115,000 evacuated – 400,000 without power
A total of 115,000 people are under mandatory evacuation orders due to the ongoing wildfires in the Los Angeles area, according to a CNN tally.
400,000 electric customers are also without power, especially in Los Angeles County and Ventura County, which have been hit hardest.
The largest fire, in Pacific Palisades, is approaching 12,000 acres in size and is “zero percent contained,” according to the fire department.
At least two people have died and more than a thousand buildings have been destroyed in what is already one of the most destructive fires in Los Angeles history.
Expert: Could be costliest fire in U.S. history
The ongoing fire in Pacific Palisades in Los Angeles could be the costliest in U.S. history, Daniel Swain, a climate scientist at the University of California, tells CNN.
The only consolation is that it won't be the deadliest, he adds.
The fire shares many characteristics with the costliest and deadliest fire to date, the 2018 Camp fire, he says. High temperatures, strong winds and extremely flammable vegetation make the fire impossible for firefighters to control.
At least two people have been killed, several injured and more than 1,000 buildings destroyed. In total, four fires are raging in the state, and at least 70,000 people have been ordered to evacuate.
- There are not enough firefighters in Los Angeles County to handle four separate fires of this scale, says Fire Chief Anthony C. Marrone.
Two dead in wildfires: "Get out of your car and run"
Two people have died and several others have been injured in wildfires in California, which are spreading at an enormous speed in the dry, windy weather. 1,000 buildings have been destroyed, authorities said at a press conference.
On Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles, about 50 abandoned cars are lined up after police yelled at drivers to abandon their vehicles and run, reports the Washington Post.
A total of four life-threatening fires are raging, writes CNN. The largest, in the affluent Pacific Palisades area, now covers almost 1,200 hectares and has forced more than 30,000 to evacuate. Mayor Karen Bass warns that the situation is worsening as the winds increase.
There is no chance of controlling the fires, according to the fire department.
– The wind gusts are reaching hurricane force, so you can imagine what it's like trying to fight the fires, says Fire Chief Sheila Kelliher to CBS.
The ongoing fire in Pacific Palisades in Los Angeles could be the costliest in U.S. history, Daniel Swain, a climate scientist at the University of California, tells CNN.
The only consolation is that it won't be the deadliest, he adds.
The fire shares many characteristics with the costliest and deadliest fire to date, the 2018 Camp fire, he says. High temperatures, strong winds and extremely flammable vegetation make the fire impossible for firefighters to control.
At least two people have been killed, several injured and more than 1,000 buildings destroyed. In total, four fires are raging in the state, and at least 70,000 people have been ordered to evacuate.
- There are not enough firefighters in Los Angeles County to handle four separate fires of this scale, says Fire Chief Anthony C. Marrone.
Two dead in wildfires: "Get out of your car and run"
Two people have died and several others have been injured in wildfires in California, which are spreading at an enormous speed in the dry, windy weather. 1,000 buildings have been destroyed, authorities said at a press conference.
On Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles, about 50 abandoned cars are lined up after police yelled at drivers to abandon their vehicles and run, reports the Washington Post.
A total of four life-threatening fires are raging, writes CNN. The largest, in the affluent Pacific Palisades area, now covers almost 1,200 hectares and has forced more than 30,000 to evacuate. Mayor Karen Bass warns that the situation is worsening as the winds increase.
There is no chance of controlling the fires, according to the fire department.
– The wind gusts are reaching hurricane force, so you can imagine what it's like trying to fight the fires, says Fire Chief Sheila Kelliher to CBS.
The climate is driving the fires – but it could turn
Wildfires in the western United States are spreading faster. This is shown by a study that examined 60,000 fires in the country between 2001 and 2020, writes the New York Times.
The study did not examine the causes, but according to one of the authors – Jennifer Balch – global warming is a central factor. Rising temperatures are making nature in the western United States increasingly flammable, she says, adding:
– If you add wind to that, you can have truly major disasters.
Paradoxically, climate change may eventually mitigate the wildfires in California.
According to a 2019 study, high pressure over the Great Basin area east of the state is expected to decrease as it warms more than the ocean. This could lead to fewer Santa Ana winds, dry air masses that blow toward the ocean and cause fires to spread at high speed.
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