(Los Angeles) Los Angeles is not experiencing any respite: hot and powerful winds continue to blow during the night from Tuesday to Wednesday and further fan the flames which have disfigured the second largest city in the United States for a week and have caused at least 25 dead.
Updated yesterday at 10:31 p.m.
Romain FONSEGRIVES et Huw GRIFFITH
Agence France-Presse
The US Weather Service (NWS) warned of gusts of up to 110 km/h between 3 a.m. (6 a.m. Eastern Time) and 3 p.m. (6 p.m. Eastern Time) on Wednesday.
Parts of Los Angeles County and neighboring Ventura County have been placed on “particularly dangerous situation” status.
The very low humidity and very dry vegetation can lead to “ultra-rapid expansion of the fire” in certain areas, warn meteorologists, who have also placed a large part of southern California on alert. red.
Les dégâts sont immenses : plus de 12 000 habitations, bâtiments et véhicules ont été détruits ou endommagés, et des quartiers entiers, rasés. Quelque 88 000 personnes sont toujours déplacées et au moins 25 décédées, selon un nouveau bilan.
Refusant de quitter le complexe d’appartements qu’il gère à Pacific Palisades, Jeff Ridgway a expliqué à l’AFP l’avoir préservé des flammes en puisant des seaux d’eau dans la piscine pour éteindre un eucalyptus dangereusement proche.
« C’était la guerre, a raconté ce sexagénaire. Mais j’étais têtu, je me suis battu. »
PHOTO JAE C. HONG, ARCHIVES ASSOCIATED PRESS
Pacific Palisades dévasté par les incendies
Fred Busche, un autre habitant, a eu moins de chance. « Ma maison a brûlé, je le sais. J’ai vu des photos : il ne reste que la cheminée. Mais j’ai besoin de le voir de mes propres yeux pour y croire », a-t-il confié à l’AFP.
« Tout va bien se passer »
Les deux principaux incendies ont parcouru 9700 hectares dans le quartier huppé de Pacific Palisades, et plus de 5700 dans la ville d’Altadena, juste au nord de Los Angeles.
Une enquête visant à déterminer les causes des incendies a été lancée mardi par les autorités fédérales, qui ont toutefois averti que cela prendrait du temps.
« Nous savons que vous voulez des réponses, [vous] deserve it. The ATF will give you [des] answers once the investigation is complete and thorough,” said Jose Medina, representing this agency responsible in particular for explosives and weapons.
For days, teams accompanied by dogs have been searching the ruins for victims. On Monday, 1,800 homes were inspected, according to Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna. “The good news is that we didn’t find any bodies,” he said.
These fires, among the worst in California’s history, could be the costliest ever: between $250 and $275 billion, according to preliminary estimates from the private company AccuWeather.
PHOTO VALERIE MACON, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
Mexican Urban Search and Rescue searches the ruins of an oceanfront home for victims following the Palisades Fire in Malibu, California
Hundreds of thousands of children returned to school on Monday, but schools located in evacuated areas remain closed.
In total, thousands of firefighters are on the job. Human and material reinforcements, including dozens of tank trucks, were sent.
They were mobilized in particular for a new outbreak which broke out late Monday, in Oxnard, 80 km from Los Angeles.
“Fine dust”
After problems fighting flames in the Pacific Palisades area due to dry or low-pressure hydrants, which led to criticism of fire management, Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said Tuesday that there was indeed “water and pressure” in the Altadena sector.
PHOTO ERIC THAYER, ARCHIVES ASSOCIATED PRESS
Fires raged on January 11 in Mandeville Canyon
Target of this criticism, notably coming from the next Republican president of the United States, Donald Trump, the Democratic governor of California, Gavin Newsom, has called for “a comprehensive independent review” of Los Angeles water distribution services.
He also ordered clearance teams on Tuesday to be ready to intervene, authorities fearing that winter storms could cause mudslides.
Health services have also alerted the population to the health risks linked to smoke and ashes generated by the fires and moved by the winds.
“The ashes are not just dirt. This is fine dust that can irritate or damage your respiratory system and other parts of your body,” warned Anish Mahajan of the county public health department. The authorities called on the population to wear a mask.
The Santa Ana winds, which fanned the flames at breakneck speed, are a classic of Californian autumns and winters. But this time they reached an intensity not seen since 2011, according to meteorologists, with gusts blowing up to 160 km/h last week.
Enough to spread the fire at lightning speed, especially since two very rainy years had given rise to luxuriant vegetation, which then dried up during eight months without precipitation.
Scientists regularly point out that climate change is increasing the frequency of extreme weather events.
