The fires that surrounded Los Angeles, in the United States, this Wednesday, January 8, 2025, left at least five dead, destroyed hundreds of homes and forced more than 100,000 people to evacuate.
High winds hampered firefighter operations and fueled the fires, which broke out on Tuesday, January 7, 2025. Six different fires are now burning in Los Angeles County, state officials said.
A new fire, called the Sunset Fire, broke out Wednesday evening in the Hollywood Hills and an evacuation order was issued, announced Los Angeles Fire Captain Kristin Crowley.
This fire, which doubled in size in a few minutes, broke out in an area popular with celebrities. There is notably the Dolby Theater, where the Oscars ceremony is held. The Pacific Palisades neighborhood, home to many celebrities, was ravaged by one of the worst fires in Los Angeles, and more than 6,406 hectares were devastated between the cities of Malibu and Santa Monica, officials said.
Homes deprived of electricity
Another fire, called the Eaton Fire, destroyed 4,289 hectares and at least five people died, said Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna.. “We are facing a historic natural disaster. And I think that cannot be emphasized enough”said Kevin McGowan, director of emergency management for Los Angeles County at a press conference. Although weather conditions were forecast to improve slightly overnight Wednesday into Thursday, they are expected to persist through Friday.
Nearly a million homes were without power in the county, according to the website PowerOutage.us, and it was decided that schools would remain closed Thursday in the county.
Water shortages
Three other fires are raging in the county, while resources are running out and water shortages are already affecting Pacific Palisades. “Los Angeles County does not have enough firefighters to deal with fires of this magnitude”said Anthony Marrone, county fire chief. Six states have deployed firefighters to California and reinforcements should come from the north of the state, said Anthony Marrone. Some fire hydrants were dry in Pacific Palisades due to water shortages, officials said.
“We’ve pushed the system to its limits. We’re fighting a forest fire with urban water systems, that’s what’s really difficult.”explained Janisse Quinones, general director of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP).
“Let everything be in order”
US President Joe Biden, who remained in Los Angeles after the presidential plane Air Force One was grounded on Tuesday due to high winds, visited a Santa Monica fire station alongside the governor of California, Gavin Newsom. “We will do everything necessary for as long as it takes to contain these fires (…) to ensure that everything is back to normal”said Joe Biden. The American president, who declared a major state of disaster in California, canceled a trip to Italy in order to focus on the fires, the White House said on Wednesday.
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