The hills and homes of Los Angeles’ Pacific Palisades are on fire, hit by a large and dangerous fire that broke out on Tuesday. The flames, fueled by strong winds that could continue to blow for days, according to forecasts, destroyed several structures. Authorities declared a state of emergency and ordered the evacuation of tens of thousands of people, in an area where many Hollywood celebrities live. It is not yet clear how many structures were damaged or destroyed by the fire, but authorities said about 30,000 residents were evacuated and 13,000 homes were threatened by the flames. The fire broke out around 10:30 a.m. on Jan. 7, shortly after the onset of a windstorm that experts called the strongest to hit Southern California in more than a decade. The cause of the fire is unknown at this time. About 25 miles away to the northeast, another fire broke out in Altadena last night. More than 180 thousand users without electricity. The fire started in the hills overlooking the sea and less than six hours later it had burned more than 500 hectares, fueled by the dry soil and the strong winds that buffeted Southern California. Staff at a nursing home had to evacuate dozens of wheelchair-bound and bedridden patients out of the facility along the street, waiting for them to be transported to safe areas by ambulances. The Los Angeles Fire Department called on off-duty firefighters to help fight the flames, which were driven by winds that reached 97 kilometers per hour in some places, with scenes of chaos and residents fleeing. The wind was too strong to allow firefighting planes to intervene: the flames were visible for miles, with many residents abandoning their cars on blocked roads and fleeing on foot.
Source: IL Tempo
John Cameron is a journalist at The Nation View specializing in world news and current events, particularly in international politics and diplomacy. With expertise in international relations, he covers a range of topics including conflicts, politics and economic trends.
