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| Several homes have already been destroyed in the wildfire. Los Angeles, United States | Photo: Reuters |
The death toll from the devastating wildfires burning around Los Angeles in the US state of California has risen to five and over 100,000 people including celebrities, actors and musicians are fleeing.
In this situation, many of the residents there are fleeing their homes. Many of the residents who could not leave their homes and seek shelter elsewhere have been burned. Emergency services personnel are struggling to prevent the rapid spread of the fire.
More than 1500 homes have already been burned in the wildfires around the second-largest city in the United States. More than 100,000 people have fled their homes. They quickly spread to other areas, forcing thousands of people to flee their homes. The fires are most widespread in the Pacific Palisades area near Los Angeles and the Altadena area to the north.
Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Meron said his crews were struggling to keep up with the pace of the fire. "We're doing our best," he said. "But no, we don't have enough firefighters across all the departments in Los Angeles County to handle this fire."
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| A firefighter tries to put out a house fire in Pasadena, near Los Angeles, USA | Photo: Reuters |
The wildfire had burned about 16,000 acres in the Pacific Palisades area as of Wednesday afternoon local time, destroying about 1,000 homes and businesses.
Meanwhile, another wildfire around the Altadena area north of the city has burned about 10,600 acres, spreading to suburban roads.
The wind speed in this area is like a hurricane. Pacific Palisades is an elite area near Los Angeles. Many Hollywood stars live there. Due to the strong winds, fireballs are jumping from one house to another in the Pacific Palisades area.
Firefighters and emergency services are struggling to contain the blaze. They say the fire is spreading so quickly that it is spreading over a much larger area than it can be contained. According to a report in the Los Angeles Times, many firefighters and emergency services workers working to contain the blaze are facing a water shortage.
Emmy Award-winning Hollywood actor James Woods posted a video of the fire on social media. The video shows the fire approaching his home. Woods wrote, "I can't believe this is happening to our beloved little home. It's like losing a loved one."
Meanwhile, the White House said President Joe Biden has been briefed on the fires and that Biden administration officials are in contact with local officials to seek federal assistance.
Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said five people had died. He also expressed fears that the death toll could rise. "Look, things are still changing rapidly. We don't have any control over this fire yet. I really pray that we don't have to hear about it again. But I don't think that's going to happen in this case," he said.