Wildfires in Los Angeles California America : Details causes and situations

Wildfires in Los Angeles California

Right now, America is facing the biggest fire in its history. In California state of America, Los Angeles is on fire. This fire started on 7th January, which has spread to 5000 hectares by 9th January. Los Angeles is one of the biggest and most expensive cities in America. Most of the Hollywood stars and big businessmen stay in Los Angeles. Even America’s Prime Minister Kamala Harris had to leave her house due to the fire. According to media reports, 5 people have died in this fire. However, sources claim that this number is very low. In reality, the number of deaths is very high. Apart from this, more than 1500 buildings have been burnt to ashes.

This amount can be understood as the GDP of Pakistan was $341.3 billion in 2023. That is, 7% of the GDP of America in one year has been lost in a city fire in America. The biggest thing is that this fire is not extinguished yet, but is increasing. Approximately 300,000 people have been asked to leave the city, in which a large number of people have left Los Angeles. Approximately 100,000 people were instructed by the government to leave their homes on January 8.

The problem is not only in Los Angeles. Due to the Wildfires in Los Angeles California, smoke has filled the area of thousands of hectares. Due to this, the flights going above the area are also not able to go. Many flights have been diverted. Many experts claim that such a terrible fire has never been caught in the history of America.

how the wildfires started in Los Angeles.

