- A fresh fire broke out in the West Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles on Thursday evening, engulfing more than 900 acres of land in a matter of hours. The number of firefighters across Southern California is depleted as they battle multiple wildfires that have destroyed thousands of structures and forced mass evacuations.
- The Pacific Palisades fire has scorched more than 19,000 acres, while the Altadena fire has destroyed 13,000 acres. Overall, these fires have displaced thousands of residents.
- The California National Guard has been deployed to assist in managing the crisis. “We are deploying everything we have – including our National Guard service members – to protect communities in the days ahead,” Governor Gavin Newsom said. He also issued a warning against looting, which has reportedly occurred in some evacuation areas.
- The hardest-hit areas were Pacific Palisades and Altadena, where homes worth millions of dollars were destroyed. Those affected include celebrities like Paris Hilton, Anthony Hopkins and Billy Crystal. About 180,000 residents have been ordered to evacuate, and the death toll continues to rise. “This is an absolutely unprecedented, historic storm,” said Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass.
- President Joe Biden has pledged federal resources to aid California’s response to what he has described as the most devastating wildfire in state history. “This is the most widespread, devastating fire in the history of California,” Biden said during a White House briefing.
- This fire has also provoked political conflict. President-elect Donald Trump criticized Governor Newsom on his Truth social network, dubbing him “Gavin Newsom” and accusing him of mismanagement. Trump’s claims included allegations of water mismanagement and fire prevention efforts. President Biden urged Americans to avoid politicizing the disaster.
- Amidst President-elect Trump’s aggressive campaign to include Canada as the 51st state of the United States, Justin Trudeau, who recently decided to step down as Prime Minister, has come out to extinguish the California fire. Offered help. “Neighbors helping neighbours,” Mr Trudeau wrote on Twitter and shared a video of Canadian firefighters battling L.A.
- Shelters have been overwhelmed by donations from generous locals, although officials have begun redirecting supplies to other locations. The Sunset Fire in the Hollywood Hills, which broke out Wednesday night, prompted the evacuation of thousands of people before containment efforts allowed residents to briefly return Thursday.
- As the fires raged, conspiracy theorists on social media have made unfounded claims that firefighting equipment was sent to Ukraine or that firefighting teams are understaffed due to diversity issues.
- Experts say two decades of drought followed by two exceptionally rainy years have created abundant dry vegetation that is now fueling these massive fires. The lack of significant rainfall in Southern California over the past eight months has exacerbated the problem. Meteorologists have warned that conditions remain “severe”, with strong winds and dry weather likely to persist.
