The homes of two Portuguese families living in the Los Angeles area burned to the ground
Wildfires have destroyed more than 12,000 homes and other buildings in the southwestern city of Los Angeles since Tuesday, authorities said.
Still, Los Angeles firefighters have made progress in controlling the six active fires they have so far caused, a number that could rise.
The Fire Department of the state of California, where Los Angeles is located, reported on Friday night that the Lidia fire is 98% contained, the Hurst fire is 70% and the Kenneth fire is 50% contained.
The Kenneth fire was the last of the six to emerge, erupting on Thursday afternoon and already destroying about 4.3 square kilometers. Authorities have now confirmed that this fire was caused by arson.
The Eaton fire, which has consumed 56.5 square kilometers, is only 3% contained and the Pacific Palisades fire, which burned an area of 82 square kilometers, is about 8% contained.
The fire in Palisades, one of Los Angeles’ wealthiest neighborhoods, burned more than 5,300 homes and other buildings and is already the most destructive in the city’s history.
On the streets, some of those affected begin to blame the authorities and Mayor Karen Bass faces increasingly harsh criticism over the budget allocated to the Los Angeles Fire Department.
Fire Chief Kristin Crowley told Fox television on Friday that a $17 million (16.6 million euro) cut to the fire department’s budget has severely impacted firefighting capacity.
The official highlighted that the lack of personnel and resources, such as the elimination of civilian positions, affected the firefighters’ operational capacity, including the repair of equipment.
California Governor Gavin Newsom has called for an independent investigation into the loss of water pressure and alleged lack of water supply from the Santa Ynez Reservoir.
On Friday, help arrived from other counties and neighboring states, such as Arizona, as well as support from Canada. Mexico also committed to sending “74 technicians specialized in firefighting and civil protection”.
The company AccuWeather on Thursday raised the estimate of damage and economic losses from the fires to between 135 and 150 billion dollars (between 131 and 146 billion euros).
As a result of the fires that have been devastating the region for several days, a source from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs told Lusa on Friday.
Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna announced Friday that areas affected by the fires, and which have become targets for looting, are under curfew.
At least 18 people have been arrested for looting in the fire-ravaged areas, 15 of them in the area of the Eaton fire.
