LOS ANGELES – Raging wildfires surrounded Los Angeles on Wednesday, claiming at least five lives, destroying hundreds of homes, and severely straining firefighting resources and water supplies.
More than 100,000 people were ordered to evacuate as multiple fires burned out of control.
Strong winds fueled the fires, making firefighting efforts even more difficult, and all five fires in Los Angeles County were reported as 0% contained by state officials.
Two major blazes, the Palisades Fire and the Eaton Fire, trapped the city in a pincer movement.
The Palisades Fire, which has consumed 15,832 acres (6,406 hectares) and destroyed 1,000 structures, moved rapidly from Santa Monica toward Malibu, eventually reaching the Pacific Ocean on Tuesday.
It became one of the most destructive fires in Los Angeles history.
To the east, the Eaton Fire ravaged 10,600 acres (4,289 hectares) in the San Gabriel Mountains, resulting in at least five fatalities.
Early estimates place the economic damage from the fires at over $50 billion.
Kevin McGowan, director of emergency management for Los Angeles County, described the disaster as “historic,” emphasizing the gravity of the situation.
Nearly 1 million homes and businesses in Los Angeles County lost power as the fires raged, and thick smoke and red skies blanketed the area.
Eyewitnesses described chaotic scenes, with explosions from gas canisters near homes in the affected neighborhoods.
Kevin Williams, an Eaton Fire evacuee, recounted the sound of explosions and flames reaching up to 40 feet high.
WATER SHORTAGES INTENSIFY FIREFIGHTING CHALLENGES
As multiple fires consumed the region, water resources were pushed to their limits. In upscale Pacific Palisades, a high-demand area, water tanks were emptied, and some hydrants ran dry, hampering efforts to control the flames.
Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone stated there were insufficient firefighters to address the scale of the fires, while water scarcity exacerbated the crisis.
Janisse Quinones, CEO of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, explained the difficulty in refilling water tanks at higher elevations due to the increased demand for water at lower levels, resulting in dry hydrants and a weakened firefighting effort.
Pacific Palisades, one of the most expensive neighborhoods in the country, is home to many Hollywood celebrities, including Jamie Lee Curtis, Mandy Moore, and Mark Hamill, all of whom were forced to evacuate.
The fires came during a vulnerable time for Southern California, which has seen little rainfall since October. The dry conditions were worsened by powerful Santa Ana winds, which carried dry desert air and fueled the fires.
BIDEN AND NEWSOM ADDRESS WILDFIRE RESPONSE
President Joe Biden, grounded in Los Angeles due to high winds on Tuesday, joined California Governor Gavin Newsom at a fire station in Santa Monica for a briefing on firefighting efforts.
Newsom declared a state of emergency on Tuesday, and Biden promised continued federal support to tackle the wildfires.
With strong winds forecasted to persist, local officials warned that the danger was far from over. Los Angeles City Fire Chief Kristin Crowley urged residents to remain vigilant.
As the fires spread, many residents were forced to abandon their vehicles in traffic jams and evacuate on foot. Emergency responders conducted door-to-door evacuations.
Residents, such as Shaun Tate from Altadena and David Reed from Pacific Palisades, described their frantic escapes as flames approached their homes.
The fires have devastated thousands of lives, and as local authorities continue to battle the blazes, the full scale of the disaster is becoming more evident.