• Beginning from the Palisade region, extending through the Hollywood Hills including the Sunset area, and progressing to the Eaton Hearse and Lydia fires, more than 7500 dedicated personnel are actively involved in fighting the flames. The operation has deployed 1100 and 62 fire engines offering ground support to suppress and control the spread of the fire. Additionally, 31 helicopters are conducting aerial water drops supported by six large water tanker aircraft to tackle the more inaccessible and high-intensity hotspots. But most importantly, we’ll look at how this all started. All in the videos ahead, let’s take a closer look at the factors contributing to the fires. To be honest, even experts have been taken aback by how rapidly these extremely dangerous fires have spread. By Tuesday night, the seven th of January massive blazes had already erupted in Northern Los Angeles, with more following on Wednesday.
• Let’s examine. The largest of these fires, the Palisades Fire, as mentioned, began at 1030 am. M. Local time on Tuesday. This, captured just 15 minutes after the fire was first reported, already shows its intensity from the sky. The fire quickly ballooned throughout the afternoon, raging between the beach towns of Santa Monica and Malibu. By midnight. Anna consumed nearly 3 thousand acres, destroying numerous buildings and homes, so many, in fact, that officials are still struggling to determine the full extent of the damage. The cause of the fires has not yet been identified, however, what we do know is that they have been supercharged by fierce dry winds blowing in from the northeast. These winds, known as the Santa Anna Winds, accelerate as they hit the mountainous terrain around Los Angeles. This could be seen in the striking bands of pink and purple on weather maps, indicating the areas affected by these devil winds. The Santa Anna winds also drastically reduce humidity levels, drying out the land and making it more flammable.
• With wind speeds reaching up to 60 miles per hour, these conditions are so extreme that firefighting planes have been unable to take off. Fire chiefs describe the combination of low humidity, dry soil, and strong winds as creating some of the worst fire conditions. Imaginable.
• Southern California recently experienced an exceptionally hot summer with almost no rainfall during what should now be wet season. This map illustrates the rainfall of the past 60 days compared to the average for this period. The brown areas around Los Angeles highlight regions that have received virtually no rain, leaving the land parched and highly flammable. This combination of factors has created a dire situation for thousands of Los Angeles residents, many of whom have been forced to flee their homes. These homes, often belonging to the rich and famous, have been reduced to ashes in mere hours. This is the grim reality faced by Californians as they grapple with an increasingly severe and prolonne wildfire season.
• Seven fires are currently being tackled in California. The Palisades Fire was first reported at 1030 AM 1830 Greenwich meantime on Tuesday. January seven TH. Within just 20 minutes, it grew from a 20 acre blaze to more than 200 acres. By Wednesday night, the fire had expanded to approximately 16 thousand acres. At least 30 thousand people had been ordered to evacuate their homes. The eaten fire rapidly grew to cover 1 thousand acres within the first six hours after breaking out. It started in Alltadeina in the hills above Pasadena at around 6, 30 pm local time on Tuesday. By Wednesday night, the fire had spread to over 10 thousand acres and five fatalities had been reported. The Hearse fire began burning just north of San Fernando at around 10, 10 PM local time on Tuesday. It quickly grew 800 and 50 acres according to local officials and has triggered evacuation orders in neighboring Santa Clarita.
• The Woodley Fire broke out in Woodley Park at approximately 6, 15 am local time on Wednesday according to the Los Angeles Fire Department, as Norman fully contained. The Olivia Fire erupted in Ventura County, northwest of Los Angeles, and burned across about 11 acres. It has also been fully contained. Gallia Fire ignited around two o’clock PM on Wednesday in the mountainous Acton area north of Los Angeles. It grew to cover nearly 300 and 50 acres, and as of nine o’clock PM, had been 40 percent contained. The Sunset Fire broke out at approximately six o’clock PM in the Hollywood Hills.
• A residential neighborhood overlooking the historic Hollywood area. It currently spans about 50 acres and is zero percent contained. A mandatory evacuation order remains in place.
• But there were also significant funding issues that may have hampered the firefighting efforts. A potentially leaked letter from L. A. Fire Chief Kristen Crowley dated December 1720, 24 warned Mayor Karen Bass about the repercussions of recent budget cuts. According to the letter, the 17 million dollars reduction in the department’s budget had severely limited the department’s capacity to prepare for, train for, and respond to large-scale emergencies, including wildfires. This Morning highlights the critical role that sufficient funding plays in maintaining readiness for natural disasters and other emergencies. The letter raises important questions about the impact of financial decisions on public safety, especially in a state like California, which is prone to wildfires.
• This is the actual footage of the firefighting plane in the SEA 400 and 15 also called Super Scooter. It has a big advantage compared to the other tanker since it does not have to land on airports stationed. Far away.
• The operation of the clfour 100 and 15 begins with the aircraft’s approach to a water source. The pilot skillfully maneuvers the plane toward a suitable body of water, such as a lake or river, ensuring that the location meets the necessary criteria for safety and efficiency. The approach requires careful navigation to align the aircraft with the water surface, taking into account factors like wind direction, water depth, and surrounding terrain. Once aligned, the aircraft initiates the water scooping process. A specialized scoop integrated into the plane’s underbelly is lowered onto the water surface as the aircraft glides across it. This precise action allows the scoop to collect a significant volume of water, filling the internal tank within seconds. The process is carefully monitored to ensure the tank is filled to its optimal capacity without compromising the aircraft’s balance or performance. With the water tank filled, the pilot retracts the scoop and skillfully ascends, transitioning the aircraft into departure mode. The clfour 100 and 15 then heads directly toward the fire, navigating challenging conditions such as thick smoke, high temperatures, and potentially turbulent air. The journey demands precise coordination and constant communication with ground crews to identify the most effective drop zone.
• As the aircraft approaches the target area, the water drop is executed. The pilot releases the water from the tank in a controlled manner, ensuring it directly targets the flames or the surrounding areas to suppress and contain the fire. The timing and accuracy of the drop are critical as they maximize the effectiveness of the operation while minimizing the risk of surrounding environments. Following the drop, the aircraft returns to the designated water source to repeat the process. This cycle of scooping, departing, and dropping continues as needed, showcasing the CLF 400 and 15 s efficiency and reliability in aerial firefighting. The entire operation is a testament to the aircraft’s specialized design and the expertise of its crew work tirelessly to combat fires and protect communities.

 

