PASADENA, Calif. − On Thursday, firefighters remained engaged in a fierce struggle against numerous lethal wildfires that ignited throughout Los Angeles, leading to chaotic scenes as people evacuated from the fierce flames.

At least five active fires were raging in Los Angeles County, burning over 40 square miles, as reported by Cal Fire. Notably, the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades area and the Eaton Fire in the San Gabriel Mountains were the largest fires recorded, both at 0% containment.

Ferocious Santa Ana winds were instrumental in spreading these dangerous wildfires that began on Tuesday. Although the winds started to diminish on Wednesday evening, a new swift-moving fire, termed the Sunset Fire in the Hollywood Hills, posed a risk to iconic landmarks in Los Angeles and triggered additional evacuation orders.

More than 100,000 individuals in the region received mandatory evacuation orders as dry, hurricane-like winds complicated firefighting efforts and accelerated the spread of flames. The National Weather Service indicated that the critical fire weather, including strong winds, may persist through Friday.

“This firestorm is significant,” stated Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass during a briefing on Wednesday evening.

California Governor Gavin Newsom has deployed over 7,500 firefighting and emergency personnel to safeguard communities. President Joe Biden endorsed Newsom’s plea for a major disaster declaration and authorized federal support for response actions in affected areas.

Fire Incident Reports:

∎ The Palisades Fire along the Pacific Coast has expanded to 27 square miles as of Thursday, according to Cal Fire; it has destroyed 300 homes, businesses, and other structures, with over 13,000 additional properties at risk.

∎ The Eaton Fire near Pasadena has increased to over 16 square miles as of Thursday and remains at 0% containment; its cause is currently under investigation, Cal Fire stated.

∎ The Hurst Fire has expanded to 855 acres, with 10% containment as reported by Cal Fire.

Confirmed Deaths from the LA Fires

At least five fatalities have been confirmed, with the potential for additional casualties as the fires continue to spread and new blazes occur.

One identified victim from the Eaton Fire near Pasadena was discovered on Wednesday morning by family members on the roadside near their home, still grasping a garden hose, as reported by KTLA-TV. His sister recounted that while she evacuated, her brother was determined to save their family home of over 50 years.

Power Outages Affecting Hundreds of Thousands

Southern California Edison announced Wednesday that over 413,000 customers lost power. Additionally, the Los Angeles Department of Water & Power reported more than 135,000 customers without electricity late Wednesday.

Pasadena Water and Power issued a Do-Not-Drink Water advisory for Pasadena and evacuated areas affected by the Eaton Fire, citing concerns about contamination from “debris and elevated turbidity.” The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power also advised residents in Pacific Palisades, north of San Vicente Boulevard, to use bottled or boiled water for drinking and cooking.

The Los Angeles Unified School District declared that all its campuses would be closed on Thursday. This district is recognized as the second-largest in the country, with nearly 436,000 students enrolled in 2021.

Pentagon Supports Firefighting Efforts

The Pentagon, at the direction of President Biden, is hastily supplying firefighting resources and personnel to assist in combating the wildfires in California, including aircraft designed to help quell the flames. The California National Guard is supplying two Modular Airborne Firefighting System units, as stated by Sabrina Singh, the Pentagon’s deputy press secretary. The Nevada National Guard will contribute two additional systems. These setups can be fitted onto C-130 planes, transforming the cargo aircraft into airtankers.

Furthermore, the Navy is dispatching 10 helicopters equipped with buckets to drop water on the fires.

“Many U.S. military installations in the region have personnel and equipment that can also be mobilized to combat this devastating blaze,” noted Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin during a meeting with allies in Germany supporting Ukraine.

On the ground, the California National Guard has initiated two ground firefighting teams and four military police companies to assist local authorities and emergency services, according to a statement by Maj. Jennifer Staton, a Pentagon spokesperson.

− Tom Vanden Brook

Celebrities Grieve Over Devastated Homes

These wildfires have obliterated at least 1,000 homes, businesses, and various structures, according to Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone. Movie star Billy Crystal expressed his sorrow, revealing that the Pacific Palisades house he shared with his wife, Janice, since 1979 has been destroyed: “We are indeed heartbroken, but with the love of children and friends, we will overcome this situation.”

Media figure Paris Hilton expressed her devastation, stating she was “heartbroken beyond measure” after witnessing her beachfront residence in Malibu “completely consumed by flames on live television.”

Some locals returned to areas ravaged by the fire, finding only brick chimneys standing amidst the scorched debris and burned cars. Oliver Allnatt, 36, donned ski goggles and a protective face mask as he captured images of the destruction.

“I had just come from my family home, where my mother resides, which was reduced to ashes,” Allnatt described. “Then I came to my own home, and it was the same situation. It’s just dust. It’s like something out of a film.”

Fleeing the Flames: Gripping Accounts of Escape from LA

Leaving their homes is a heart-wrenching experience for residents forced to flee. Karen Maezen Miller, who has nurtured a 109-year-old Japanese garden in Sierra Madre for nearly thirty years, escaped with her husband as flames flickered in the rearview mirror. Miller, a Zen Buddhist priest and educator, was unsure about the fate of her house. While driving away, they acknowledged the impact of the fierce windstorm, with gusts reaching up to 100 mph, which hurled debris all around them.

