The fires that have ravaged southern California in the United States since Tuesday are more “severe than ever”, particularly due to hurricane-force winds which pose a “mortal danger”, according to authorities.
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Two people lost their lives and several others were injured, according to authorities.
The fire, which broke out late Tuesday morning in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood, is accompanied by wind gusts of up to 160 km/h by Thursday, according to the US Weather Service (NWS).
“We expect this to be the strongest wind episode in this region since 2011,” warns meteorologist Daniel Swain to AFP. But the risk of fire is, according to him, “much higher” than at the time.
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A fourth major wildfire broke out in Los Angeles County on Wednesday, according to the Fire Department, as more than 1,400 firefighters battle the flames.
Here is the current area of forest fires:
- Palisades Fire: 2,925 acres
- Eaton Fire: 2,227 acres
- Hurst Fire: 505 acres
- Woodley Fire: 75 acres
- Tyler Fire: 15 acres
Uncontrollable fires
More than 1,400 firefighters are battling the flames and hundreds are on the way, California Governor Gavin Newsom said.
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Due to the strong winds, the firefighters were fighting an almost losing battle in advance.
Currently, the large fires threatening Los Angeles County are 0% contained and have burned more than 5,500 acres in total, according to CNN.
Getty Images via AFP
No planes to dump water
Los Angeles City Council Speaker Marqueece Harris-Dawson said it was impossible to “use planes to dump water on fires,” causing an “unprecedented” situation.
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“Having three big fires at the same time in a situation where we can’t even use planes to dump water on the fires is unprecedented,” he said.
High winds mean authorities cannot “fly a rotary-wing aircraft, which is one of the main methods they use to fight a wind-driven brush fire,” the service’s captain said. Los Angeles Fire Department, Jacob Raabe.
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An “apocalyptic” scene
For the president of the California Professional Firefighters, firefighters “are not about to leave the front,” noting that “as long as the wind does not change direction, it will not weaken.”
Wildfires ravaging Pacific Palisade are leaving an “apocalyptic scene” in the Los Angeles neighborhood, according to the head of the state Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
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“Talking to the firefighters on the ground, they are exhausted. You can see it in their eyes, but they won’t leave here until they have someone to replace them. Without relief, they will continue to fight. They know they are here for a long time,” Brent Pascua told CNN.
Mass evacuations
A meteorologist with the US Weather Service, Ariel Cohen, described the fires as “one of the worst situations they have ever seen,” he told CNN.
About 50,000 Los Angeles area residents are under evacuation orders and wind gusts of up to 60 mph are expected to continue through Thursday.
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Panicked residents had to abandon their vehicles on one of the only roads entering and exiting the area, fleeing on foot from the fire which has already ravaged nearly 1,200 hectares.
“Everyone must be forward-thinking, anticipate, make sure to plan,” he stressed. Please, if you receive the evacuation order from emergency services, take it seriously and evacuate. Your life depends on it.”
A dry winter
After two very rainy years which reinvigorated the vegetation, southern California is experiencing “the driest start to winter on record,” explained meteorologist Daniel Swain.
In other words, anything that has grown back abundantly now acts as fuel for the fire.
Scientists regularly point out that climate change is increasing the frequency of extreme weather events.
“November, December, January… There is no more fire season. It takes place all year round,” recalled Governor Newsom.
– with information from AFP and CNN
