FFive people have died, more than 1,000 structures have been destroyed and more than 130,000 California residents have been ordered to evacuate as fast-moving wildfires broke out around Los Angeles and surrounded the city.
On Tuesday, hurricane-force winds sent embers flying through the air, igniting block after block and destroying about 42 square miles (108 square kilometers) of land. By Wednesday night, six fires were burning from the Pacific Interior to Pasadena, most of them out of control.
Satellite images show the scale of destruction from the Pacific Palisades fire, which has burned more than 15,000 acres, blackening the coastline and gutting waterfront buildings along the famous Malibu district.
In Pacific Palisades itself, more than half a dozen schools were damaged or destroyed.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said in addition to air operations to extinguish the blaze, firefighters from across California and other areas arrived to help. She warned that the country still faces “erratic winds,” although not as strong as the hurricanes seen Tuesday night, when widespread destruction occurred.
In Altadena, the town behind the mountains north of Los Angeles where the Eaton Fire broke out, satellite images showed rows of charred residential streets and smoke from nearby fires billowing into the air. On Wednesday, streets were filled with ash and buildings everywhere were engulfed in flames.
Pasadena Fire Chief Chad Augustine said between 200 and 500 structures were damaged or destroyed in the Eaton Fire.
He said the city’s water system is strained and power outages have caused further failures, but even without those problems, firefighters have been forced to fight fires as embers blown by strong winds ignite block by block. said they would not have been able to stop the fire.
In one image captured by satellite, the red glow of a fire burning near East Altadena Drive is visible amid thick black smoke.
The fire burned more than 16.5 square miles (43 square kilometers) and severely damaged more than five school campuses. About 750 firefighters were working to contain the blaze.
The National Weather Service said strong winds and very dry conditions will continue to fuel fires in the Los Angeles area. However, Augustine said the winds had subsided enough for aircraft to assist in the firefighting effort.
“The winds are very calm tonight, so we’re able to bring in aircraft and a lot of additional resources to try to get this fire out,” Augustine said. “That gives us confidence that we can solve this fire.”
The wildfires come at a particularly vulnerable time for Southern California, which has yet to receive significant rain since the start of the Water Year in October.
Powerful Santa Ana winds then blew dry desert air from the east into the coastal mountains, blowing them from the hilltops and through the canyons, fanning wildfires.
Scientists say the fires, which occurred far outside the traditional wildfire season, represent the latest extreme weather event that is likely to intensify as global temperatures continue to rise in the coming decades. He said that
From Associated Press and Reuters
