 |
| Firefighters work to control a fire in the Eaton area of Pasadena, Los Angeles County, California, USA | Photo: Reuters |
Red flag warning issued as millions due to strong winds wildfires intensify in Los Angeles. Firefighters in Los Angeles faced continued strong and dry winds on Wednesday, fanning two major wildfires there.
Two wildfires have been raging in Los Angeles, California, for eight days. Strong winds are testing the city's resilience. Los Angeles has been turned upside down by the worst disaster in its history.
Officials have urged residents to remain vigilant and be prepared to evacuate the area at any time, with strong winds forecast to continue through Thursday local time.
Authorities say the wildfire has already burned an area the size of Washington, D.C. About 6.5 million people are at serious risk. So far, 25 people have died.
"We want to reiterate the particularly dangerous situation today. Prepare now and prepare to evacuate the area," Los Angeles County Supervisor Lindsay Horvath said at a press conference yesterday.
Winds were forecast to reach 70 miles per hour (112 kilometers per hour), but that hasn't happened yet. Firefighters say winds are now at 30 to 40 miles per hour (48 to 64 kilometers per hour). The air is low in humidity. The region hasn't seen significant rain in nine months.
County Sheriff Robert Luna said the fire has damaged or destroyed more than 12,000 homes and other infrastructure. More than 200,000 people have been forced to evacuate. 82,400 people are under evacuation orders. Another 90,400 people were warned to evacuate yesterday.
The Palisades Fire west of Los Angeles has burned 23,713 acres. The fire is 19 percent contained. The Eaton Fire has burned 14,117 acres. The fire is 45 percent contained.
A new fire broke out in San Bernardino County, east of Los Angeles, on Sunday, burning 30 acres (12 hectares), according to the California Fire Department. Two other fires in Southern California are largely under control.