Wednesday, 15 January, 2025
Around 100,000 homes and businesses in Los Angeles are currently without power, as reported by Poweroutages.us. In LA County, 59,800 customers of the LA Department of Water & Power and 38,500 of Southern California Edison are affected. Ventura County, where the Kenneth Fire is burning, has around 20,000 SCE customers without electricity, report agencies..
The ongoing wildfires in Los Angeles have caused at least 10 fatalities and destroyed over 10,000 homes and structures. The Kenneth Fire, which ignited in the San Fernando Valley on Thursday, spread into Ventura County but was contained by a large firefighting effort. The Eaton Fire near Pasadena, which started earlier in the week, has destroyed more than 5,000 structures, while the Pacific Palisades fire has decimated over 5,300 buildings.
Evacuations are ongoing, with 180,000 people displaced. California’s longer wildfire season, worsened by climate change, has led to earlier and more intense fires, causing widespread devastation. Around 100,000 homes and businesses in Los Angeles are currently without power, as reported by Poweroutages.us. In LA County, 59,800 customers of the LA Department of Water & Power and 38,500 of Southern California Edison are affected. Ventura County, where the Kenneth Fire is burning, has around 20,000 SCE customers without electricity.
The ongoing wildfires in Los Angeles have caused at least 10 fatalities and destroyed over 10,000 homes and structures. The Kenneth Fire, which ignited in the San Fernando Valley on Thursday, spread into Ventura County but was contained by a large firefighting effort. The Eaton Fire near Pasadena, which started earlier in the week, has destroyed more than 5,000 structures, while the Pacific Palisades fire has decimated over 5,300 buildings.
The two biggest wildfires ravaging the Los Angeles area have killed at least 10 people and burned more than 10,000 homes and other structures, officials said as they urged more people to heed evacuation orders after a new blaze ignited and quickly grew.
The Kenneth Fire started in late Thursday afternoon in the San Fernando Valley just 2 miles (3.2 kilometres) from a school serving as a shelter for evacuees from another fire. It moved into neighboring Ventura County but a large and aggressive response by firefighters stopped the flames from spreading.
About 400 firefighters remained on the scene overnight to guard against the fire flaring up.
Only hours before the Kenneth Fire roared to life officials expressed encouragement after firefighters aided by calmer winds and help from crews from outside the state saw the first signs of successfully beating back the region’s two devastating wildfires.
The Eaton Fire near Pasadena that started Tuesday night has burned more than 5,000 structures, a term that includes homes, apartment buildings, businesses, outbuildings and vehicles. Firefighters were able to establish the first bit of containment Thursday.
To the west in Pacific Palisades, the largest of the fires burning in the LA area has destroyed over 5,300 structures and firefighters had no containment.
All of the major fires that have broken out this week are located in a roughly 25-mile (40-kilometer) band north of downtown Los Angeles, spreading a sense of fear and sadness across the nation’s second-largest city. No cause has been identified for the largest fires.
The level of devastation is jarring even in a state that has grown used to massive wildfires. A large portion of scenic Pacific Palisades has been obliterated. Dozens of blocks in the seaside neighbourhood were flattened to smoldering rubble. In neighboring Malibu, blackened palm strands were all that was left above debris where oceanfront homes once stood.
The Palisades Fire between Santa Monica and Malibu on the city's western flank and the Eaton Fire in the east near Pasadena already rank as the most destructive in Los Angeles history, consuming more than 34,000 acres (13,750 hectares) - or some 53 square miles - turning entire neighborhoods to ash.
The death toll from the blazes rose to 10, Los Angeles County's Medical Examiner said in an update late on Thursday, without providing identities or other details.
Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna told an earlier press conference he expected the number to grow.
"It looks like an atomic bomb dropped in these areas. I don't expect good news, and we're not looking forward to those numbers," Luna said.
Private forecaster AccuWeather estimated the damage and economic loss at $135 billion to $150 billion, portending an arduous recovery and soaring homeowners' insurance costs.
"We're already looking ahead to aggressively rebuild the city of Los Angeles," said Mayor Karen Bass, a Democrat, who faced criticism from President-elect Donald Trump and other Republicans over her handling of the disaster.
