Los Angeles is surrounded by wildfires that are out of control; at least 5 dead Per Reuters

By Jackie Luna, Joe Brock and Matt McKnight

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Blazing fires engulfed Los Angeles on Wednesday, killing at least five people, destroying hundreds of homes and damaging fire equipment and water supplies to the limit, as people across 100,000 have been ordered to evacuate.

Strong winds hampered firefighting efforts and fueled the fires, which have burned without interruption since they started on Tuesday.

Five separate fires have burned in Los Angeles County, all of which are 0% contained according to state officials, including two that engulfed the city.

On the west side, the Palisades Fire has burned 15,832 hectares (6,406 acres) and 1,000 structures in the hills between Santa Monica and Malibu, down Topanga Canyon to the Pacific Ocean’s natural fire zone. on Tuesday. It was one of the most destructive fires in the history of Los Angeles.

To the east, at the foot of the San Gabriel Mountains, e Eaton (NYSE:) The fire burned some 10,600 hectares (4,289 acres) and killed at least five people, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna told KNX radio. Private analyst AccuWeather has estimated initial damage and economic losses at more than $50 billion.

“We are facing a natural disaster in history. And I think that cannot be said strongly enough,” Kevin McGowan, director of emergency management for Los Angeles County, told press conference.

The sky above Los Angeles glowed red in some places and was covered in thick smoke. About 1 million homes and businesses lost power in Los Angeles County, according to PowerOutage.us.

“The wind blew, the flames were 9 to 12 feet high), and you hear ‘pop, pop, pop.’ Reuters at an evacuation center in Pasadena, describing gas canisters in his neighbors’ homes that exploded due to the heat of the flames.

WATER PAIN

Three smaller fires in the state also stretched already depleted firefighting resources, with water shortages affecting the Pacific Palisades, a coastal region where wildfires have burned 15,832 hectares ( 6,406).

“There are not enough firefighters in LA County to deal with four different fires of this size,” said Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone.

The need for water also caused some hydrants to run dry in Pacific Palisades after the last of three large water tanks in the area were empty, officials said.

“We pushed this system to the extreme. We are fighting a fire that has urban water systems, and that is really challenging,” Janisse Quinones, chief executive of the Department of Water and Power of Los Angeles, he told a press conference.

Pacific Palisades relies on three tanks that hold about a million gallons (3.78 million liters) each, and the need for water to fight fires in low-lying areas made it difficult fill water tanks at high altitudes, he said.

Some hydrants ran dry around 3 a.m. As wind and smoke reduced the ability to provide air support, firefighters were left without enough water to fight the flames.

Nestled in the hills with beautiful ocean views, Pacific Palisades is one of the most expensive areas in the country with an average home value of $3.7 million by the end of 2023, according to Zillow (NASDAQ:) , more than all but four others. zip codes United States.

It is also home to many film, television and music stars including Jamie Lee Curtis, Mandy Moore and Mark Hamill, all forced to flee their homes.

The fires hit at a particularly vulnerable time for Southern California, which hasn’t seen much rain since the start of the wet season in October. Then came the strong Santa Ana winds, which bring dry desert air from the east to the coastal mountains, fanning wildfire flames as they blow over hilltops and downwind. .

Scientists said the fires, breaking out well outside the old wildfire season, are a sign of recent climate conditions that are likely to become more frequent as global temperatures continue to rise. in the coming decades.

President Joe Biden, who stayed in Los Angeles after Air Force One went down due to high winds on Tuesday, joined California Governor Gavin Newsom at a Santa Monica fire station to find out about efforts short fire extinguisher.

“The effects of (the fires include) more than a thousand buildings that have been destroyed, hundreds of thousands of people displaced, lives lost, cultures, ways of life, places torn apart,” said Newsom, who announced the situation emergency on Tuesday. .

Biden has pledged any help he can provide in his final days in office before handing over to President Donald Trump on January 20.

“We’re doing anything and everything as long as it takes to contain these fires … to make sure you get back to normal,” Biden said. “It’s going to be a hell of a long time. It’s going to take time.”

Local authorities warned that strong winds will continue throughout the day.

“We are not out of danger, with strong winds continuing to blow through the city and county today,” Los Angeles City Fire Chief Kristin Crowley said.

As flames spread and residents began to evacuate after the fires broke out on Tuesday, roads were so congested that some people abandoned their cars to escape the blaze. Emergency responders were going door-to-door to print evacuation orders.

Shaun Tate, 45, said he fled his home in Altadena, a Los Angeles suburb at the foot of the San Gabriel Mountains, at 4:15 a.m. when he saw flames coming toward his home.

“I came out of the house because I heard something fly on the roof,” said Tate at the evacuation center in Pasadena.

“We parked the SUV and drove down here,” he said. “I chose to keep my laptop, my diabetes medication and some food.”

David Reed said he had no choice but to leave his Pacific Palisades home when police arrived at his door and “laid down the law” when they saw flames approaching his home.

“I’ve got my trombone and the latest book I’ve been reading, which is my Jack Kerouac anthology here, because it’s rhythm,” Reed said.