At least eleven deaths, around 12,000 destroyed or damaged buildings and billions in property damage: five forest fires continue to rage in the Los Angeles County metropolis. Mandatory evacuation orders apply to 180,000 people, and warnings apply to 200,000 to leave their homes if necessary. The death toll could continue to rise, Sheriff Robert Luna said at a media conference. It looks in the affected areas as if an “atomic bomb” had been dropped there.

What is the situation currently?
The US disaster protection agency FEMA warns that despite decreasing winds, the danger has not yet been averted. A further increase is expected in the coming days. Due to the temporary decrease in winds, the smoke will also be less distributed. According to Cal Fire Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristin Crowley, more than 5,300 homes have burned in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood since Tuesday. Up to 5,000 buildings were destroyed in the so-called “Eaton Fire” near Pasadena. There are currently 92 active wildfires across California, according to Cal Fire. According to the authorities, more than 7,500 firefighters have so far been mobilized to fight the flames. They are supported by firefighting aircraft. 2,300 emergency services alone fought the “Palisades Fire,” CNN reported.

The Sunset Fire in the Hollywood Hills has been contained, according to Cal Fire. However, a new fire broke out in the area between Los Angeles and Ventura. The “Kenneth Fire” is moving quickly toward homes in the hilly region.

What are the problems?
In southern California near Los Angeles, it has hardly rained at all for at least eight months. Trees and bushes have dried up. Added to this are the strong Santa Ana winds typical of the winter season, which spread the flames quickly. The fire department did not have enough water to extinguish the fire, according to the water and electricity supplier LADWP. In addition, the head of the Los Angeles Fire Department, Kristin Crowley, makes major accusations against the city administration. The budget cut of $17 million for the fire department is now having a negative impact.

According to the electricity supplier, around 300,000 customers in the affected areas are still without power. Life has also come to a standstill in many places and schools remain closed.

What’s next?
The fire brigade is hoping that the wind will decrease as it fights the fire. US President Joe Biden declared a state of disaster in California on Tuesday and promised on Thursday that the federal government would fully reimburse the costs of clean-up work, emergency accommodation and wages of first responders over the next six months. The Pentagon said 500 US soldiers stationed in California are preparing for deployment. In addition, ten army helicopters could be requested to fight the fire.

According to media reports, gusts of up to 128 kilometers per hour were recorded on Wednesday. “It was like trying to fight this fire in a hurricane,” Brent Pascua of Cal Fire told CNN.