The city of Los Angeles continues to burn. Two weeks after the two large fires were declared, which are still active in the metropolitan area although under control, the Los Angeles authorities have ordered the eviction of nearly 19,000 people in the face of the “imminent threat” posed to life by a new fire declared this Wednesday afternoon in the Castaic Lake area, northwest of California, which in a few hours has already devastated more than 2,000 hectares, according to the Fire Department.
The fire, which has been named Hughesdirectly affects the entire community of Castaic, in which around 18,600 people live and which this Wednesday morning saw how the fire was activated, driven by the intense winds that hit southern California.
Authorities have already issued evacuation orders and fire crews from the Los Angeles National Forest have been deployed to the area and the US Forest Service has closed public access to the park, in the San Gabriel Mountains.
In parallel, authorities have updated the status of the other two fires that have reduced entire Los Angeles neighborhoods to ashes. After a week of significant progress in containing the historic fires, which have remained active since January 7. The fire Eaton It has devastated 5,674 hectares and is 91% controlled. For its part, the fire of Palisadesmore extensive, is close to 10,000 burned hectares and they assure that its containment is at 68%.
Since the beginning of the year, the two historic fires have devastated an area comparable to the size of Washington, DC, leaving 28 people dead and nearly 16,000 buildings damaged or completely destroyed. At the peak of the emergency, more than 18,000 people had to leave their homes, according to Los Angeles County.
Smoke and flames from the Hughes Fire near Castaic Lake.
The level of destruction in the city of stars exceeds 12,000 structures and the latest AccuWeather report increased the estimate of total damage and economic losses from 135,000 to 150,000 million dollars.
While California firefighters fight the fire, the new president of the United States, Donald Trump, announced this Tuesday that next Friday he will visit the city of Los Angeles to supervise the areas affected by the fires, in what marks his first official trip out of Washington. “We’re going to take care of Los Angeles, I’m going to go there,” the Republican leader said from the White House.
