Hopes were not dashed by the weakening of the winds in the huge active front of the , which remains uncontrolled despite the heroic efforts of the firefighting forces from land, with the risk of rekindling existing outbreaks being present, as well as the fear of new outbreaks.
The economic cost of this huge disaster can exceed 50 billion dollars, as tens of thousands of acres have been deforested, while a corresponding number of citizens have been forced to leave their homes.
At least 10 people have been confirmed dead so far, and the Los Angeles County Sheriff says he expects the death toll to rise. One of the fires – this one – has destroyed thousands of buildings and burned more than 17,200 acres.
If nothing else, the devastation is biblical and does not discriminate among socioeconomic strata: mansions, old mansions, ranches and estates dating back to the 1970s went up in flames.
The two largest fires to hit Los Angeles are currently raging:
- in Eaton near Pasadena: Since it erupted Tuesday night, it has burned more than 5,000 structures, including single-family homes, apartment buildings, businesses, outbuildings and vehicles. Yesterday Thursday, the firefighters managed to limit the front for the first time.
Credit: AP Photo/Ethan Swope
- To the west, in the Pacific Palisades, the largest fire burning in the LA area has destroyed more than 5,300 structures and continues to burn. At least 130,000 residents are under an evacuation order.
For his part, outgoing President Biden announced that the federal government will pay for 100% of the firefighting needs in the area for the next 180 days.
All of the large fires are located in a zone about 25 miles north of the city center, spreading a sense of fear and sadness in the country’s second largest city, without their exact causes yet being determined.
While wildfires that ravaged celebrity neighborhoods near Malibu have captured the world’s attention, the one in Eaton Canyon, north of Los Angeles, devastated Altadena, a racially and economically diverse community.
Credit: AP Photo/Ethan Swope
Black and Latino families have lived in Altadena for generations. The suburb is also popular with younger artists and engineers who work at the nearby NASA rocket lab.
The unprecedented fires are being assessed as a natural disaster resulting from an explosive combination of high winds and record drought rates for early January, conditions likely exacerbated by climate change.
A lack of sufficient water is also an issue: Municipal water systems are not built for fires of this magnitude, with authorities appealing for economy in its use as reservoirs that feed fire hydrants and pumps have been emptied.
