Firefighters continue to fight tirelessly in an attempt to control the massive wildfires in Los Angeles, now facing a returned enemy: the winds. The gusts have increased significantly during the last hours, which has caused the flames to advance towards neighborhoods that until now had remained virgin.
It has been confirmed the death of at least 16 people because of the fires that have devastated the city, leaving communities in ruins and testing the resilience of thousands of firefighters and millions of California residents.
Despite heroic efforts, including precision sorties by aerial crews, the Palisades Fire continued to grow on Saturday toward the east toward the priceless collections of the Getty Center art museum and toward the north toward the densely packed San Fernando Valley town.
“We’re very nervous,” Sarah Cohen told the Los Angeles Times about the threat to her Tarzana home. «Every time they drop water, the situation improves. But then it gets worse again.”
Images of the area Mandeville Canyon They showed a consumed house and a wall of flames licking one hillside and threatening the others. A brief pause in the wind was quickly giving way to gusts which meteorologists warned would fuel the fires for the next few days.
“Critical weather conditions that can lead to fires will unfortunately intensify again today in Southern California and will last at least through early next week,” the National Weather Service said.
“This could lead to the spread of existing fires, as well as the development of new ones.”
“Critical weather conditions that can cause fires will unfortunately intensify again in Southern California”
United States National Weather Service
The Palisades Fire was 11% contained Saturday, but had grown to 23,600 acres (9,500 hectares), while the Eaton Fire was at 14,000 acres and 15% contained.
Official figures show more than 12,000 structures burnedbut Cal Fire’s Todd Hopkins said not all were homes and the number would also include outbuildings, recreational vehicles and sheds.
Thousands of people without homes and looting
The sudden rush of people who will need a new place to live in the coming months points to making life difficult for renters already squeezed into the city.
“I’m back on the market with tens of thousands of people,” said a man who identified himself as Brian, whose rent-controlled apartment caught fire. “That doesn’t bode well.”
Given reports of looting and a night curfewpolice and the National Guard have set up checkpoints to prevent people from entering disaster zones.
But that has left residents frustratedwell they have to queue for up to 10 hours to try to get back in and see what (if anything) remains of their homes.
One woman, who identified herself as Janelle, told broadcaster KTLA that she knew her house was gone, but that she needed “closure.” “I see the photos, I see the videos and I just want to see it with my own eyes,” he said, his voice breaking.
Long lines left some people furious at mismanagementthe latest complaint from a population already angry about the hydrants that ran dry in the initial fire.
City officials agreed Saturday following reports of a behind-the-scenes dispute and suggestions that Mayor Karen Bass had fired her fire chief.
“As you can see here, the chief and I are united in our number one mission, and that mission is to get us through this emergency,” Bass told reporters.
A joint press conference, at times tense, took place after the chief Kristin Crowley complained that his fire department was short of cash.
Among those known to have died in the tragedy was former Australian child star Rory Sykes, who appeared on the British television show “Kiddy Kapers” in the 1990s.
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