President Joe Biden, who declared a major disaster on Tuesday, promised on Thursday that the federal government would reimburse 100% of the recovery for the next 180 days to pay for debris and hazard material removal, temporary shelters and first responder salaries.
"I told the governor, local officials, spare no expense to do what they need to do and contain these fires," Biden said after meeting with senior advisers at the White House.
In all, five wildfires burned in Los Angeles County, with the largest Palisades fire just 6% contained and the Eaton fire 0% contained. Skies buzzed with aircraft dropping retardant and water on the flaming hills.
A large Super Scooper aircraft on loan from Canada was damaged and grounded after hitting an unauthorized civilian drone near the Palisades fire, the L.A. County Fire Department said. There were no injuries.
One rapidly growing blaze broke out on Thursday near Calabasas, one of the wealthiest cities in the US and home to numerous celebrities and gated communities. The so-called Kenneth Fire expanded to 960 acres (388 hectares) in a matter of hours.
With nerves on edge, Los Angeles County mistakenly sent an evacuation notice countywide to a population of 9.6 million, even though it had been meant only for the area of the Kenneth Fire, officials said. A correction was quickly sent.
'WE ARE ALIVE'
Officials said the Eaton Fire had damaged or destroyed 4,000 to 5,000 structures while the Palisades Fire destroyed or damaged another 5,300 structures.
Some Pacific Palisades residents ventured back to areas the fire had already swept through, where brick chimneys were left looming over charred waste and burnt-out vehicles.
"We are alive. That's all that matters," private security guard Bilal Tukhi said while standing watch outside his employer's damaged home, saying the scene reminded him of his native, war-torn Afghanistan.
School was canceled for a second day on Friday due to the contaminated air, Superintendent Alberto Carvalho said.
Winds dropped on Thursday from the 100-mile-per-hour (160-kph) gusts seen earlier in the week, permitting crucial aerial support for crews on the ground.
But officials said winds intensified again overnight, and red flag conditions were expected until Friday afternoon.
The Eaton Fire reached the grounds of the Mount Wilson Observatory, the place where a century ago Edwin Hubble discovered the existence of galaxies beyond the Milky Way and that the universe is expanding. The Observatory later said the flare-up appeared under control.
In Altadena, a racially and economically diverse community nearby, many residents told Reuters they were concerned government resources would be channeled towards high-profile areas popular with A-Listers, while insurance companies might shortchange less affluent households that don't have the financial means to contest fire claims.
"They're not going to give you the value of your house ... if they do you really have to fight for it," said Kay Young, 63, her eyes welling up with tears as she stared at a sprawl of smoking rubble, the remnants of a home that had been in her family for generations.
HOLLYWOOD FIRE CONTAINED
Firefighting crews managed to fully control the Sunset Fire in the Hollywood Hills, after flames had raged atop the ridge overlooking Hollywood Boulevard's Walk of Fame on Wednesday night.
In Pacific Palisades, once-palatial homes stood in ruins, while downed power lines and abandoned cars littered the roadways.
One resident, John Carr, 65, said he defied evacuation orders and stayed to successfully protect his home.
"The house was built by my mother and father in 1960 and I lived here my whole life so there's a lot of memories here. And I think I owed it to them as well to try my best to save it."
Carr said there were no fire crews to help him try to save his neighbors' homes.
"If they had had some fire trucks and just put a squirt here, a squirt there and kept an eye on things, all these houses would be here now."
Officials said they were working to establish curfews for areas affected by mandatory evacuation orders.
Aerial video showed block after block of leveled homes, while satellite images showed the two largest fires forming a pincer around the city and thick plumes of smoke from the fires being blown out over the Pacific Ocean.
The homes of movie stars and celebrities were among those consumed by flames.
Chef Jose Andres, the Spaniard known for providing free food to disaster victims around the world, set up a food truck near the Palisades Fire on Pacific Coast Highway.
"Everybody needs support and love in these moments, wealthy or not, poor or not," he said.
Actor Jamie Lee Curtis said on Thursday her family would donate $1 million to relief efforts.
Firefighters from half a dozen other US states and Canada were being rushed to California, in addition to US federal personnel and materiel.
