Fire in Los Angeles: two dead, 2,000 hectares burned, the fire is “growing”… what we know about the situation after an initial assessment by the authorities

At least two people died and “many” others were seriously injured in the fires in Los Angeles, firefighters announced this Wednesday, January 8. “Unfortunately, we have two civilian deaths, the cause of which is unknown at this point, and we have many serious injuries,” Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone told reporters. He also revealed that a thousand buildings had been destroyed by the flames. “We have well over 2,000 hectares that have burned and the fire is growing.”

Wind power poses ‘mortal danger’

Firefighters continue to battle a raging wildfire in an upscale neighborhood overlooking Los Angeles on the US west coast, forcing thousands to flee as hurricane-force winds pose a threat. mortal danger”, according to the authorities.

Also read:
VIDEO. Residents trapped in their homes surrounded by flames: frightening images of the fire ravaging north Los Angeles

The fire broke out this Tuesday, January 7 late in the morning in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood, populated with multi-million dollar villas where Hollywood celebrities live, in the mountains northwest of the city. 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.

To access the neighborhood, firefighters had to use bulldozers to clear dozens of vehicles from the roadway – including expensive BMW, Tesla and Mercedes models – leaving crushed carcasses with blaring alarms on the side of the road.

30,000 people under evacuation order

The fire caused a huge cloud of smoke, visible from the entire megacity. More than 1,400 firefighters are battling the flames and hundreds are on the way, California Governor Gavin Newsom said. American media also reported a firefighter among the injured. About 30,000 people are under evacuation orders and wind gusts of up to 95 km/h are expected to continue until Thursday, according to authorities. Many residents evacuated in panic, with just a few belongings and their pets.

Many have found themselves stuck in traffic, like Kelsey Trainor. “There was nowhere to go and people were abandoning their cars,” she said. “Everyone was honking, there were flames all around us, left and right. […] It was terrifying.”