It’s not the beginning of the end, but maybe it’s the end of the beginning. After four days of fierce battle, Los Angeles firefighters began Friday to contain the multiple blazes that threaten the Californian megalopolis, thanks to favorable weather and the provision of relief from all over North America, particularly from Quebec.
The five main fires are still active, but firefighters achieved their first successes on Friday.
According to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, the Palisades Fire, which burned more than 8,500 hectares of land and ravaged hundreds of buildings in the coastal neighborhood of Pacific Palisades, is now 8% contained. This is the first progress recorded against this blaze which has now been burning for three days. More than 3,000 firefighters and 23 helicopters are working to fight this fire alone.
The Eaton fire, which is burning north of the city, near Pasadena, is only 3% contained. It has already ravaged 5,500 hectares. The Sunset fire, which for a time threatened the famous Hollywood district and its hills, is completely under control.
These gains are notably attributable to the weakening of the winds, which, since the outbreak of the fires on Tuesday, have considerably spread the flames, in addition to harming the work of the firefighters. According to meteorologists, this calm would only be temporary: the violent gusts, also called Santa Ana winds, could resume with a vengeance Saturday evening and Sunday morning.
The death toll is now set at 10, but this figure could rise quickly as the rubble is searched, local authorities have warned.
“I think we’re still trying to understand how tragic the situation is. We don’t yet know half of the truth,” Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said at a press conference.
It is estimated that at least 9,000 houses and buildings have been destroyed by the flames so far. So many remains that will have to be inspected for human remains, said county fire chief Anthony Marrone.
More than 153,000 residents of the region are still subject to evacuation orders.
“There could have been deaths”
Nearly 7,500 firefighters are currently deployed to fight these fires. Among them, we find a dozen Quebecers, who operate two Canadair CL-415 tanker planes provided by the Quebec government to Los Angeles County.
The two aircraft have carried out around fifty drops on the Palisades and Kenneth fires since they came into action on Tuesday. However, their mission was disrupted when a plane hit a civilian drone in mid-flight on Thursday.
No injuries were reported, but the collision perforated the left wing of the Canadair, which has since been grounded until further notice.
“There could have been deaths,” explained Pascal Duclos, chief pilot at the Government Air Service, during a virtual press briefing.
“You can imagine the consequences if the drone had hit an engine or even the cockpit, or the fuel tank. The pilot could have been killed or seriously injured. »
It was only when the plane was inspected after landing that the damage was noted. According to Mr. Duclos, the impact could have occurred when the air tanker was filling its tanks in the ocean, near inhabited areas.
-The Quebec Minister of Public Security, François Bonnardel, also announced that Quebec will send two additional air tankers and their crew next week to fight the fires. These reinforcements will be operational at the start of next week.
“The drought is still critical and there has not yet been any rain, but the winds are allowing all the firefighters to make good progress on all the fires,” assessed Pascal Duclos.
“The work is starting to take effect. We are on the right track, we just have to hope that Mother Nature will also be on our side and spare us from winds like those at the beginning of the week. »
Apocalyptic atmosphere
Air quality is still considered poor in several areas of Los Angeles due to dense smoke released by fires.
“We can’t stay outside for long. Quickly, we start to cough, our noses are running,” he told Duty Marcelle Gravel, a Quebecer living in the Silver Lake district.
While she feared having to evacuate the residence she has occupied with her partner of 27 years, Ms.me Gravel was finally able to stay in her home after the Sunset Fire, which was burning nearby, receded. As a safety measure, she still sealed the doors and windows with adhesive tape to prevent stale air from entering her house.
“We’re going through a roller coaster, it’s very stressful. We don’t know if the lights will come back,” said the woman who works as a decorator in the film and television industry.
“We are all very worried. Many of our friends lost their homes and others left. »
For Sergine Dumais, who lives in the Hancock Park neighborhood, not far from Hollywood, the atmosphere in Los Angeles is reminiscent of one of the greatest disasters in American history.
“I lived in New York on September 11, 2001, it was the same thing,” said the Quebecer, who teaches at the California campus of the American Musical and Dramatic Academy.
“The air is terrible, the eyes sting. There is ash in the air, you can’t breathe without a mask. »
Both women say they are taking the situation one day at a time, even one hour at a time.
“We are in uncertainty,” admits Marcelle Gravelle. We tell ourselves that in the end, what matters is our lives and those of our friends. The rest doesn’t matter, it can be replaced. But still, Los Angeles is a very beautiful city, it’s sad to see it falling apart without us being able to do anything. »
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