Raging wildfires around Los Angeles have left five people dead and caused “a number of significant injuries,” fire officials said Wednesday.
Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna told radio station KNX that the death toll could rise further.
“I’m really praying we don’t find more [victims], but I don’t think that’s going to be the case,” he said, describing the situation as “very fluid.”
Three people have been arrested for looting in fire-affected areas, which Luna described as “100 percent unacceptable.”
Palisades fire is ‘growing’ as thousands of acres burned
Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said that 1,000 buildings have been destroyed due to one fire, which is mostly in the wealthy Palisades neighbourhood of the city.
“We have well over 5,000 acres that have burned, and the fire is growing,” Marrone said, while adding “we have no percentage of containment.”
The Palisades fire, considered the most destructive in Los Angeles’ modern history, is just one of the blazes around Los Angeles. The Eaton fire is raging in Altadena, north of the city, whereas the Hurst fire is near the northern Los Angeles suburb of Sylmar. A fourth fire broke out on Wednesday morning in the San Fernando Valley, known as the Woodley fire.
People living in the heart of historic Hollywood were ordered to evacuate as a new fire erupted just a few hundred metres from Hollywood Boulevard.
Marrone said the fire departments around Los Angeles were not equipped for “for this type of disaster.”
“There are not enough firefighters in LA county to address four separate fires of this magnitude,” he added.
Emergency services ‘stretched’ to their limits
Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristin Crowley said the Palisades fire and the Hurst fire are “stretching the capacity of emergency services to their maximum limits.”
“We are absolutely not out of danger yet, with the strong winds that continue to push through the city and the county today,” Crowley said.
At least 100,000 Los Angeles residents have been urged to evacuate.
The Palisades are home to numerous Hollywood stars, such as Ben Affleck, Tom Hanks and Mandy Moore. Moore was among the celebrities who had to evacuate their home due to the fires. Actors Mark Hamill and James Woods also had to leave.
The house of Vice President Kamala Harris in nearby Brentwood was also under an evacuation order on Tuesday, but she was not at home.
US President Joe Biden has formally signed off on a federal disaster declaration. According to the White House, the declaration allows for federal funding to be made available to impacted individuals in Los Angeles County for temporary housing and home repairs, as well as low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses.
Biden also canceled his upcoming trip to Italy to tackle the wildfires.
LA mayor warns residents of poor air quality
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, in a Wednesday morning post on X, told city residents “there will be notable impacts to air quality with winds pushing smoke across the Los Angeles area.”
“Please limit your exposure by remaining indoors with windows and doors closed and wearing a properly fit mask,” Bass said.
Los Angeles County Department of Public Works Mark Pestrella called on residents to conserve water for firefighters. County officials said it is “difficult” to fight fires with urban water systems.
Closed venues, canceled events
Popular spots around the city, such as Griffith Park and the Hollywood Sign, are also closed to tourists at the moment due to the fires.
The California Institute of Technology, known as CalTech, canceled classes on Wednesday due to the nearby Eaton fire.
The Critics Choice Awards, originally set for Sunday, will also be postponed due to the fires.
The organisation that puts on the Oscars has extended the voting window for the Academy Awards nominations and delayed next week’s planned nominations announcement.
Film studios canceled two movie premieres because of the fires and windy weather, while the Universal Studios Hollywood theme park closed for the day because of smoky, windy conditions.
This article was originally published on DW.
