Large forest fires raging in Los Angeles killed at least five people this Wednesday (8).
Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna told the CNN KABC, that the five people died as a result of the Eaton fire.
Authorities said at a news conference earlier that two people had died.
THE CNN reached out to the sheriff’s department for more information.
The wildfires destroyed hundreds of buildings and stretched firefighting resources and water supplies to the limit, while more than 150,000 people were ordered to evacuate.
Strong winds were hampering firefighting efforts and fueling the fires, which have expanded unimpeded since they began on Tuesday (7).
The Palisades Fire, the largest of six life-threatening wildfires burning in Los Angeles County, has destroyed at least 1,000 structures and burned more than 15,800 acres (2,500 hectares) as of Wednesday. According to authorities, the fire in the region is 0% contained.
According to CalFire data, the Palisades, active in the coastal area between Malibu and Santa Monica, is the most destructive in the history of Los Angeles County.
Private forecasting company AccuWeather estimated initial damage and economic losses at more than $50 billion.
“We are facing a historic natural disaster. And I don’t think that can be said strongly enough,” Los Angeles County Emergency Management Director Kevin McGowan said at a news conference.
The sky over Los Angeles turned red in some areas and was covered in thick smoke. Nearly 1 million homes and businesses were left without power in the region, according to the website PowerOutage.us.
Lack of water
Three smaller fires in the county also strained already stretched firefighting resources, with water shortages affecting Pacific Palisades, an upscale coastal neighborhood.
“There are not enough firefighters in Los Angeles County to handle four separate fires of this magnitude,” said Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone.
With winds and smoke limiting their ability to provide aerial support, firefighters were left without enough water to fight the flames.
With spectacular ocean views, Pacific Palisades is one of the most expensive neighborhoods in the country, with the typical home valued at $3.7 million as of the end of 2023, according to Zillow.
It is also home to many film, television and music stars, including Jamie Lee Curtis, Mandy Moore and Mark Hamill, all of whom were forced to leave their homes.
The fires come at an especially vulnerable time for Southern California, which has yet to see significant rainfall since the start of the hydrological year in October.
Then came powerful winds bringing dry air from the eastern desert toward the coastal mountains, spreading the flames of wildfires.
Scientists said the fires, which broke out outside the traditional season, mark the latest in weather extremes that are likely to increase further as global temperatures continue to rise in the coming decades.
With information from Reuters.
This content was originally published in Out-of-control forest fires kill at least 5 people in Los Angeles on the CNN Brasil website.
Source: CNN Brasil
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