California wildfires stay updates: LA fires trigger in depth injury as some communities look ‘like a bomb was dropped’
The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday
Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US
Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US
At least five people have been killed and many others severely injured as several fast-moving wildfires have torn across the Los Angeles County area, leaving thousands of firefighters attempting to extinguish the blaze.
Officials said Thursday that while progress had been made on the Sunset, Woodley, Hurst, and Sunswept Fires, more “extreme fire behavior” and wind gusts up to 60mph are continuing to challenge firefighting efforts.
Los Angeles Sheriff Robert Luna said fire-ravaged neighborhoods in west L.A. “look like a bomb was dropped in them.”
The Palisades Fire, one of the most destructive natural disasters the city has seen, is still not contained. The fire has burned at least 17,234 acres, while the Altadena and Pasadena-based Eaton fire has scorched some 10,600 acres.
The causes of all of the wildfires are under active investigation.
Nearly 180,000 residents of the county are under evacuation orders and nearly 200,000 are under evacuation warnings.
Even more California customers were left without power on Thursday, with nearly 420,000 outages reported by tracker PowerOutage.us.
Elon Musk, surveying the damage from afar, attempted to blame the fires on everything from budget cuts under the administration of L.A. mayor Karen Bass to diversity trainings. He also suggested climate change was progressing “much slower than alarmists claim.”
L.A. fires like ‘breathing in lead’ for homeless people
The fires around Los Angeles have had particular heath impacts on the roughly 45,000 homeless people who live in the city of Los Angeles.
Living outside, and often lacking reliable transportation, puts this community at heightened risks from breathing in noxious smoke.
“People have said it feels like you’re breathing in lead and you can see what you’re breathing in,” advocate Carla Orendorff, who works with mutual aid groups supporting homeless people, told The Guardian.
San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance says it’s ready to support colleagues at Los Angeles Zoo
“Our hearts are with the Los Angeles community and all those affected by the devastating fires,” the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance told The Independent in an emailed statement.
“We are in close contact with our colleagues at the Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens but as of now, they have not requested our assistance. We remain prepared and ready to support them at any point.”
California wildfires in photos: Firefighters continue to work hard as residents return home
Harry and Meghan share heartfelt message to Californians as wildfires rage miles from their home
Fire danger level has increased to ‘critical’ at the Angeles National Forest
Trump once again swipes at Gavin Newsom over water resources: ‘It’s already far too late!’
“Governor Gavin Newscum should immediately go to Northern California and open up the water main, and let the water flow into his dry, starving, burning State, instead of having it go out into the Pacific Ocean. It ought to be done right now, NO MORE EXCUSES FROM THIS INCOMPETENT GOVERNOR. IT’S ALREADY FAR TOO LATE!”
Eaton Fire picking up near Mount Wilson
The Eaton Fire has reached the top of nearby Mount Wilson, threatening television transmitters on the peak in the San Gabriel Mountains, Carlos Herrera, a public information officer for Los Angeles County, told CNN.
“This was something we hadn’t anticipated that might be a potential,” he said, adding, “It just kind of picked up. We are attacking it via aerial support.”
Source: independent.co.uk
