Raging wildfires in Los Angeles have killed ten people and destroyed 10,000 homes.
Out-of-control flames have raged through neighborhoods for days as high winds threaten to fuel the towering inferno.
6
6
6
6
Fire responders and cadaver dogs continue to comb through charred wreckage in a desperate search for victims after the most devastating fire in Los Angeles history.
Authorities have so far confirmed the deaths of ten people, but there are fears the number could be much higher as the fire wreaks havoc.
More than 180,000 residents were forced to flee their homes, with a further 200,000 warned they may need to evacuate quickly.
The Palisades Fire is between Santa Monica and Malibu on the city's west side and the Eaton Fire is on the east near Pasadena I'm exhausted About 53 square miles.
Biology They were reduced to ash, as celebrities including John Goodman and Leighton Meester watched their pads burn.
A third, fast-moving inferno dubbed the Kenneth Fire sparked mass evacuations in Calabasas and the Hidden Hills.
The matter is being investigated as arson – with a suspect arrested.
Los Angeles County Mayor Robert Luna said that areas of the city “look as if a bomb had been dropped on them,” describing the fires as a “crisis.”
The devastating fires are expected to have a costly impact on the city and its residents, with private weather forecasting company Accuweather estimating total damage and economic losses at up to $150 billion.
Joe Biden announced Thursday that the federal government will cover 100 percent of the cost of the fires.
The outgoing president said the costs would include salaries for first responders and shelters housing displaced residents.
The Kenneth Fire started in the late afternoon in the San Fernando Valley just two miles from a school serving as a fire shelter for evacuees, then moved into neighboring Ventura County by the evening.
“We expect this fire to spread quickly due to the high winds,” Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said.
'WAR ZONE' Los Angeles feels 'broken' as fires continue to ravage the city – but we will rebuild
Katie Forrester, assistant editor of US Sun Exclusive, is based in Los Angeles and witnessed first-hand the horror as the flames swept through the city. She said the city looked like a “war zone.”
Every year Los Angeles braces for wildfires. It is not uncommon to see flames burning in the hills and even houses burning to the ground.
But many residents have never experienced anything as devastating as this week. And it's nowhere near the end.
I spent some time near Pacific Palisades, where thick smoke filled the air, and saw desperate families fleeing the city while others begged police to let them access their properties after roads were closed.
The phrase “it's all gone” has been heard many times, with thousands of people left homeless and with little possessions.
I was lucky that the power only went out at my house, but I will never forget what I witnessed as I walked around the city.
It was like a war zone.
During my visit to one shelter, I spoke with a resident who has lived in his home for nearly 30 years and is suffering from cancer. He stayed a long time after he was told to pack up and go.
Only when flames started rising around his building did he finally gather his belongings and run out.
I reported from Altadena, where buildings were still smoldering, there were only a few fire engines in sight and emergency services were overwhelmed.
Cars and school buses were completely engulfed in flames, and grieving families stood in shock, unable to comprehend what had happened.
As the sun set, I headed home toward downtown, which felt safe, until I saw orange flames leaping behind buildings just minutes from my house.
I felt sick. I've never seen wildfires so close to Hollywood, and all of a sudden, the phones were going off with emergency notifications to evacuate the area.
Traffic lights and street lights were out, and areas filled with fallen trees due to strong winds were closed.
I feel very lucky to live minutes outside the evacuation zone, but friends panicked and fled their homes.
Although many people around the world will shrug when they hear that wealthy people have lost their homes, the reality is very different.
The city as a whole feels broken, everyone from single mothers to the elderly have been through hell.
And people are angry.
Dozens spoke of canceling their insurance policies just months before the fires, while others suffered from alleged corruption and mismanagement.
They may be angry. But they are also optimistic. The people of Los Angeles are made of tough stuff.
We will get through this. We will rebuild.
The most destructive fire in Los Angeles history
The Palisades Fire is the most destructive in Los Angeles history, and has burned more than 17,000 acres, according to Cal Fire.
Parts of Sunset Boulevard caught fire in the blaze, leaving one of the world's most famous streets in rubble and destroyed buildings.
Hollywood Boulevard, which includes the Walk of Fame and the most famous movie theaters on the silver screen, was subject to evacuation orders.
Firefighters made significant gains Thursday in slowing the spread of major fires, but containment remained elusive.
Crews were also able to extinguish a fire in the Hollywood Hills with the help of water drops from aircraft, allowing the evacuation to be lifted on Thursday.
The fire that broke out late Wednesday near the heart of the entertainment industry came close to igniting the popular outdoor concert venue the Hollywood Bowl.
6
6
About 100,000 people were forced to evacuate from the Eaton Fire – which is burning near the denser suburbs of the Palisades Fire.
Two water companies warned Altadena residents not to drink tap water and asked not to boil it due to possible contamination.
Santa Monica declared a sunset-to-sunrise curfew for the part of the city subject to mandatory evacuation.
Meanwhile, the Eaton Fire near Pasadena that started Tuesday night has burned more than 5,000 structures.
All of the major fires burning this week in the Los Angeles area are within about 40 kilometers north of downtown, spreading a sense of fear throughout the country's second-largest city.
Dozens of blocks were flattened into smoldering rubble in the scenic Pacific Palisades area.
Only the plans of the houses and their chimneys remained.
In Malibu, all that remains are charred palm fronds above the rubble where oceanfront homes once stood.
Celebrities lose their homes due to forest fires
Bushfires have not spared the homes of the rich and famous, with Hollywood stars seeing their homes tragically reduced to smoldering rubble.
Among those whose homes were burned:
- John Goodman
- Anthony Hopkins
- Paris Hilton
- Leighton Meester and Adam Brody
- Billy Crystal
- Miles Teller
- Eugene Levy
- Anna Faris
- Spencer Pratt and Heidi Montag
- James Woods
- Hunter Biden
Other celebrities were forced to flee their homes after evacuation orders were issued around the Palisades Fire and the Sunset Fire.
They include:
- Mark Hamill
- Mandy Moore
- Tom Hanks
- Reese Witherspoon
- Ben Affleck