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Around 100,000 homes and businesses in Los Angeles are currently without power, as reported by Poweroutages.us. In LA County, 59,800 customers of the LA Department of Water & Power and 38,500 of Southern California Edison are affected. Ventura County, where the Kenneth Fire is burning, has around 20,000 SCE customers without electricity, report agencies..
The ongoing wildfires in Los Angeles have caused at least 10 fatalities and destroyed over 10,000 homes and structures. The Kenneth Fire, which ignited in the San Fernando Valley on Thursday, spread into Ventura County but was contained by a large firefighting effort. The Eaton Fire near Pasadena, which started earlier in the week, has destroyed more than 5,000 structures, while the Pacific Palisades fire has decimated over 5,300 buildings.
Evacuations are ongoing, with 180,000 people displaced. California’s longer wildfire season, worsened by climate change, has led to earlier and more intense fires, causing widespread devastation. Around 100,000 homes and businesses in Los Angeles are currently without power, as reported by Poweroutages.us. In LA County, 59,800 customers of the LA Department of Water & Power and 38,500 of Southern California Edison are affected. Ventura County, where the Kenneth Fire is burning, has around 20,000 SCE customers without electricity.
The ongoing wildfires in Los Angeles have caused at least 10 fatalities and destroyed over 10,000 homes and structures. The Kenneth Fire, which ignited in the San Fernando Valley on Thursday, spread into Ventura County but was contained by a large firefighting effort. The Eaton Fire near Pasadena, which started earlier in the week, has destroyed more than 5,000 structures, while the Pacific Palisades fire has decimated over 5,300 buildings.
The two biggest wildfires ravaging the Los Angeles area have killed at least 10 people and burned more than 10,000 homes and other structures, officials said as they urged more people to heed evacuation orders after a new blaze ignited and quickly grew.
The Kenneth Fire started in late Thursday afternoon in the San Fernando Valley just 2 miles (3.2 kilometres) from a school serving as a shelter for evacuees from another fire. It moved into neighboring Ventura County but a large and aggressive response by firefighters stopped the flames from spreading.
About 400 firefighters remained on the scene overnight to guard against the fire flaring up.
Only hours before the Kenneth Fire roared to life officials expressed encouragement after firefighters aided by calmer winds and help from crews from outside the state saw the first signs of successfully beating back the region’s two devastating wildfires.
The Eaton Fire near Pasadena that started Tuesday night has burned more than 5,000 structures, a term that includes homes, apartment buildings, businesses, outbuildings and vehicles. Firefighters were able to establish the first bit of containment Thursday.
To the west in Pacific Palisades, the largest of the fires burning in the LA area has destroyed over 5,300 structures and firefighters had no containment.
All of the major fires that have broken out this week are located in a roughly 25-mile (40-kilometer) band north of downtown Los Angeles, spreading a sense of fear and sadness across the nation’s second-largest city. No cause has been identified for the largest fires.
The level of devastation is jarring even in a state that has grown used to massive wildfires. A large portion of scenic Pacific Palisades has been obliterated. Dozens of blocks in the seaside neighbourhood were flattened to smoldering rubble. In neighboring Malibu, blackened palm strands were all that was left above debris where oceanfront homes once stood.
The Palisades Fire between Santa Monica and Malibu on the city's western flank and the Eaton Fire in the east near Pasadena already rank as the most destructive in Los Angeles history, consuming more than 34,000 acres (13,750 hectares) - or some 53 square miles - turning entire neighborhoods to ash.
The death toll from the blazes rose to 10, Los Angeles County's Medical Examiner said in an update late on Thursday, without providing identities or other details.
Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna told an earlier press conference he expected the number to grow.
"It looks like an atomic bomb dropped in these areas. I don't expect good news, and we're not looking forward to those numbers," Luna said.
Private forecaster AccuWeather estimated the damage and economic loss at $135 billion to $150 billion, portending an arduous recovery and soaring homeowners' insurance costs.
"We're already looking ahead to aggressively rebuild the city of Los Angeles," said Mayor Karen Bass, a Democrat, who faced criticism from President-elect Donald Trump and other Republicans over her handling of the disaster.