Latest Situation of wildfires in Los Angeles

Tonight there’s a new threat from those devastating and deadly wildfires about 9 million people across much of Los Angeles and Ventura counties under a new Red Flag Warning and on alert for more dangerous fire weather conditions the emergency is not over this fire NATO captured on camera in the Pacific Palisades evacuations expanding tonight thousands of homes and businesses destroyed at least 11 people killed Governor Gavin Nome doubling the number of National Guard to more than 1600 to help battle the Flames the ground and Air Assault continue as the fires are now threatening a growing list of neighborhoods including the exclusive Los Angeles suburb of Brentwood and the finger pointing and controversy tonight over what if anything could have been done to prevent the wildfires from causing so Much Death and destruction we have Team coverage tonight in the fire zone ABC’s Matt Rivers leads us off from Brentwood tonight with fires still raging in Los Angeles evacuations are expanding the Brentwood and enino neighborhoods under threat as residents make their way out of the area it’s very difficult and but we’re alive we’re alive fire tart drops starting in the skies above the wildfires firefighting aircraft diving again and again dropping flame retardant chemicals and water to stem the fire threat those Santa Ana winds temporarily subsiding today giving them and the thousands of crew battling the flames on the ground of fighting chance we were sitting here they probably did 50 drops between this whole line here so and that’s the difference between the first days of these fires where the winds were so high you didn’t have that kind of air support that you would normally yeah yeah and an amount of resources here as well but even as First Responders are making gains the Palisades fire starting on day one of all this now expanding in other directions some homes here already burning those active Flames we’ve been watching since the first day of this fire now here in Brentwood so you can see with these wind gusts those Flames trying to force their way up from the bottom of the canyon and as they do so they’re getting closer and closer to this house here this is somebody’s patio that we’re on and you can see the firefighters doing their best to make sure the Flames don’t get this high without these firefighters here right now the house here other houses in this neighborhood almost certainly gone residents here have largely gone others trying to bring desperately needed supplies to First Responders in the area traffic on some roads there back up for nearly 2 hours the Eaton fire today now at 15% containment the Palisades fire at 11% over 12,000 structures have been destroyed in total fire officials warning those strong winds that helped create the most destructive fire event in California’s history are expected to ramp back up once again tonight and into next week overnight this flare up overwhelming a crew on the ground firefighters on the front front lines forced to retreat from the Flames leaving these vehicles behind that flare up spawning this fire NATO and this harrowing video from earlier this week a reminder of the hellish conditions endured by ground Crews this man Alec gellis doing everything he could fighting to save his girlfriend’s house from the oncoming Flames eventually forced to leave unable to save her home it’s being eaten up by all of that valuable fire retardant without that fire retardant we would be in big trouble it’s firefighters here though making progress on getting these fires under control 11 deaths have been confirmed eight from the eaten fire and three from Palisades and tonight at least 13 people are missing ABC News Today learning the identity of two of the victims of the eaten fire a father and son Anthony and Justin Mitchell of Altadena both were in wheelchairs and awaiting evacuation his daughter remembering him as quote a great dad that any little girl could want tonight the full scope of the loss of life still unclear law enforcement also facing challenges arresting 27 people in total saying some violated a curfew implemented last night others taken into custody on suspicion of looting officials also warning business owners from taking part in price gouging people who have been victimized being victimized again in contravention and in violation of the law against price gouging in California in the time of a natural disaster in a state of emergency it’s wrong today California governor Gavin Nome doubling the amount of National Guard deployed in Los Angeles law enforcement today says they are now able to begin rescue and Recovery efforts using grid searches and cadav dogs to try and locate the missing we hope to find everybody safe uh we want to bring closure uh to the family today the city announcing that the ATF would lead a task force to investigate the cause of the Palisades fire pressed about what could have started the eaten fire officials say the investigation is fluid we are not going to leave any Rock unturned if this is a criminal act still so many questions about what caused these fires Matt Rivers is joining us now from Brentwood and Matt how long have some of these firefighters been out there and what are they most worried about in the coming days yeah with there’s really not much rest to be had out here I had a conversation with a firefighter earlier today who told me he’s been out here for two straight days but I think every firefighter you talked to to a man to a woman back there fighting these fires they’ll say this is what they do this is what they train for they wouldn’t be anywhere else but their jobs will get harder over the next few days almost assuredly these winds that

Before vs after wildfires in Los Angeles

satellite images courtesy of maxar also captured the destruction from these fires. these, for the first image, shows a neighborhood along east altadena drive in altadena before the fire. the second shows what it looked like as flames destroyed multiple homes all at once. and this is another wider view of another neighborhood in altadena. you can see dozens of homes burning at the same time. this during the eaton fire.

in the meantime, we want to let you know we are on standby right now for a potential special report, as officials do intend to brief the president about the latest right now. when that begins, we’ll take it live. but we have also heard from fire officials talking about why these wildfires were so difficult to contain.

