More than 100K forced to evacuate as deadly Los Angeles fires burn out of control: Updates
PASADENA, Calif. − Wind-whipped wildfires ravaged the Los Angeles area Wednesday as crews struggled to contain the rapidly growing blazes that killed at least five people, destroyed hundreds of homes, and forced evacuations for over 100,000 residents.
As crews battled infernos across the county, a new brush fire, dubbed the Sunset Fire, ignited in Hollywood Hills Wednesday evening, spurring mandatory evacuation orders and scorching 60 acres, according to CalFire and the Los Angeles Fire Department. Meanwhile, the Palisades Fire grew to 17,234 acres late Wednesday, an increase from 15,832 acres earlier in the day.
President Joe Biden approved a major disaster declaration on Wednesday and Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency as firefighters struggled to control the fires, most still 0% contained. Winds were expected to ease overnight Wednesday, but forecasters warned conditions will remain critical through at least Thursday.
The governor’s office said nearly 5,000 first responders were on the ground, including crews from Oregon, New Mexico, and Washington state. Later Wednesday, the governor’s office said over 7,500 firefighting and emergency personnel were deployed to the region. The state also mobilized up to 140 2,500-gallon water tenders to assist with the Eaton and Palisades fires.
Meanwhile, Biden announced that the Defense Department is providing additional resources to battle the California blazes, including firefighting personnel and Navy helicopters with water delivery buckets. The White House also announced Biden’s decision to cancel an upcoming trip to Italy to “remain focused on directing the full federal response” for the wildfires.
Pasadena Mayor Victor Gordo confirmed the five deaths late Wednesday afternoon. More than 100,000 people were under mandatory evacuation orders, the mayor said.
The fires destroyed more than 1,000 homes, businesses, and other structures, Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said at a briefing. There also were a “high number of significant injuries to residents who did not evacuate, in addition to first responders who were on the fire line,” he said.
“We’re facing a historic natural disaster. And I think that can’t be stated strong enough,” said Kevin McGowan, director of emergency management for Los Angeles County.
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Developments:
∎ NIGHTTIME CURFEW: The city of Santa Monica issued an emergency order in response to the impacts of the Palisades Fire on Wednesday night. Under the order, a curfew between sunset to sunrise will be implemented in areas where a mandatory evacuation order is in effect.
∎ UNSAFE WATER ALERTS: Pasadena Water and Power issued a Do-Not-Drink Water order for Pasadena and evacuated areas of the Eaton Fire on Wednesday, noting that the water system may have been impacted by “debris and elevated turbidity.” The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power also advised people in the Pacific Palisades, north of San Vicente Boulevard, to only use bottled or boiled water for drinking and cooking.
∎ POWER OUTAGES: The Southern California Edison utility said over 3.1 million customers were affected by outages. Another 1.1 million customers could be affected by additional scheduled shutoffs.
∎ FUNDRAISERS: The crowdfunding platform GoFundMe published a page of verified fundraisers to support those affected by the wildfires.
∎ FIRE SIZE: More than 27,000 acres of Los Angeles County are ablaze, according to Cal Fire, mostly from the Eaton and Palisades infernos. The agency is tracking four additional smaller fires in Los Angeles County.
∎ SCHOOL CLOSURES: The Los Angeles Unified School District announced all of its campuses will be closed Thursday due to the fires. According to federal data, it is the second-largest school district in the nation with nearly 436,000 students enrolled in 2021.
Altadena home catches fire hours after family flees
Beth Davis and her family left their Altadena home around 6 p.m. Tuesday. With two kids, along with three dogs and two guinea pigs, she and her husband decided it was best to leave sooner rather than later. The Eaton Fire destroyed their rented home sometime overnight.
“It looked like Armageddon from our driveway,” she said, describing the approaching flames.
