LA Wildfires Destroy Thousands of Homes, Death Toll Reaches 10

Photo : Reuters

The Palisades Fire in Los Angeles, located between Santa Monica and Malibu, and the Eaton Fire near Pasadena have become two of the most dangerous wildfires in the city's history. These fires have already burned more than 34,000 acres of land, which is about 53 square miles. Entire neighborhoods have been destroyed by the flames. The fires are still spreading, with strong desert winds making them worse.

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The death toll from these wildfires has risen to 10 people, according to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner. Sheriff Robert Luna said that the number of deaths could increase as the fire continues. He said, "It looks like an atomic bomb dropped in these areas," and worried that the situation would get worse.

Experts say the damage caused by the fires could cost between $135 billion and $150 billion. This amount includes the cost of rebuilding homes and other damaged property. Mayor Karen Bass has said that Los Angeles is working hard to rebuild, but the recovery will be difficult. She has received some criticism for how the situation has been handled, but President Joe Biden promised help. He declared a major disaster and said the federal government would cover 100% of the recovery costs for the next 180 days. This includes removing debris, setting up temporary shelters, and paying for first responders.

Right now, there are five major wildfires burning in Los Angeles County. The Palisades Fire is only 6% contained, and the Eaton Fire is not contained at all. There are many planes and helicopters dropping fire retardant and water to fight the flames. One large firefighting aircraft had to stop flying after it hit a civilian drone, but no one was hurt.

A new fire, called the Kenneth Fire, started near Calabasas on Thursday. This fire grew quickly, burning 960 acres of land. Calabasas is known for being one of the wealthiest cities in the U.S., home to many celebrities. There was some confusion when Los Angeles County accidentally sent an evacuation notice to the entire county, but this was quickly fixed.

The Eaton Fire has already damaged or destroyed between 4,000 and 5,000 buildings, and the Palisades Fire has ruined or damaged about 5,300 more. In Pacific Palisades, some residents returned to their neighborhoods to find that their homes were gone. One resident, Bilal Tukhi, said it looked like his hometown in Afghanistan, which had been through a war, but he said, "We are alive. That’s all that matters."

The fires have also affected schools. Schools were canceled again on Friday because of the dangerous air quality, according to Superintendent Alberto Carvalho. While the winds calmed down a little on Thursday, they picked up again overnight, making it harder to control the fires.

The Eaton Fire even reached the Mount Wilson Observatory, a historic place where Edwin Hubble made important discoveries about space. Fortunately, the fire in that area was brought under control.

These fires in Los Angeles County have caused a lot of damage, lost and serious challenges for everyone involved. The process of rebuilding the city will take a long time, but officials are working together to help the community recover.