christie ileto joins us again. christie, you spoke with a former la fire department battalion chief about the specific challenges in this case.

that’s right. former battalion chief rick crawford says in the palisades, fire crews were behind from the start, and that was because of where the fire started. there were only two fire stations, he says, with one ladder truck and that immediate neighborhood, the amount of resources it takes to get to that area, you have to drive twisty, windy, curvy sunset boulevard when they get on scene.

now, several minutes have gone. now you couple this with helicopters. they see where the embers are floating to. they can also see what’s in its pathway. if you don’t have helicopters, you’re in a sense in the forest with tall trees.

yeah. hurricane force winds grounded those choppers, and without water, air drops, firefighters could only battle the flames from the ground while embers swirled around them. the flames also spread at a pace of five football fields per minute, overwhelming crews. and as we see the magnitude today of the damage, crawford says there’s a reason that the fire is still 0% contained.

what containment means is that there’s a six-foot-wide pathway that they need to have 100% line around that fire. the reason being is because, you know, hot ash and embers and the ground is still really hot. there’s still a lot of danger that’s inside of there. and so what happens is if you have a wind shift and it blows beyond that six-foot pathway that we put around the fire line, you’re starting all over again.

how Los Angeles could have minimized the losses of wildfire in California

. Just one of so many examples of utter destruction across Los. There was a fire put out here right before we came on air. Fire trucks actually just going. We’ve been seeing a few of them over the past few minutes. It comes as Governor Gavin Newsom just called for an independent investigation into why fire hydrants were dry, saying in part, I quote him, we need answers to ensure this does not happen again. And we have every resource available to fight these catastrophic fires. While Newsom and other officials are now facing growing questions, right now it’s questions, and they’re getting loud about what could have been done to minimize the death and destruction, or whether this is just simply the way it’s going to be to live. Nick, what is OutFront? Did it really have to be this bad? No one was caught unawares here. Strong Santa Ana winds were forecast, and after months without significant rain, bone-dry vegetation was obviously primed to burn.

Number one, were there enough boots on the ground to fight the flames? Easy answer. No. We don’t have enough fire personnel in LA County between all of the departments to handle this. In a memo two years ago, L.A. City’s Fire Chief Kristen Crowley said more staff were needed with increased risk due to climate change and increased construction in danger zones. Just last month, Chief Crowley told Mayor Karen Bass that eliminating some civilian positions and cutting $7 million from firefighters’ overtime severely limited the department’s capacity to prepare for, train for, and respond to large-scale emergencies. Clearing brush, which is basically fuel, is crucial and mandatory. Chief Crowley says budget cuts meant they couldn’t inspect to make sure the clearing was actually happening. There were no reductions that were made that would have impacted the situation that we were dealing with over the last couple of days.

Number two, was there enough water to fight the flames? Again, easy answer. No. Multiple homes were threatened. I need about two or three water tenders, and there were some injuries. We got dry hydrants. Three huge water tanks helped boost pressure in the hydrants around, but we were not able to fill them fast enough because demand was overwhelming, and the Palisades is at the end of the city water system with narrower pipes and reduced flow. Some hydrants ran dry at absolutely critical moments like 3 a.m. Wednesday. We’ve lost most of the hydrant pressure. I just saw no water in hydrants. Governor, it’s all literally—is it going to be different next time? But experts tell CNN there’s not a city water system in the world that could have flawlessly handled this. Now that we’re in the 21st century, I think we have a new climate, and we need to rethink our infrastructure.

Number three, are building codes sufficient? Yes and no. Anything built after 2008 is subject to some of the strictest fireproofing codes in the country, but only about 5% of structures around here were built after 2008, according to Cal Fire. And those codes generally do not require retrofitting. So the new mall in Palisades Village is okay, and the 100-year-old mall just down the road is gone. And acres of devastation with the new-build home still standing.

Number four, power line problems. Six years ago, the devastating Woolsey Fire just east of here was lit, like many wildfires, by sparks from above-ground power lines in a Santa Ana wind. You could have 80-mile-an-hour winds, but if there’s no spark, there’s no fire. We don’t know what ignited this week’s fires, but according to Whisker Labs, there were multiple power line faults and sparks around the Palisades, Eaton, and Hearst fires in the hours before they broke out. If power lines are below ground, they cannot start fires. The town of Paradise, destroyed in 2018 by fire, is rebuilding with the power lines underground.

