Firefighters were hoping for a respite this Friday from the ferocious winds fueling the huge fires in Los Angeles, which have killed 10 people, devastated entire neighborhoods and put the second largest city in the United States on alert.
The fires have consumed more than 10,000 homes and other structures since Tuesday, when they began around a densely populated 25-mile stretch north of downtown Los Angeles. The cause of the larger fires has not been identified.
The level of devastation is shocking even in a state accustomed to large wildfires. Dozens of streets in the picturesque Pacific Palisades neighborhood were reduced to smoldering rubble. In Malibu, only blackened palm trees remained on the rubble where there were once houses facing the sea.
The Los Angeles metropolitan area and its 13 million residents woke up Friday to another day of fire-stoking winds and the threat of new outbreaks. But winds were expected to ease at night. They have already decreased since the beginning of the week, when with hurricane force they sent embers flying that set fire to the slopes.
This could give firefighters a chance to make more progress, but meteorologist Rich Thompson warned the respite could be short-lived.
“We’re expecting a little respite on Friday and Saturday from the Santa Ana winds, but then they’re going to pick up again on Sunday and most of next week,” he said Thursday night.
Fires continue to appear
On Thursday afternoon, the Kenneth Fire started in the San Fernando Valley, about 2 miles from a school that was serving as a shelter for evacuees from another fire. It reached the neighboring county of Ventura, but the extensive and aggressive response operation of firefighters stopped the spread of the flames.
Just hours before the fire came to life, officials said they were feeling hopeful after firefighters, aided by lighter winds and out-of-state crews, saw the first signs of success battling the two wildfires. most devastating in the region.
A firefighting plane had to land because it was hit by a drone operated by a civilian, the Los Angeles Fire Department said. No one was injured. It is a federal crime to fly a drone during firefighting.
Firefighters made significant progress in slowing the advance of the main fires on Thursday, but they were far from containing them.
The Eaton Fire near Pasadena, which began Tuesday night, has burned more than 5,000 structures, a category that includes homes, apartment buildings, businesses, outbuildings and vehicles.
To the west, in Pacific Palisades, the largest fire active in the Los Angeles area has devastated more than 5,300 structures and firefighters managed to establish the first signs of containment on Thursday, but the incident is already the most destructive in the history of Los Angeles.
Crews also controlled a fire in the Hollywood Hills with the help of water drops from aircraft. The flames, which broke out Wednesday night near the heart of the entertainment industry, nearly burned down the famous Hollywood Bowl outdoor amphitheater.
At least five churches, a synagogue, seven schools, two libraries, boutiques, bars, restaurants, banks and grocery stores have been lost. Will Rogers’ Western Ranch House and the Topanga Ranch Motel, city landmarks dating back to the 1920s, suffered the same fate.
The government has not yet provided data on the cost of the damage. AccuWeather, a private company that provides data on the weather and its impact, on Thursday raised its estimate of damage and economic losses to between $135 billion and $150 billion.
Fire season lengthens
California’s wildfire season is starting earlier and ending later due to rising temperatures and decreased rainfall linked to climate change, according to recent data. Several climate monitoring agencies announced Friday that the Earth recorded its warmest year in 2024.
Dry winds, including Santa Ana winds, have contributed to above-average temperatures in Southern California, which has not seen more than 2.5 millimeters of rain since early May.
Evacuations, school closures and arrests
At least 180,000 people were under evacuation orders and the fires have devastated an area of around 145 square kilometers, which is approximately the size of San Francisco.
All schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District, the second largest in the country, closed again on Friday due to heavy smoke hanging over the city and ash falling in some areas.
California National Guard troops hit the streets of Altadena before dawn Friday to help protect properties in the fire evacuation zone. At least 20 arrests have been made for looting.
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