PRAY FOR SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA: LA wildfires kill 10, displace thousands

International

THE huge wildfire that hit some parts of Los Angeles took the lives of at least 10 people, with fears that the number of fatalities may rise as the conflagration continues to cover one of the most populous cities in the U.S. state of California.

The fierce wildfire swallowed thousands of homes and other structures, leaving thousands of residents homeless, and others that were forced to evacuate from the smoke-filled canyons.

AP News reported that some of the blazes started on Tuesday fueled by powerful Santa Ana wind which gusted to over 70 mph in some areas.

However, the cause of the wildfires remains unknown, as the investigation is still ongoing.

Over 179, 000 residents are under evacuation orders while the 200, 000 residents are under evacuation warning, which means these people could be forced to leave their houses soon, especially if the blaze comes to worst.

In Pacific Palisades, one of the worst-ravaged areas by wildfires, and the most destructive in the history of Los Angeles, two were already confirmed dead.

In Eaton, the number of confirmed casualties was three, while over 5, 000 structures were burnt. Even the homes of celebrities like Paris Hilton, Leighton Meester, and Adam Brody were ravaged by fire.

Aerial shots of the LA wildfires showed that thick smoke covered structures that were burned to ashes and plants and trees in flame.

Although the fire weather outlook has been downgraded to “critical” from “extremely critical”, the BBC weather forecaster Sara Keith-Lucas said, there is no rain in southern California for the following days or until next week.

Governor Gavin Newsome said more than 1, 400 firefighters have already been deployed to battle the blaze, even Arizona, Oregon, Washington, New Mexico, and Utah have teams who helped to combat the fire.

Estimated damage to the economy is pegged at $135 billion to $150 billion, according to AccuWeather, a private company providing data on weather and its impact, though government officials have not yet released the estimated damage caused by the wildfire.(LAO)