At least two people have died and “a large number” have been seriously injured in a massive wildfire around Los Angeles, authorities said Wednesday.
Multiple wildfires burning around America’s second-largest city have burned more than 1,000 buildings, forcing thousands of people from their homes.
Hurricane-force winds fanned fireballs that spread from home to home in the upscale Pacific Palisades area, burning a swath of California’s most desirable real estate.
“We have more than 5,000 acres (2,000 hectares) of land burned and the fire is growing,” Los Angeles Fire Chief Anthony Marone told reporters.
“We have no containment percentage. It is estimated that 1,000 of our structures have been destroyed… and a large number of residents who did not evacuate have sustained significant injuries.”
A second major fire was burning around Altadena, north of the city, where footage showed flames engulfing entire streets.
“We have over 2,000 acres of land burning right now and the fire is growing with zero percent containment,” Marrone said.
“We have over 500 personnel deployed, and unfortunately, we have reported two civilian deaths from unknown causes at this time. And we have had a number of significant injuries. We have destroyed over 100 structures.”
Two other fires in the area were also causing damage to resources.
Dangerous gusts were pushing the flames forward, spreading red-hot embers hundreds of meters (yards) faster than firefighters could reach new areas.
As morning broke, a huge plume of smoke was visible over Los Angeles with a pungent smell of burning in the air.
The city’s mayor, Karen Bass, warned in a post on Twitter early Wednesday that “the storm is expected to become stronger by the morning.”
Some firefighters were experiencing water shortages in hydrants in the Palisades, the Los Angeles Times reported.
Emmy-award winning actor James Woods posted a video showing flames engulfing trees and bushes near his home, with all fire alarms going off as he rushed outside.
Woods said, “I can’t believe that our lovely little house in the hills will last this long. It feels like losing a loved one.”
‘ran towards the car’
The first wildfire broke out Tuesday morning and spread rapidly, catching many residents by surprise.
Pacific Palisades resident Andrew Hyers told AFP he received a message warning him of the fire as his child went to the dentist to have a tooth removed.
“We took off the masks and ran towards the car,” he said.
The trees and vegetation surrounding the Getty Villa were burned, but the structure and collections survived, the museum said.
Getty, American oil billionaire and collector J. Founded by Paul Getty and one of the richest art museums in the world, it houses Greek and Roman antiquities in a replica of a Roman country house.
The fire began as the area was being buffeted by seasonal Santa Ana winds that forecasters said could turn into the worst storm in a decade, with winds of up to 100 miles (160 kilometers) per hour.
“It’s looking quite worrying,” meteorologist Daniel Swain said.
Wildfires are part of life in the western US and play an important role in nature.
But scientists say human-caused climate change is altering weather patterns.
Southern California suffered a two-decade drought followed by two exceptionally rainy years, causing rapid vegetation growth – leaving the area saturated with fuel and ready to burn.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
