 "Major LA wildfires 'zero per cent' contained; officials condemn looting, warn of rising death toll")
A pair of massive wildfires menacing Los Angeles from the east and west remain “zero per cent” contained two days after they ignited, officials said on Thursday, as they vowed to tackle looting of evacuated homes.
The firefighters, however, managed to beat back another fire scorching the Hollywood Hills, the officials added.
The Palisades fire between Santa Monica and Malibu on the city’s western flank and the Eaton fire in the east near Pasadena are already the most destructive in Los Angeles history, burning nearly 28,000 acres so far - an area exceeding the size of Disney World - and turning entire neighborhoods to ash.
As tens of thousands of residents were forced to evacuate, looters began targeting vacant homes, prompting officials to warn of a strict crackdown.
“In the midst of the emergency, we’ve all seen individuals who are targeting vulnerable communities by burglarizing and looting homes. This is simply unacceptable,” AFP quoted LA county official Kathryn Barger as saying.
“I promise you, you will be held accountable. Shame on those who are preying on our residents during this time of crisis,” Barger said, adding police patrols were on duty and 20 arrests had been made.
At least five people have been killed, thousands of structures have been incinerated and nearly 180,000 people have been ordered to evacuate their homes, officials said. The death toll is likely to rise, Los Angeles Sheriff Robert Luna told a press conference on Thursday morning.
The Eaton fire’s growth has been significantly stopped, Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said, though it remains 0% contained. While still fierce, winds have slowed slightly since the 100-mile-per-hour gusts seen earlier in the week, permitting crucial aerial support for crews on the ground.
Impact Shorts
More Shorts“We have a much better posture than we did on Tuesday and Wednesday,” Reuters quoted Marrone as saying.
But officials warned that wind gusts of up to 60 miles per hour were forecast to persist throughout the day, and Kristin Crowley, Los Angeles City Fire Department Chief, said residents should be prepared to evacuate if ordered.
“It is safe to say that the Palisades fire is one of the most destructive natural disasters in the history of Los Angeles,” Crowley told Reuters.
Firefighters, assisted by helicopters dropping retardants and water, managed to make gains overnight in battling the Sunset Fire, which had forced mandatory evacuations in Hollywood and Hollywood Hills - including famous show-business locations such as the TCL Chinese Theatre and the Hollywood Walk of Fame - late on Wednesday.
The fire was in retreat, shrinking to about 43 acres, and firefighters were making forward progress, Crowley said. No buildings were lost in the area, a city fire department spokeswoman said, and the evacuation order was lifted.
It was one of at least five separate wildfires burning in Los Angeles County on Thursday morning as powerful winds spread flames across parched ground that has seen no rain for months. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass described it as a “perfect storm” of dangerous conditions.
The two biggest conflagrations - the Palisades and Eaton fires - formed a pincer around the city so enormous that it was visible from space.
The homes of movie stars and celebrities were among those consumed by flames, which tore through some of the world’s most lavish real estate.
“We are heartbroken of course, but with the love of children and friends we will get through this,” Reuters quoted film star Billy Crystal and his wife Janice, announcing the Pacific Palisades home where they had lived since 1979 had been destroyed.
Media personality Paris Hilton said she was “heartbroken beyond words” after watching her beachfront house in Malibu “burn to the ground on live TV.”
The National Weather Service extended Red Flag warnings - issued when the risk for fire is high due to low humidity, high winds and warm temperatures - for Los Angeles and Ventura counties through 6 pm Friday.
Water shortages caused some hydrants to run dry in upscale Pacific Palisades, wedged between Malibu and Santa Monica, officials said on Wednesday.
US President Joe Biden was briefed Thursday morning on the impact of the ongoing wildfires and will meet with top administration officials in the afternoon to discuss the federal response, the White House told reporters.
‘Something out of a movie’
Some residents ventured back to areas the fire had already swept through, where brick chimneys were left looming over charred waste and burnt-out vehicles. The remnants of a tattered and scorched American flag flapped from a pole.
“I had just come from my family home where my mother lives that was burned to a crisp … And then I came up to my home and - same thing. It’s completely dust,” Oliver Allnatt, 36, told Reuters as he wore ski goggles and a filtered face mask to take pictures of the ruins. “Basically just a chimney stack and a pile of ash. I mean, it’s something out of a movie.”
Thousands of Angelenos fleeing the flames sought refuge in temporary shelters. Foad Farid found refuge in the gym of the Westwood Recreation Center with nothing but his car and his phone. Neighbors dropped off blankets, clothing, water, pizza and pet food.
Jeff Harris arrived towing his Feisty Fish Poke food truck and began serving meals. “I’m just here to help,” he said.
Kevin Williams, at an evacuation center in Pasadena, said he knew it was time to run when gas canisters at his neighbors’ homes began exploding under the heat.
“The wind whipped up, the flames were up about 30 or 40 feet high, and you hear ‘pop, pop, pop.’ It sounded like a war zone,” Reuters quoted Williams as saying.
Aerial video by KTLA television showed block after block of smoldering homes in Pacific Palisades, the smoky grid occasionally punctuated by the orange blaze of another home still on fire.
The scale and spread of the blazes stretched exhausted firefighting crews beyond their capacity.
Firefighters from six other US states were being rushed to California, while an additional 250 engine companies with 1,000 personnel were being moved from Northern California to Southern California, Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone told a press conference.
The fires struck at an especially vulnerable time for Southern California, which has not seen significant rainfall for months. Then came the powerful Santa Ana winds, bringing dry desert air from the east toward the coastal mountains, fanning wildfires while blowing over the hilltops and down through the canyons.
With inputs from agencies
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