Now, this was, as some officials say, a perfect storm. The high winds meant they couldn’t fight this fire from the air for those first crucial hours. And in terrain like this, without air assets, you have a hand tied behind your back. Rest assured, we will absolutely do an evaluation to look at what worked, what didn’t, and to correct or to hold accountable any body, department, individual, etc. And, in the air here, obviously, you and I were just saying, right, it is particularly noxious and toxic. There is a lot of finger-pointing, and it seems that more and more of it’s pointing at elected officials and decisions that were made on budgets.

Sure. I mean, so Chief Crowley came out today, and she is pulling no punches. The fire department chief here is, she said she’s a public servant, not a politician. Her job is to make sure that her people have the equipment they need to fight fires. And she says they don’t. From 2010 till now, she says they’re dealing with 50% more calls, but with fewer firefighters and fewer resources. They need 62 more fire stations, she said. This past week, they had 100 pieces of equipment in the shop because they don’t have enough maintenance. So she is saying, absolutely, budget cuts got in the way of their ability to fight this fire. But here’s the other thing she said. Even with 100 more engines, she said that they weren’t going to be catching this fire. Yeah, this was just getting away from them.

They will come up with what they say started it. Maybe it was arson in some cases. But there were also those sparking fire lines. And that very well could have been the cause. And that is, you know, that there’s nothing they could have done about that except for ages ago when they could have made different decisions. You know, how many billions of dollars did this cost? How many billions of dollars would it cost to put the power lines underground? I don’t know.

What these fires should do is act as a wake-up call. We cannot act like we’re still in the 20th century. The climate has changed. We need to rethink how we build our cities and how we protect ourselves. Chief Crowley is saying that you need a lot more firefighters. She’s saying that, you know, between 2010 and now, the fire department in L.A. is dealing with 50% more calls but with fewer firefighters. So, you know, a lot of questions, not enough answers. They could take time.

Very hard to control the wildfire a close talk with local residential

The Los Angeles area is still burning. This morning, a massive and deadly wildfire emergency.

Resident: “It’s gone. It’s all we’ve got.”
For a second straight night, wind-driven fires are engulfing homes. A new blaze has broken out in the Hollywood Hills and Studio City.

Reporter: “This home is now collapsing.”
Cars are gridlocked as the famous Hollywood Boulevard is evacuated. Along the coast, the Palisades Fire has exploded to more than 15,000 acres. California’s iconic Pacific Coast Highway is now a trail of burnt wreckage.

Resident: “It’s devastating. It is apocalyptic. You feel like you’re on a movie set. This does not feel real.”
Another resident adds, “It doesn’t even look like a house anymore.”

At the Eaton Fire burning in Altadena, at least five people have died. Smoke has transformed a sunny day into eerie darkness. The destruction is evident everywhere. Days after this fire began, flames continue to spread. A school has been reduced to ashes, leaving the community mourning their losses, including some famous residents.

Billy Crystal, who lost his home, wrote, “Every inch of our house was filled with love.” Paris Hilton watched hers burn on TV. Mandy Moore expressed, “I’m in shock.”

A time-lapse shows the Palisades Fire’s rapid and terrifying growth. Fire crews, overwhelmed, are working around the clock.

NBC Los Angeles uncovered that the L.A. Fire Chief warned in a memo last month that budget cuts would affect emergency responses. Mayor Karen Bass faced criticism upon her return from Ghana.

Reporter to Mayor: “Do you regret cutting the fire department’s budget by millions of dollars, Madam Mayor? Have you nothing to say today?”
Bass later denied that budget cuts affected the response.

During the peak of the firestorm, city officials reported hydrants unable to keep up with the extreme demand.

Reporter: “What is going on with the water situation?”
Official: “We have had some issues with water.”
Official: “If you stick enough draw straws into the glass of water, it’s going to empty faster.”

NBC’s Morgan Chesky witnessed the challenges firsthand.

Reporter: “What have you found?”
Chesky: “Right now, we’re finding most hydrants are down or have low pressure.”

