at least five dead, Hollywood evacuates, city surrounded by flames

At least five people died in the fierce fires which have been raging since Tuesday January 7 and continued this Wednesday January 8, 2025 around Los Angeles and are now threatening the neighborhood of Hollywood, whose residents were ordered to evacuate.

Environ 1,500 buildings were destroyed and more than 100.000 habitants of the American megacity were forced to flee in the face of the flames. A toll which could further increase, according to the authorities.

Hollywood evacuates

Authorities on Wednesday ordered residents of this historic neighborhood to evacuate due to a new fire that broke out a few hundred meters from Hollywood Boulevard.

Immediate threat to life. This is a legal order to LEAVE NOW. The area is legally closed to public access.

Traveling to California, American President Joe Biden canceled the trip which was to take him to Italy on Thursday due to the fires, the White House announced.

The reasons for these monster fires

Los Angeles is being swept by “hurricane-force winds combined with extreme drought conditions,” summarized Mayor Karen Bass during a press briefing Wednesday evening.

The gusts, which blew up to 160 km/h on Wednesdaysometimes carry embers for kilometers.

A first fire broke out Tuesday morning in the hills of the upscale Pacific Palisades neighborhood, which is home to celebrities and many multi-million dollar villas.

Since then, outbreaks have multiplied and often explode very quickly, within a few minutes.

After the San Fernando Valley and Altadena, a new fire broke out Wednesday evening in the Hollywood Hills, a few hundred meters from the famous Boulevard of the Stars. The artery quickly filled with stressed motorists, stuck in traffic and trying to evacuate under the sound of horns.

“Not enough firefighters”

Towering plumes of black smoke rise above the second largest city in the United States, with the acrid smell of burning in the air. Winds pose a “mortal danger”, according to weather services.

The residents were invited by the authorities to save wateras three tanks supplying fire hydrants were emptied by battling flames in Pacific Palisades.

« We don’t have enough firefighters in Los Angeles County to deal with this situation,” lamented Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone.

In addition to the winds, meteorologist Daniel Swain points in particular to “the lack of rain and the abnormal heat and drought for six months” to explain these disasters.

President Joe Biden visited firefighters Wednesday at a fire station in Santa Monica. The day before, he had released federal aid to facilitate the fight against the flames.

War scenes

Altadena, located north of Los Angeles, resembles a recently bombed areawith buildings still on fire and homes reduced to ashes. William Gonzales returned to see his home, evacuated the day before.

He confides “having lost almost everything”: “the flames have engulfed our dreams. There’s nothing left but ashes here.”

Jesus Hernandez assures that his house, like the many others devoured by the blaze, “is no longer worth anything”.

Seeing them go (in flames) in a few seconds is really sad.

Several Hollywood celebrities are among the tens of thousands of people ordered to evacuate.

Known for his role as Luke Skywalker in the “Star Wars” saga, Mark Hamill announced on Instagram that he had to leave his house in Malibu, a city popular with stars, on Tuesday.

Climate change singled out

Scientists regularly point out that climate change is increasing the frequency of extreme weather events. Warnings that now resonate in the flesh of Angelenos.

“It’s probably climate change that’s affecting everything. I’m sure it added to all that,” sighs Debbie Collins, in front of her store threatened by flames in Altadena. “The world is really bad and we need to do more. »

Source: AFP

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