The out-of-control fires raging around Los Angeles threatened the Hollywood district on Thursday, which was being evacuated, and caused scenes of chaos in the second largest city in the United States.
Charred houses, vehicles and palm trees devoured by flames and thick plumes of black smoke, AFP journalists saw scenes of the end of the world in the districts of Altadena and Pacific Palisades, in the heart of the gigantic Californian homes which five deaths so far.
As haggard residents looked on, helicopters sprayed water on the Hollywood Hills to fight the fires which, according to mainstream American media, would be the most destructive ever seen in Los Angeles.
In total, more than 100,000 residents have been called to evacuate their homes while at least five large outbreaks are devastating the region and progressing very quickly, fanned by violent winds.
>> See the subject in the 12:45 p.m.:
Winds up to 160 km/hour
Winds blowing up to 160 km/hour first spread the flames at lightning speed to the upscale neighborhood of Pacific Palisades, home to the villas of many celebrities, and where 6,500 hectares were charred and a thousand buildings destroyed.
With the destruction of a hundred luxury residences costing millions of dollars, the fire there would be the costliest ever recorded: the damage was estimated at 57 billion dollars (52 billion francs) by AccuWeather.
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Hollywood Hills on fire
On Wednesday evening, flames began to devour the Hollywood Hills, a few hundred meters from the famous Hollywood Boulevard and Chinese Theater. Another fire also broke out in the evening in the neighboring Studio City district.
Since Tuesday, around 1,500 houses or buildings have been destroyed and more than 100,000 residents of the American megalopolis forced to flee the flames. The authorities fear discovering new deaths.
>> The events of the day on Wednesday: Two dead in violent fires ravaging the Los Angeles region
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The fight promises to be long
Los Angeles is being swept by “hurricane-force winds combined with extreme drought conditions,” Mayor Karen Bass explained during a press briefing Wednesday evening.
The fight was expected to be long: the squalls gradually weakened, but the meteorological services maintained their red alert for strong winds until Friday.
“Not enough firefighters”
Since Tuesday, outbreaks have multiplied in the suburbs north of Los Angeles, often exploding within a few minutes.
“We don’t have enough firefighters in Los Angeles County to deal with this situation,” Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said Wednesday.
“More than 7,500” fire fighters, sometimes from other American states, are leading the fight against these “unprecedented fires in Los Angeles,” declared the governor of California on Wednesday evening.
Californians were urged by authorities to conserve water as three reservoirs supplying fire hydrants were emptied by battling blazes in Pacific Palisades.
Joe Biden cancels his visit to Italy
President Joe Biden, still in power for a few days, is currently visiting California. After releasing federal aid to increase firefighting, he canceled his trip planned for Thursday to Italy, the White House announced.
The fires are also disrupting the cinema industry: several film and series shoots have been stopped, and the Universal Studios Hollywood theme park has closed.
Oscar nominations have been pushed back two days to January 19. Just like the Critics Choice Awards ceremony, which was to be held on Sunday.
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.
>> Also listen to the report in the 12:30 p.m.
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