Dramatic before-and-after satellite pictures show the scope of the destruction. Firefighters are doing their best, but areas remain smoldering. Earlier this week, 80- to 100-mile-per-hour hurricane-force winds spread smoldering embers up to three to five miles away, introducing fire to unaffected neighborhoods.

Currently, winds have eased somewhat, but gusts of 60 to 70 miles per hour are forecast for the evening, making containment nearly impossible.

Wildfires science and How to survive from wild fire

You and your family decide to take a camping trip in the great outdoors. You’re relaxing in your tent when suddenly, you smell smoke. You assume the kids are making s’mores, but they’re fast asleep. This means the smoke you’re smelling is coming from the surrounding, burning forest. You’re in the middle of a forest fire. You might be camping somewhere in the Western United States, where wildfires are most common, although they can occur anywhere, with over 50,000 happening worldwide in 2019.

As big, uncontrolled infernos that catch quickly and tear through wild landscapes, 90% of forest fires are started either purposely or accidentally by humans. But what causes these fires in the first place? Wildfires occur when a heat source comes into contact with fuel, like a match igniting dry leaves or lightning striking a tree. Under extreme conditions, they can reach flame heights of 50 meters (164 feet) or more and temperatures exceeding deadly levels. These fires are extremely dangerous, killing roughly 15,000 people in the U.S. every year from chronic smoke inhalation.

So what should you do if you’re caught in a raging blaze? There’s no reason to get naked unless you’re wearing synthetics, as they burn very quickly. Instead, follow these critical steps to safely survive a forest fire:

1. Stay Calm: Avoid panicking or running, thinking you can outrun the fire—you can’t. Fires travel at extremely high speeds, making an on-foot escape nearly impossible. Panicked, shallow breathing also uses up your limited oxygen. Take a deep breath and prepare for what’s to come.
2. Cover Your Airways: Severe smoke inhalation can be fatal. Use any clothing available to cover your mouth and nose.
3. Find Shelter: If you can’t move further, look for nonflammable, safe places to hide under, such as large boulders or downed logs. Scan the nearby trees and shelter near hardwood varieties, as they are more difficult to ignite and burn slower. Avoid conifers, as they burn extremely fast.
4. Move Strategically: Fires seek oxygen and travel quicker uphill than downhill. Make your way to the bottom of any hill, if possible. Clear areas without vegetation are ideal.
5. Find or Create a Ditch: If no ditch is available nearby, start digging in an open space with soft ground. Cover yourself with whatever is available—clothing, blankets, or soil are your best options.

An example of survival comes from Nichole Jolly, a California wildfire survivor who found herself trapped in a car engulfed in flames. She jumped out of her vehicle, navigating through smoke and ash, and made it to a nearby fire truck. There, she was helped inside, and the crew used a fire blanket to cover the windows while waiting out the flames.

Finally, alert authorities about the fire and your last known location. This will increase the chances of being rescued in time with a pinpointed search area.

If you ever find yourself in a forest fire, remember to stay calm, cover your mouth and nose, assess your area, make a plan, and call for help. Hopefully, someone will come to assist you through the hellish conditions. Of course, if more people had listened to Smokey the Bear, you probably wouldn’t be in this situation.

But speaking of bears, if you should encounter a less-than-friendly one, check out How to Survive a Bear Attack and prepare ahead of time.

What could we have to do to not get such wild fires in future   

• Enhanced Land Stewardship:
• Regularly clear decaying trees, dry plant matter, and undergrowth to diminish the available fuel for wildfires.
• Create defensible zones around residences and neighborhoods, utilizing flame-resistant plants and materials for landscaping.
• Conduct controlled burns to manage vegetation and avoid larger, uncontrollable blazes from igniting.
• Increased Fire Prevention Education and Awareness:
• Launch public education initiatives to inform people on fire safety, including safe campfire practices, proper disposal of cigarette ends, and refraining from burning debris during high-risk periods.
• Offer community programs to educate homeowners and residents about fire avoidance strategies, such as clearing brush or installing fireproof roofs.
• Stricter Construction Standards:
• Implement stricter construction regulations requiring buildings and structures to be fireproof, especially in high-risk wildfire zones. This might include fireproof roofing materials, windows, and cladding.
• Promote the usage of flame-resistant materials for barriers, decks, and other outdoor fixtures to limit fire spread.
• Advanced Detection Systems and Innovation:
• Invest in fire-detection innovations like unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), surveillance cameras, and sensors to monitor forest areas for early indicators of fire, allowing authorities to act swiftly before the blaze spreads.
• Use satellite imagery to forecast regions of high fire risk and notify local officials of potential trouble spots.
• Government Support for Fire Prevention and Crisis Response:
• Increase financial backing for fire prevention measures, such as firebreaks, vegetation management, and maintaining firefighting apparatus.
• Support the recruitment, education, and funding of firefighting teams and resources to ensure a rapid and effective response when wildfires occur.