“I didn’t even want to glance back because things moved so rapidly. I just wanted my husband to accelerate, accelerate, accelerate,” Miller recounted. “You’re trying to escape a blaze, but the road was impassable.” Read more here.

− Trevor Hughes, N’dea Yancey-Bragg, Elizabeth Weise, Terry Collins

Firefighters Making Progress with Sunset Fire

Fire activity has diminished, and some evacuation mandates have been lifted for the Sunset Fire, a brush fire that ignited on Wednesday evening in the famous Hollywood Hills. The blaze was escalating rapidly, putting additional pressure on firefighting efforts in Southern California.

The Los Angeles Fire Department issued an evacuation notice shortly after 6 p.m. local time on Wednesday for parts of the celebrity-populated district in central Los Angeles. By 9:45 p.m. local time, the fire had consumed at least 60 acres and was still 0% contained, as reported by Cal Fire.

“Fire activity has DIMINISHED,” declared the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s West Hollywood Station on X early Thursday. “The fire has been assessed to be between 60 and 100 acres but is now primarily burning within the boundaries that LAFD rapidly established.” Read more here.

− Josh Peter

Wildfires in Los Angeles Area Could Reach Billions in Costs

The catastrophic fires have destroyed hundreds of homes, businesses, and various structures throughout the county, with early estimates suggesting damages could climb to nearly $10 billion.

Before the additional homes and apartments faced destruction, the largest wildfire—the Palisades Fire—was quickly gaining notoriety as one of the most devastating in California’s history, with at least 1,000 structures lost.

The acreage burned is still small compared to the hundreds of thousands of acres lost in the largest wildfires in the state’s past, but this fact is mitigated by the high property values in the affected areas of Southern California, according to Char Miller, an environmental analysis and history professor at Pomona College in Claremont, California, and author of “Burn Scars,” a history of fire management in the U.S. released last September.

An independent research team at J.P. Morgan anticipates that the insured losses from the Palisades fire could approach $10 billion, with the majority of economic losses attributed to homeowner insurance.

− Dinah Voyles Pulver

Nurse Rushes to Assist Evacuees: ‘Sometimes We All Need Support’

PASADENA, Calif. — Christianna Gutierrez responded to an urgent call for assistance at an evacuation center. The registered nurse was scrolling through TikTok when she came across a video from someone at the Pasadena Convention Center, appealing for medical professionals.

“Within five minutes, I changed into my scrubs and headed into the storm, and here I am,” Gutierrez shared, a West Hills resident and nurse for about three years, currently employed at a private school.

Unsure of what awaited her, she was enthusiastic about the opportunity to help evacuees.

“We learn about disaster nursing in school, but this is the first time I’ve felt a genuine urge to take action,” Gutierrez noted. “So I thought, ‘Why not offer assistance?'”

When she wasn’t helping individuals At the nurses’ station, she assisted in preparing beds and gathering supplies for local residents who needed to evacuate their homes. Common health issues that Gutierrez and fellow volunteers managed included asthma, respiratory complications, eye irritations, wound care, and pain relief. They primarily depended on donations for their supplies.

− Michelle Martinelli

Ways to Assist Communities Affected by Wildfires

In light of several rapidly spreading wildfires posing a threat to communities, various organizations are accepting donations to support fire victims.

• The crowdfunding platform GoFundMe has established a page featuring reputable fundraisers aimed at aiding those impacted by the fires.
• GlobalGiving’s California Wildfire Relief Fund is collecting donations that will directly contribute to wildfire relief and recovery initiatives in the state.
• The California Community Foundation’s Wildfire Recovery Fund is focused on offering support to the marginalized communities that have been most severely affected by the catastrophic fires.
• The California Fire Foundation offers assistance to firefighters combating the fires, along with support for their families and the communities they serve.

− Anthony Robledo

Water Supply Issues Amid Unchecked Fires in Los Angeles

One after another, the million-gallon tanks that firefighters used to battle the severe wildfires in Los Angeles ran out of water, leaving them unable to effectively combat the flames, officials reported on Wednesday. This announcement has prompted residents to question how the wildfires – still under investigation for their cause – escalated and became some of the most catastrophic fires in recent history.

“We faced an enormous demand on our water supply… we really pushed our system to its limits,” stated Janisse Quiñones, CEO of the LA Department of Water and Power, during a press conference on Wednesday. “If there’s one takeaway from today, it’s that I must urge our customers to conserve water.”

Thewater shortage hit Pacific Palisades, a neighborhood situated west of downtown Los Angeles and at a higher elevation, the hardest. Quiñones noted that water demand in this area surged to four times the normal usage for 15 consecutive hours.

Authorities tried to refill the tanks but were unable to restore sufficient pressure to move water up to the higher locations quickly enough, she added. Read more here.

− Michael Loria

Contributing: Reuters