At least 16 people have been killed by flames as thousands of firefighters rush to battle wildfires spreading across Los Angeles County, the most populous county in the United States, authorities said Saturday. local.
LOS ANGELES, Jan. 11 (Xinhua) — At least 16 people have been killed by flames as thousands of firefighters rush to battle wildfires spreading across Los Angeles County, the country’s most populous county. of the United States, local authorities announced on Saturday.
According to a death list released by the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner, the number of people confirmed dead in the wildfires stood at 16 as of Saturday evening.
Eleven of the deaths were linked to the Eaton Fire and five others were found in the Palisades fire area.
The deadly Eaton Fire, which broke out Tuesday evening, has burned 14,117 acres (57.1 km2) near Altadena and Pasadena and was 15% contained as of Saturday afternoon.
The fire remained active overnight and burning in an area with inaccessible steep terrain and dangerously dry vegetation, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) said in a summary update. the situation. Aerial image overlays show that approximately 7,081 structures may have been damaged or destroyed by the fire.
The Palisades Fire, the largest of at least five active wildfires in the Los Angeles area, has burned 22,660 acres (91.7 km2) and destroyed more than 5,300 buildings since Tuesday. The fire has been kept at 11% so far.
“Firefighting efforts continue to focus on forming and improving containment lines with an emphasis on public safety and structure protection. For today, winds from north to north- “East will gradually increase, peaking in strength this evening and overnight,” Cal Fire said in an update.
Cal Fire noted that moderate to strong hot and dry Santa Ana winds “are likely to return Tuesday and Wednesday, creating critical fire weather conditions.”
California Gov. Gavin Newsom said Saturday he is doubling the deployment of the California National Guard to help fight the fires, and public safety resources are being deployed to fight the Los Angeles fires, with 1,680 California National Guardsmen currently active in the region.
The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, the city’s public service agency, said Saturday that one-fifth of its hydrants in the Palisades area suffered a loss pressure during this week’s deadly wildfire, reported the Los Angeles Times, the largest newspaper on the west coast of the United States.
Firefighters battling the blaze earlier this week encountered hydrants without water, sparking a whirlwind of criticism.
