More than 2,000 homes, businesses, and other buildings have been damaged or destroyed, and at least five people have died in wildfires that are devastating communities across Los Angeles County, making this one of the most destructive fires in the region’s history.
The five bodies were found in three structures in Altadena, where the Eaton fire erupted on Tuesday night (7), giving residents little time to escape. It is estimated that over 1,000 structures were destroyed in the Palisades fire and another 1,000 damaged or destroyed in the Eaton fire, according to the L.A. County Fire Department.
Firefighting resources became even scarcer when another fire, the Sunset fire, broke out in the Hollywood Hills area around 5:45 PM on Wednesday (8), prompting evacuations in the area. About four hours later, it had burned 60 acres.
In Pacific Palisades, the fire had burned 17,234 acres by Wednesday night, reaching the Pacific Coast Highway, where it consumed multimillion-dollar homes along the iconic stretch.
The Eaton fire, which started on Tuesday night, had burned 10,600 acres by Wednesday night near Altadena and Pasadena.
Firefighters faced water shortages at some hydrants in higher elevations in Pacific Palisades. The Department of Water and Power stated that the issue arose due to unprecedented strain on the system.
During a briefing in Santa Monica, President Biden promised that the federal government would deploy all available resources to contain the fires. Two units of the Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System were being mobilized from the California and Nevada National Guards, and 10 Navy helicopters with water buckets were en route from San Diego, according to the White House.
Firefighters are traveling to Los Angeles County from all over Southern California, as well as from Northern California, Phoenix, and Oregon.
The lack of rain this winter has extended the fire season in Southern California. Since October 1, downtown Los Angeles has received 0.16 inches of rain — a small fraction of the average 4.64 inches that the area receives at this point in the season. The dry vegetation combined with extreme winds has created this catastrophic scenario.
Source: Los Angeles Times