- Palisade fires still roar
- Millions evacuated
Palisade fires still roar
Massive fires continue to burn in the Los Angeles region. According to the media, the devastating fire has already engulfed some 10 000 buildings. At least five people have died. The death toll is feared to rise.
It looks as if "a nuclear bomb has been dropped in these areas", said Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna, commenting on the situation in the affected regions. The fires continue to burn out of control. According to Fire Chief Kristin Crowley, more than 5,300 homes have been reduced to ashes since Tuesday in the Pasifika Palisades area alone. Around 4,000 to 5,000 more buildings have been destroyed or damaged near Pasadena.
Millions evacuated
On Thursday, a new fire broke out in the West Hills and Hyde Hills area between Los Angeles and Ventura. Firefighters reported that it is approaching residential areas in the mountainous region dangerously fast. Thick smoke could be seen in videos. US media reported that an additional 900 firefighters are expected to be dispatched to the area, citing California Governor Gavin Newsom.
According to firefighters, the Palisades Fire, the largest of the five fires currently raging in the Los Angeles region, is burning on 8 000 hectares.
The exact number of fatalities is unclear. CNN spoke of seven victims and NBC spoke of six. Sheriff Luna confirmed only five victims so far, but stressed that due to the scale of the devastation, he does not expect good news on the number of victims.
US President Joe Biden called the fires the largest in California's history. He said that, according to information given to him, 360 000 people have already been evacuated from the worst affected areas.
Based on ELTA reports