why wildfires in Los Angeles talking with local

• today Los Angeles is burning it looked like this apocalyptic scene playing out like all around us I went out to the balcony and our neighbors said look over there there’s a fire just there and I turn and we could see the Flames coming up over the hill this is burning in some steep terrain from time to time and some heavy fuel they’re being called the most destructive fires in LA’s history so how are local officials and residents responding I’m Malika Bilal in LA and this is the

• take Mona Holmes grew up in Altadena just Northeast of downtown LA it’s where the eaten fire has killed at least five people and destroyed more than 1,000 homes I watched everything unfold and wondered which part of Aladino were going to be impacted this is an entire community that is on the side of a mountain a massive mountain range and as someone who had experienced fires in that area growing up we’d never seen anything like this before it’s been devastating she’s a reporter who lives
• in East Los Angeles now but her childhood was rooted in Altadena I decided to drive four blocks north to my childhood home there were down power line lines that I had to drive through fires that were still ongoing and when I turned onto the street I grew up on called punu I almost didn’t recognize it because everything was leveled it looked as if a bomb had gone off in the neighborhood Grandma’s this is my childhood home it’s gone this is also one of the last areas in Southern California where there were
• have lost their homes more than 100,000 have been evacuated people are without power without water the air is Smoky Ash is falling I’m breathing it in I know you are too and the day before this interview you had to evacuate everything that you just said sounds so surreal and I think that everybody here agrees with that just waking up on Wednesday morning and looking out the window first thing in the morning and just seeing that big black cloud of smoke the sunrising um behind the city skyline it was just it
• was such a surreal feeling I spent New Year’s Eve in Florida visiting my mom and my sister so I landed on Tuesday Morning um I could see the Palisades fire from the left hand side of the plane as we were as we were Landing in LAX um I I took a a short video of the view from the terminal thinking man this is going to this is going to be a really bad one it is surreal to look outside of your window in a place that just a few steps away from the famous Hollywood Boulevard you know the the equivalent of
• many people have lost everything fortunately you are not one of those but I want you to walk me through what so many residents are calling these apocalyptic signs um the LA City fire chief has put it in more concrete terms it is safe to say that the Palisades fire is one of the most destructive natural disasters in the history of Los Angeles so walk me through what happened for you on Wednesday evening when you knew about one wildfire that about 40 minutes away from where you are but then you got an
• alert about a fire almost immediately where you live most people by Wednesday had already downlo downloaded an app called watch Duty it’s uh it’s an app that gives you real time information on on the fires that are burning on Wednesday the the the Palisades fire was already on the news I think he already making uh International headlines just because of how destructive how widespread uh it was the santanaa winds were still blowing very strong so you’ve had uh these communities in Malibu into Tanga Canyon
• think right now we’re just sort of hoping for the best um the evacuation order has been lifted my wife and I are planning to head back toward Hollywood uh later this afternoon to make sure that everything’s still there um to make sure that uh we are better prepared in case we have to evacuate again um I think that’s really as far as we can plan right now but I don’t know I love it here I think it’s such a wonderful place to live it’s a really it’s it’s a reason so many people want to live here it’s the reason so
• many of Hollywood celebrities want to live here it’s a speaking to another transplant right exactly exactly so I think we’d like we’d like for there to be a future for us here but um it’s scary to think about what could happen in the future yeah well Manny thank you so much for giving us your time um and I hope when you go back you find everything just as you left it yes and uh let’s meet up for a coffee once the smoke exactly the Smoke Clears I’d love that and that’s the take are you affected by the fires do you know anyone