Out-of-control wildfires are raging through parts of Los Angeles, killing at least 10 people, burning hundreds of buildings and prompting evacuation orders for around 180,000 residents across the county.
Despite the efforts of thousands of firefighters, the largest blazes are still not fully under control – with weather conditions and the underlying impact of climate change expected to continue to fan the flames for days to come.
What’s the latest?
In Los Angeles County, authorities have ordered around 179,000 people to evacuate, with many fleeing their homes with only the belongings they can carry. A further 200,000 residents are under evacuation warning, meaning they may need to leave their homes soon.
The fires have destroyed more than 10,000 buildings, making them the most destructive in Los Angeles’ history. A further 60,000 are at risk. Experts expect insured losses to exceed $8bn (£6.5bn) due to the high value of properties in the fires’ paths.
Police arrested a man on suspicion of starting a new fire on Thursday, but they have not yet determined the cause of the original blazes. The National Guard deployed troops to parts of the city to prevent looting in evacuated areas, and officers made 20 arrests.
Celebrities who have lost their homes include Mel Gibson, Leighton Meester, Adam Brody, who attended the Golden Globes just days ago, actor James Woods and Paris Hilton.
Investigators have just begun looking into the cause of the fire, but California Fire Chief David Acuna told the BBC that they found “no conclusive evidence that strong winds could have caused the fire.”
Mayor Karen Bass returned to the city from a pre-arranged trip to Africa to find it burning. She faced intense questions about the region’s preparedness, its leadership in the crisis and water issues.
California fires: Firefighting crisis, faltering preparations
There are at least five fires burning in the wider region, according to California fire officials Thursday:
- Palisades: The first fire that broke out Tuesday and is the largest in the region, which could become the most destructive in state history. It has burned a large portion of the land, covering nearly 20,000 acres, including the upscale Pacific Palisades neighborhood. It was 6% contained Thursday night
- Eaton: Hit the northern part of Los Angeles, burning in towns such as Altadena. It is the second-largest fire in the region, burning nearly 14,000 acres. It was 0% contained
- Hurst: Located just north of San Fernando, it began burning Tuesday night and has grown to 670 acres, though firefighters have begun to contain it
- Lydia: It broke out Wednesday afternoon in the mountainous Acton area north of Los Angeles and has grown to cover nearly 350 acres. Authorities say it’s 60% contained
- Kenneth: This new fire broke out Thursday on the border of Los Angeles and Ventura counties. It has so far covered nearly 1,000 acres. Firefighters have contained the previous Sunset and Woodley fires.
A political dispute over the city’s preparedness erupted after some firefighters’ hoses reportedly ran dry, drawing criticism from President-elect Donald Trump. Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marron said during a news conference Thursday that he had not received reports of firefighters running out of water or experiencing low water pressure.
But in nearby Pasadena, Fire Chief Chad Augustine said the area experienced a brief period of low pressure on a small number of hydrants. He said all the issues have been resolved. He attributed the problem to multiple fire trucks pulling water at the same time, as well as a loss of power that caused the pressure to drop.
What caused the fires?
A combination of an exceptionally dry spell downtown Los Angeles has received just 0.16 inches (0.4 centimeters) of rain since October and strong gusts of offshore wind known as the Santa Ana winds have created favorable conditions for wildfires. The Santa Ana winds flow east-west across the mountains of Southern California, according to the National Weather Service. The winds could also be responsible for the scale of the devastation that follows.
Blowing inland across deserts, they create conditions where humidity drops, drying out vegetation. If a fire starts, the winds can ignite smoldering embers in minutes. Wind speeds of 60 to 80 mph (95-130 km/h) are common, but gusts of up to 100 mph (160 km/h) can occur.
Although the strongest wind gusts have passed through the region, meteorologists have warned of another “classic Santa Ana wind event” on Thursday night local time, according to CBS News.
Investigators have just begun looking into the cause of the fire, but California Fire Chief David Acuna told the BBC that they found “no conclusive evidence that strong winds caused the fire.”
Before the fires broke out, the Los Angeles fire chief warned in a memo that budget cuts were hampering the department’s ability to respond to emergencies, BBC partner CBS News reported in the US.
Residents say that an alert mistakenly sent to every cellphone in Los Angeles on Thursday exacerbated the panic over the fire threat, angering some. About 10 million people live in the county.
In recent years leading up to 2023, California has experienced increasingly severe wildfire seasons, attributed to climate change, prolonged droughts, and population growth in fire-prone areas. These trends have made it crucial for communities in LA to adopt comprehensive fire prevention and response strategies.
