Los Angeles Wildfires Consume Numerous Homes; Death Toll Rises to At Least 10
Los Angeles wildfires have consumed thousands of homes, resulting in at least 10 fatalities.
TroibNews 
Wildfires threatening Los Angeles have resulted in at least 10 fatalities and destroyed nearly 10,000 structures, with five fires continuing to rage into a third night on Thursday, driven by strengthening dry desert winds.
The Palisades Fire, situated between Santa Monica and Malibu on the city’s western edge, alongside the Eaton Fire, located in the east near Pasadena, have already become the most catastrophic in Los Angeles history, consuming over 34,000 acres, or approximately 53 square miles, and reducing entire neighborhoods to rubble.
An upscale coastal area of Los Angeles experienced a wildfire overnight, prompting evacuations among Hollywood celebrities who left by car and on foot.
The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner reported that the death toll has reached 10 as of their latest update on Thursday, though they did not disclose names or further details.
Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna expressed concern over the potential for an increased death toll during a preceding news conference. "It looks like an atomic bomb dropped in these areas. I don't expect good news, and we're not looking forward to those numbers," Luna remarked.
According to private forecaster AccuWeather, the estimated damage and economic losses could range from $135 billion to $150 billion, suggesting a challenging recovery ahead and significant increases in homeowners' insurance costs.
"We're already looking ahead to aggressively rebuild the city of Los Angeles," stated Mayor Karen Bass, a Democrat, in response to criticism from President-elect Donald Trump and other Republicans regarding her management of the crisis.
President Joe Biden, who declared a major disaster on Tuesday, assured on Thursday that the federal government would cover 100 percent of the recovery costs for the next 180 days, including expenses for debris removal, temporary shelters, and first responder salaries. "I told the governor, local officials, spare no expense to do what they need to do and contain these fires," Biden remarked after a meeting with senior advisors at the White House.
As a whole, five wildfires are active in Los Angeles County, with the Palisades Fire currently at just 6 percent containment and the Eaton Fire at 0 percent containment. The skies above are filled with aircraft deploying retardant and water onto the burning terrain.
A large Super Scooper aircraft, borrowed from Canada, was damaged and taken out of service after colliding with an unauthorized civilian drone near the Palisades fire, according to the L.A. County Fire Department, though no injuries were reported.
On Thursday, another rapidly expanding blaze ignited near Calabasas, a wealthy city in the U.S. that houses numerous celebrities and gated communities. The Kenneth Fire, as it’s called, quickly grew to 960 acres within mere hours.
Amid rising tensions, Los Angeles County mistakenly issued a countywide evacuation notice to its population of 9.6 million, although it was only intended for those in the vicinity of the Kenneth Fire. Officials promptly corrected the error.
Ian Smith contributed to this report for TROIB News
The Palisades Fire, situated between Santa Monica and Malibu on the city’s western edge, alongside the Eaton Fire, located in the east near Pasadena, have already become the most catastrophic in Los Angeles history, consuming over 34,000 acres, or approximately 53 square miles, and reducing entire neighborhoods to rubble.
An upscale coastal area of Los Angeles experienced a wildfire overnight, prompting evacuations among Hollywood celebrities who left by car and on foot.
The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner reported that the death toll has reached 10 as of their latest update on Thursday, though they did not disclose names or further details.
Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna expressed concern over the potential for an increased death toll during a preceding news conference. "It looks like an atomic bomb dropped in these areas. I don't expect good news, and we're not looking forward to those numbers," Luna remarked.
According to private forecaster AccuWeather, the estimated damage and economic losses could range from $135 billion to $150 billion, suggesting a challenging recovery ahead and significant increases in homeowners' insurance costs.
"We're already looking ahead to aggressively rebuild the city of Los Angeles," stated Mayor Karen Bass, a Democrat, in response to criticism from President-elect Donald Trump and other Republicans regarding her management of the crisis.
President Joe Biden, who declared a major disaster on Tuesday, assured on Thursday that the federal government would cover 100 percent of the recovery costs for the next 180 days, including expenses for debris removal, temporary shelters, and first responder salaries. "I told the governor, local officials, spare no expense to do what they need to do and contain these fires," Biden remarked after a meeting with senior advisors at the White House.
As a whole, five wildfires are active in Los Angeles County, with the Palisades Fire currently at just 6 percent containment and the Eaton Fire at 0 percent containment. The skies above are filled with aircraft deploying retardant and water onto the burning terrain.
A large Super Scooper aircraft, borrowed from Canada, was damaged and taken out of service after colliding with an unauthorized civilian drone near the Palisades fire, according to the L.A. County Fire Department, though no injuries were reported.
On Thursday, another rapidly expanding blaze ignited near Calabasas, a wealthy city in the U.S. that houses numerous celebrities and gated communities. The Kenneth Fire, as it’s called, quickly grew to 960 acres within mere hours.
Amid rising tensions, Los Angeles County mistakenly issued a countywide evacuation notice to its population of 9.6 million, although it was only intended for those in the vicinity of the Kenneth Fire. Officials promptly corrected the error.
Ian Smith contributed to this report for TROIB News
