Strong desert winds are expected to return to Los Angeles this Sunday, the 12th, complicating the battle against forest fires that have been spreading for almost a week and have left at least 16 people dead. The fear is that the gusts will push the fire to some of the city’s most famous spots.
The largest fire, the Palisades, was advancing even as firefighters managed to contain the fire in some areas. The flames’ momentum toward a street of multimillion-dollar homes in Mandeville Canyon, in the Brentwood neighborhood, had largely been halted yesterday, but only 11% of the fire was stopped.
“Weather conditions remain critical,” warned Michael Traum, from California Emergency Services. The forecast is that the winds from the Santa Ana desert, responsible for driving the fires, will intensify this Sunday and gain even more strength from Monday. The situation is expected to remain adverse for firefighters at least until Wednesday.
Also read:
Combined, the Palisades, Eaton, Kenneth and Hurst fires consumed about 100 square miles, an area larger than San Francisco. The first two were responsible for most of the devastation.
The Eaton Fire caused at least 11 deaths and is among the deadliest in California history. The other five deaths are related to the Palisades. And authorities warn that the number of victims is likely to increase because many people are still missing.
Continues after advertising
The evacuation orders affect another 150,000 people, reported Michael Traum. Those who were able to return, still amid the smoke and flames, to assess the damage found their homes in ruins. Everything was twisted, destroyed, covered in ash.
“Everything is gone,” lamented Altadena resident Jose Luis Godinez, speaking in Spanish. “My whole family lived in these three houses, and now we have nothing.”
As new evacuation orders were issued this weekend, there were fears that winds could push the fires toward the J. Paul Getty Museum and the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). The Palisades also threatened to cross Interstate 405, heading toward densely populated areas in the Hollywood Hills and San Fernando Valley.
Continues after advertising
Teams from California and nine other states are racing against time to contain the flames. The effort includes 1,354 fire trucks, 84 aircraft and more than 14,000 people.
The battle against the fires also has the support of Mexico and Canada. Countries neighboring the United States sent firefighters and equipment to California as an expression of solidarity, their leaders said.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said the team was carrying “the courage and heart of Mexico.” The mission, according to Mexico’s civil protection agency, was to “support the fight” against the fires. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, in turn, posted a video of a twin-engine plane throwing water on the fire with the caption “neighbors helping neighbors”.
Continues after advertising
California’s fire protection department was grateful and said support from Mexico, Canada and the US states was “crucial not only to containment efforts, but also to providing much-needed relief to brave firefighters on the front lines.” .
Authorities are the target of criticism
The crisis that has been going on for almost a week is putting pressure on California authorities. The state, which is a stronghold of the Democratic Party, and the fires entered the middle of the political dispute in the USA. Without naming names, President-elect Donald Trump once again criticized the local government this Sunday. “Incompetent politicians have no idea how to put out (the fires in LA)” he wrote on social media.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass faces accusations of management failures, political disputes and investigations. This is a critical test for the city’s administration, which is facing the biggest crisis in decades.
Continues after advertising
In turn, Gov. Gavin Newsom ordered state officials to determine why a 117 million gallon (440 million liter) reservoir was out of service and why some hydrants were left without water at the start of the fires.
Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Kristin Crowley said city leadership failed her department by not providing enough money to fight the fires. She also criticized the lack of water. “When a firefighter arrives at a hydrant, we expect there to be water,” Crowley said.