President Joe Biden, who declared a major disaster on Tuesday, promised on Thursday that the federal government would reimburse 100% of the recovery for the next 180 days to pay for debris and hazard material removal, temporary shelters and first responder salaries.
"I told the governor, local officials, spare no expense to do what they need to do and contain these fires," Biden said after meeting with senior advisers at the White House.
In all, five wildfires burned in Los Angeles County, with the largest Palisades fire just 6% contained and the Eaton fire 0% contained. Skies buzzed with aircraft dropping retardant and water on the flaming hills.
A large Super Scooper aircraft on loan from Canada was damaged and grounded after hitting an unauthorized civilian drone near the Palisades fire, the L.A. County Fire Department said. There were no injuries.
One rapidly growing blaze broke out on Thursday near Calabasas, one of the wealthiest cities in the US and home to numerous celebrities and gated communities. The so-called Kenneth Fire expanded to 960 acres (388 hectares) in a matter of hours.
With nerves on edge, Los Angeles County mistakenly sent an evacuation notice countywide to a population of 9.6 million, even though it had been meant only for the area of the Kenneth Fire, officials said. A correction was quickly sent.
'WE ARE ALIVE'
Officials said the Eaton Fire had damaged or destroyed 4,000 to 5,000 structures while the Palisades Fire destroyed or damaged another 5,300 structures.
Some Pacific Palisades residents ventured back to areas the fire had already swept through, where brick chimneys were left looming over charred waste and burnt-out vehicles.
"We are alive. That's all that matters," private security guard Bilal Tukhi said while standing watch outside his employer's damaged home, saying the scene reminded him of his native, war-torn Afghanistan.
School was canceled for a second day on Friday due to the contaminated air, Superintendent Alberto Carvalho said.
Winds dropped on Thursday from the 100-mile-per-hour (160-kph) gusts seen earlier in the week, permitting crucial aerial support for crews on the ground.
But officials said winds intensified again overnight, and red flag conditions were expected until Friday afternoon.
The Eaton Fire reached the grounds of the Mount Wilson Observatory, the place where a century ago Edwin Hubble discovered the existence of galaxies beyond the Milky Way and that the universe is expanding. The Observatory later said the flare-up appeared under control.
In Altadena, a racially and economically diverse community nearby, many residents told Reuters they were concerned government resources would be channeled towards high-profile areas popular with A-Listers, while insurance companies might shortchange less affluent households that don't have the financial means to contest fire claims.
"They're not going to give you the value of your house ... if they do you really have to fight for it," said Kay Young, 63, her eyes welling up with tears as she stared at a sprawl of smoking rubble, the remnants of a home that had been in her family for generations.
HOLLYWOOD FIRE CONTAINED
Firefighting crews managed to fully control the Sunset Fire in the Hollywood Hills, after flames had raged atop the ridge overlooking Hollywood Boulevard's Walk of Fame on Wednesday night.
In Pacific Palisades, once-palatial homes stood in ruins, while downed power lines and abandoned cars littered the roadways.
One resident, John Carr, 65, said he defied evacuation orders and stayed to successfully protect his home.
"The house was built by my mother and father in 1960 and I lived here my whole life so there's a lot of memories here. And I think I owed it to them as well to try my best to save it."
Carr said there were no fire crews to help him try to save his neighbors' homes.
"If they had had some fire trucks and just put a squirt here, a squirt there and kept an eye on things, all these houses would be here now."
Officials said they were working to establish curfews for areas affected by mandatory evacuation orders.
Aerial video showed block after block of leveled homes, while satellite images showed the two largest fires forming a pincer around the city and thick plumes of smoke from the fires being blown out over the Pacific Ocean.
The homes of movie stars and celebrities were among those consumed by flames.
Chef Jose Andres, the Spaniard known for providing free food to disaster victims around the world, set up a food truck near the Palisades Fire on Pacific Coast Highway.
"Everybody needs support and love in these moments, wealthy or not, poor or not," he said.
Actor Jamie Lee Curtis said on Thursday her family would donate $1 million to relief efforts.
Firefighters from half a dozen other US states and Canada were being rushed to California, in addition to US federal personnel and materiel.
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