LOS ANGELES (AP) — Multiple massive wildfires were sweeping through the Los Angeles area on Wednesday, destroying over 1,000 structures and killing at least five people as desperate residents fled from the flames, fierce winds, and huge smoke clouds.
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At least four separate fires were burning in the metropolitan area, from the Pacific coast to Pasadena. Thousands of firefighters are battling the flames and the Los Angeles Fire Department called on off-duty personnel to help.
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It is the most destructive fire in the modern history of the city of Los Angeles.
In addition to the five deaths, Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said that many other people were injured in the fires, which were threatening at least 28,000 structures.
The weather conditions are too windy for firefighting aircraft to fly, making the battle even more difficult. Fire officials were hoping to be able to conduct flights later on Wednesday.
The evacuation of 70,000 people was ordered.
Images of devastation showed luxurious homes in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood turned into blazing embers. The tops of palm trees were whipping against a bright red sky. Among the debris were a toppled statue and a blackened motorcycle, with melted tires.
"This morning, we woke up with a dark cloud over all of Los Angeles. But it is darker for those who are most intimately impacted by these fires. It has been 24 immensely painful hours," said Los Angeles County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath.
At least 70,000 residents were ordered to evacuate, authorities said. The flames were advancing towards densely populated and affluent neighborhoods, home to the rich and famous of California. Hollywood stars, including Mark Hamill, Mandy Moore, and James Woods, were among those forced to flee.
The Vice President Kamala Harris' house in Los Angeles was included in one of the evacuation zones, although there was no one there, according to a spokesperson.
"We are prioritizing life above all else," said Los Angeles Police Chief Robert Luna. Several hundred officers are helping residents evacuate and responding to emergencies, he indicated.
In the coastal neighborhood of Pacific Palisades, a hillside dotted with celebrity residences. In the frenzy of people trying to reach a safe place, the roads became impassable and many people abandoned their vehicles and fled on foot, some carrying suitcases.
A traffic jam on Palisades Drive was blocking emergency vehicles, so they brought in an excavator to push the abandoned cars to the side and open a path.
How many fires are there in Los Angeles?
The Eaton Fire, which started around 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday north of Pasadena in the Altadena area, reached a size of 43 square kilometers (16.6 square miles).
At a senior center, employees wheeled dozens of residents in wheelchairs and hospital beds to a parking lot where they waited in their sleepwear as embers fell around them, until ambulances, buses, and construction vans arrived to take them to safety.
A third fire that started on Tuesday night quickly prompted evacuations in Sylmar, a town in the San Fernando Valley that is the northernmost neighborhood of Los Angeles. A fourth fire was reported early on Wednesday in Coachella. The causes were under investigation.
The flames were driven by Santa Ana winds exceeding 97 kilometers per hour (60 miles per hour) in some places on Tuesday, increasing to 129 km/h (80 mph) early Wednesday, according to reports received by the National Weather Service.
President Joe Biden canceled plans to travel to Riverside County, where he was going to announce the creation of two new national monuments. He remained in Los Angeles, where the smoke was visible from his hotel, and was briefed on the wildfires.