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LOS ANGELES (AP) – Fire could sweep through the world-famous J. Paul Getty Museum and the University of California, Los Angeles, as new evacuation advisories continue to evacuate more homeowners. Firefighters raced to extinguish a growing wildfire on Saturday before strong winds picked up again. corner.
A fierce battle with the blaze is underway in Mandeville Canyon, home to Arnold Schwarzenegger and other celebrities not far from the Pacific Coast, as flames hurtle downhill. A helicopter sprayed water. Thick smoke blanketed the chaparral-covered hillside as firefighters on the ground used hoses to try to fight off the leaping flames.
CalFire Operations Director Christian Ritz said in a briefing that Saturday’s main focus will be on the Palisades Fire, which is located in a canyon area not far from the UCLA campus.
“We need to be aggressive there,” Ritz said.
County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath said the Los Angeles area was experiencing “another night of unimaginable horror and heartbreak as more Angelenos were evacuated as the Palisades Fire spread northeast.”
Only light winds were fanning the flames, but the National Weather Service warned that locally strong Santa Ana winds, a natural enemy for firefighters, could soon return. Those winds are blamed for turning wildfires into an inferno that has ravaged entire neighborhoods in the Los Angeles area, which hasn’t seen significant rain in more than eight months.
The fire also threatened to overshoot Interstate 405, a major transportation artery through the region that could serve as a gateway to the densely populated areas of the Hollywood Hills and San Fernando Valley.
Search for bodies continues
Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said the grueling task of investigating the devastation continued Saturday despite the growing fire, with teams using cadaver dogs to conduct a systematic grid search. . Luna said a family support center has also been set up in Pasadena and urged residents to abide by the curfew.
“There are people trying to drive in just to look. Stay away,” he said. “We understand this is a very stressful and absolutely difficult situation, but we appreciate the public’s cooperation as we work together to get through this crisis.”
The fire destroyed approximately 56 square miles (145 square kilometers). This is an area larger than San Francisco. Tens of thousands of people remain under evacuation orders after a blaze broke out on the east side of the Palisades Fire, and new evacuation orders were issued Friday night for areas including parts of Interstate 405.
More than 12,000 buildings, including homes, apartments, businesses, outbuildings and vehicles, have been destroyed since the fire first began raging around a densely populated area 25 miles (40 kilometers) north of downtown Los Angeles. . The cause of the largest fire has not yet been determined.
The wildfires are still burning, but early estimates suggest the losses so far could make them the most expensive in the country’s history. AccuWeather’s preliminary estimates put the damage and economic losses to date at between $135 billion and $150 billion.
Survivors return to the wreckage of their homes
On Friday, many residents returned in shock. As this region of 13 million people grapples with the ominous task of overcoming the disaster and rebuilding, some are seeing for the first time the stark reality of what was lost.
Bridget Berg watched the TV coverage of her Altadena home going up in flames at work, but returned with her family for the first time two days later “to make it real.”
Their feet pressed against the broken pieces of the house they had lived in for 16 years.
Her children sifted through the debris on the sidewalk, finding a clay pot and some memorabilia while looking for Japanese woodblock prints they hoped to salvage. My husband pulled his hand out of the rubble near the still-standing fireplace and held up a piece of petrified wood that his grandmother had given him.
“It’s okay. It’s okay,” Berg said to herself as she looked at the destruction, remembering the deck and pool where her family had watched the fireworks. “We didn’t just lose our homes. Everyone lost their homes.”
City leadership accused of skimping on fire department funding
Suspicions of leadership failure and political responsibility have begun, and an investigation has begun. Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday ordered state officials to figure out why a 117 million-gallon (440 million liter) reservoir became inoperable and some fire hydrants ran dry. Meanwhile, Los Angeles Fire Chief Christine Crowley said city leadership failed to meet its responsibilities by not providing adequate funding for firefighting efforts. She also criticized water shortages.
“When firefighters come to the hydrant, we expect there to be water,” she said.
According to the Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office, 11 people died in the Palisades fire and six in the Eaton fire. Officials expect the number to rise as cadaver dogs search the area and workers assess the devastation, and on Friday authorities set up a center where people can report missing people. He said he did.
The disaster left everyone from waiters to movie stars homeless. The government has not yet released damage figures, but private companies estimate it to be in the tens of billions of dollars. The Walt Disney Co. announced Friday that it will donate $15 million to help respond to the fire and rebuild.
The flames include schools, churches, synagogues, libraries, boutiques, bars, restaurants, banks, as well as Will Rogers’ Western Ranch House and Altadena’s Queen Anne-style building commissioned by wealthy cartographer Andrew McNally. They attacked local landmarks, including a mansion. Since 1887.
Progress made in extinguishing Eaton fire
Firefighters made their first efforts Friday afternoon to extinguish the Eaton Fire north of Pasadena, which has destroyed more than 7,000 structures. Officials said most evacuation orders for the area have been lifted.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, who faces a major test of her leadership as the city faces its biggest crisis in decades, said several small fires had been stopped. said.
Crews were working early Friday to suppress the Palisades Fire, which burned 5,300 structures and became the most destructive fire in Los Angeles history.
California National Guard troops arrived on the streets of Altadena before dawn to protect property within the fire evacuation zone, and a curfew was in place to prevent looting following several arrests.
The level of devastation is alarming, even in a state that regularly faces large-scale wildfires.
Duchess Meghan and Prince Harry visit
On Friday, Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan visited the Pasadena Convention Center to help distribute food to evacuees.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who live about 90 miles (145 kilometers) north of the Los Angeles area, also list organizations supporting fire victims on their website.
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Lamar reported from Concord, New Hampshire.
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