Los Angeles County Sheriff: “It looks like a bomb dropped”
Fire Chief Anthony C. Marrone provided an update on the ongoing fires, indicating that the Lidia Fire, burning in a rural area of the county, was 40% contained and had burned approximately 350 acres. Meanwhile, the Eaton Fire, which had burned 10,600 acres, remained 40% contained. It also warned that the red flag alert — due to low humidity, strong winds and warm temperatures — was expected to last until Friday.
The Chief of the Los Angeles Fire Department, Kristin M. Crowley, gave updated information on several fires, including the Palisades, which has burned more than 17,000 hectares and remains uncontrolled. Crowley described it as “one of the most destructive natural disasters in the history of Los Angeles.”
Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna described the widespread devastation, saying some areas “look like a bomb dropped.” In total, nearly 180,000 people in the county were under evacuation orders, and another 200,000 were under evacuation notices.
Luna expressed frustration over preliminary information on the number of fatalities from the fires, which has been confirmed at five, but without authorities yet knowing the full extent of the losses. “Frankly, we don’t know yet,” he said.
