Spreads quickly due to hurricane-force gusts
Yeouido reduced to ashes 25 times the area… 5 dead
Biden declares large-scale disaster area… tour canceled
The spread of forest fires that started along the coast of Los Angeles (LA), California, USA is growing out of control.
According to the New York Times (NYT) on the 8th (local time), at least five people died and many were injured in the LA wildfire. California Governor Gavin Newsom said he expected the death toll to rise further.
The forest fire that broke out the previous morning near Pacific Palisades, a luxury residential area in LA, is spreading out of control due to local hurricane-level gusts ‘Santa Anna’. Additional wildfires are occurring in Eaton, Hearst, Woodley, and Hollywood Hills in California, and seven large forest fires are simultaneously devastating LA and surrounding areas. According to CNN, more than 110 ㎢ of area has already been burned, which is 25 times the area of Yeouido (4.5 ㎢).
Local residents are shocked, saying this is their first time experiencing a forest fire that hit the city center in an instant due to gusts of wind. “I’ve been experiencing fires for years, but I’ve never experienced anything like this,” Francis Corella, 71, told Reuters.
The number of people under evacuation orders is as high as 155,000. An evacuation order was also issued in LA’s famous Hollywood area. Actor James Woods, who lives in the area, told CNN that he and his family hurriedly evacuated with only clothes, glasses, and medicine. “I was swimming in the pool yesterday, and everything disappeared overnight,” he said.
It was reported that more than 1,000 buildings were destroyed overnight and power supply to more than 1.5 million households was cut off. Bloomberg News predicted that the amount of property damage would reach up to $57 billion (about 83.2 trillion won).
On the 8th (local time), firefighters extinguish a building burning due to the ‘Palisade Fire’ forest fire in Pacific Palisades, near Los Angeles, California. Los Angeles = AP News
Evolution work is also difficult. About 1,400 firefighters have been deployed and are making every effort to extinguish the fire, but the manpower is far from sufficient compared to the scale of the fire. Due to a shortage of firefighting water, authorities advised residents to limit water use.
This fire is expected to be recorded as one of the most destructive fires following the 1961 Bel Air fire, which destroyed about 500 homes. In particular, the Eaton wildfire is the largest wildfire that occurred in California in January in 41 years.
On this day, U.S. President Joe Biden declared California a large-scale disaster area and ordered federal recovery support. President Biden also canceled his scheduled visit to Italy on the 9th to respond to the fire. Under President Biden’s action, federal funds will provide temporary housing costs, home repair subsidies, and low-interest loans to compensate for uninsured property losses to affected individuals in LA County.
Reporter Lee Ji-an easy@segye.com
(ⓒ Segye Ilbo & Segye.com, unauthorized reproduction and redistribution prohibited)
Source: www.segye.com
