Powerful winds threaten to worsen the situation in Los Angeles where the raging wildfires have claimed at least 25 lives and destroyed hundreds of luxury mansions belonging to millionaires and Hollywood stars.
Here are the top 10 points in this big story:
- The National Weather Service has warned of powerful ‘Santa Ana’ winds gusting up to 110 km per hour in Los Angeles that threatens to reignite small sparks and spread the fire quicky.
- The forecaster has asked residents to stay aware of their surroundings and be ready to evacuate. It has also marked parts of the Los Angeles and Ventura counties as facing a “particularly dangerous situation”.
- Experts say that the vegetation in the area is dry and face the risk of spreading the fire quickly. The fires have already destroyed 24,000 acres in the Pacific Palisades and left about 14,000 acres Altadena community in ruins.
- Eaton and Palisades fires, which are still raging in places, are now ranked the first and second-most destructive fires in the history of Southern California. Eaton fire has claimed at least 17 lives while eight lives have been lost in Palisades fire. The previous record was held by Cedar Fire in 2003.
- Los Angeles fire chief Anthony Marrone insists that they are prepared for any renewed threats. “We have checked the water system in the Eaton fire area, and it is operational, meaning that we have water and we have pressure,” he said.
- The winds not just threaten to spread the fire but also whip up the toxic ash and pose a health problem. Urging all to wear a mask, a health official has warned that the ash can harm the respiratory system and other body parts.
- California Governor Gavin Newsom has issued an order blocking “unsolicited cash offers” of under-market values to save wildfire victims in 15 zip codes. He has also asked the debris removal teams to be on standby.
- A federal probe has begun into the wildfires with the social media exploding with conspiracy theories about what began the inferno that’s raging for a week. Among causes that they would probe are downed power lines, arson, a stray firework and an earlier fire that would have reignited.
- The fires forced at least 88,000 people out of their homes. Many, whose houses survived the devastating fires, couldn’t return. The cost of the tragedy has been pegged at between $250 billion and $275 billion, according to AccuWeather.
- Gold legend Tiger Woods has pledged support for those who are devastated by the wildfires. “My heart is with those We plan to provide an update on our own charitable efforts to help these communities in the coming weeks. Stay strong LA,” he said in an online post.
