Wildfires raging across Los Angeles have claimed at least five lives and forced tens of thousands of residents to flee their homes, with parts of Hollywood hills under imminent threat from advancing flames.
The disaster has left a trail of destruction, making one of the most devastating in the city’s history.
Two major outbreaks, known as the Palisades and Eaton fires, have each destroyed 1,000 buildings, becoming most destructive wildfires Los Angeles County has ever recorded.
According to the California Fire Department, the scale of devastation is unprecedented, leaving neighborhoods in ruins and prompting large-scale evacuations.
Tribune Online gathered that the fires were fueled by a combination of weather conditions over the past year. Heavy rains brought by the El Niño weather system in early 2024 led to excessive vegetation growth, which later dried out during a severe drought in the latter half of the year.
Southern California received only 4 mm (0.15 inches) of rainfall during this period. These dry conditions, coupled with strong winds, created the perfect storm for the wildfires to ignite and spread.
Adding to the severity, temperatures in Los Angeles have hovered around 20 degrees Celsius (68 Fahrenheit), unusually high for winter. Kristina Dahl, vice president for science at Climate Central, explained that these conditions, hot, dry weather combined with strong winds are driving the fires to spread rapidly across southern California.
The human toll of the disaster has been grim. Five fatalities have been confirmed, though city officials fear more victims will be found in the charred wreckage.
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Since Tuesday, nearly 2,000 homes and buildings have been consumed by the flames, forcing over 100,000 residents to evacuate. Among the areas impacted is the historic Hollywood district, where flames threaten its iconic Boulevard and luxury residences.
Many of these high-value homes, worth millions, have been reduced to ash, with damages estimated at a staggering $57 billion (55 billion euros) by AccuWeather, potentially making this the costliest wildfire ever recorded.
The wildfires have also disrupted daily life and major events in Los Angeles. President Joe Biden, who was in the city to announce the creation of two new national monuments, had to cancel his scheduled address due to strong winds. Other events have also been affected, including the Critics Choice Awards gala, a highly anticipated Hollywood ceremony, which has been cancelled.
The unveiling of the Oscar nominations has been pushed back to January 19, while filming for popular shows like Grey’s Anatomy and Jimmy Kimmel Live has been temporarily halted. Even the Universal Studios theme park has closed its doors as the fires rage on.
Despite the relatively small size of the fires, covering approximately 120 square kilometers (close to 30 acres), their impact has been catastrophic. The destruction of homes, the displacement of thousands, and the threat to cultural landmarks like Hollywood Boulevard have set these wildfires apart from others in recent history.
As the city battles to contain the flames, residents and officials brace for more challenges in the days ahead, knowing that the scale of loss will take years to rebuild and recover.
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