What’s going on in Los Angeles: fresh wildfire, looting, national guards on alert.

Massive wildfires in Los Angeles remained completely uncontained, as US National Guard soldiers prepared to take to the streets to assist control unrest.

Wildfires raging across Los Angeles and surrounding regions have already obliterated 10,000 homes, businesses, and structures, plunging communities into turmoil. These devastating fires have claimed the lives of at least ten people and displaced over 180,000 residents. Fire crews are stretched to their limits as they battle numerous infernos, with new outbreaks reported on Thursday evening, heightening fears that the situation could worsen in the days ahead.

Blazes sweep through Los Angeles.
One of the most devastating wildfires in the city’s history, the Pacific Palisades Fire, has burned through over 19,000 acres. Dozens of blocks were smashed into burning ruins in the region. Only the silhouettes of dwellings and chimneys remained. In Malibu, only the charred remnants of palm fronds hovered above the ruins where oceanfront homes once stood.

The destruction included no fewer than five churches, a synagogue, seven schools, two libraries, various boutiques, bars, restaurants, banks, and supermarkets. Iconic local sites dating back to the 1920s, such as Will Rogers’ Western Ranch House and the Topanga Ranch Motel, were also lost. The administration has yet to give data on the cost of the destruction or how many structures burnt.

AccuWeather, a private organization that offers meteorological data and effect estimates, raised its damage and economic loss estimate to $135-$150 billion on Thursday.

It has damaged residences in expensive districts as well as various landmarks, including the Topanga Ranch Motel and Will Rogers’ Western Ranch House, both built in the 1920s. In Malibu, once-beautiful beachside houses have been reduced to rubble, with just charred remains left.

Another huge fire, the Eaton Fire in Pasadena, has destroyed almost 5,000 houses since it began Tuesday night.

Meanwhile, the fast-moving Kenneth Fire began in the late afternoon in the San Fernando Valley, barely 3.2 kilometers from a school that served as a refuge for fire evacuees, and spread to adjacent Ventura County before evening.

Mayor Karen Bass of Los Angeles has warned that heavy winds on Thursday evening may aggravate the fires and make control more difficult.

As firefighting efforts continue, the death toll from the wildfires climbs. Out of the ten confirmed fatalities, five are attributed to the Eaton Fire, while the remaining deaths stem from other blazes in the region.

Emergency crews are working relentlessly to recover victims from the charred ruins of homes. One heartbreaking discovery occurred in Malibu, where responders located a resident’s remains amid the wreckage of a beachfront property.

The fires have also forced widespread evacuations, prompting city schools to shut down on Friday due to heavy smoke. The Los Angeles Unified School District, the second-largest in the nation, announced that classes would only resume once conditions improve.

Adding to the emergency response, the California National Guard was deployed Thursday evening to provide additional support. Governor Gavin Newsom emphasized that the state is doing everything in its power to protect communities but warned that the situation remains dire.

President Joe Biden has pledged federal support to combat the crisis, calling the fires “the most extensive and destructive in California’s history.”

Among the thousands affected by this disaster are high-profile celebrities.
Even well-known figures have been moved. Celebrities including Paris Hilton, Billy Crystal, and Mandy Moore have lost their homes.

Jamie Lee Curtis committed $1 million to establish a “fund of support” for those devastated by the flames, which hit all socioeconomic levels in the city, from the wealthy to the lower class.

California’s wildfire season begins early.
According to new research, California’s wildfire season is starting earlier and lasting longer as a result of higher temperatures and less rainfall caused by climate change.

Dry winds, particularly the legendary Santa Anas, have led to warmer-than-average temperatures in Southern California, which has had no more than 0.1 inches (2.5 millimeters) of rain since early May.