WASHINGTON
The Hollywood Hills became the scene of the latest Los Angeles area wildfire Wednesday night as firefighters struggled to contain out-of-control infernos that have claimed at least five lives and destroyed an estimated 1,100 homes, businesses, and other buildings.
🔥 LA fires spread to Hollywood Hills as firefighters struggle to contain infernos ⤵️
— Anadolu English (@anadoluagency) January 9, 2025
🗣️ 'We're doing the very best we can. But no, we don't have enough fire personnel,' says Los Angeles fire chief
➡️ Infernos are raging out of control, powered by fierce seasonal winds, dry… pic.twitter.com/JK6LGdO9gM
The fire in the affluent Pacific Palisades neighborhood, the most destructive in Los Angeles history, according to the Wildfire Alliance, remains the largest blaze after it first erupted on Tuesday, burning 15,832 acres near the coast.
The Sunset Fire in the Hollywood Hills has grown to over 60 acres near the iconic Runyon Canyon, making it the latest site of increasingly out-of-control infernos wreaking havoc across the Los Angeles area. Evacuation orders have been issued in the area as the fast-moving fire moves southwest towards Hollywood Boulevard, site of the historic Walk of Fame.
With the addition of the Sunset Fire, the number of active blazes in the city rose to five, forcing over 100,000 local residents to flee their homes.
Several shelters have been set up in various areas of the city for displaced people.
In addition, more than 450,000 customers were without electricity in Southern California, and drinking water in four districts was declared unsafe, authorities said.
Property losses might exceed $10 billion, based on initial assessments by investment services company JPMorgan, according to media reports
Firefighters ‘overwhelmed,’ not enough personnel
Helicopters "are actively engaged," the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Office said on X as first responders seek to put an end to the blaze.
The Eaton Fire is ravaging communities further inland as it scorches over 10,600 acres northeast of Downtown Los Angeles. Four firefighters were injured, with more than 37,000 structures remains threatened by the fire.
🚨The fire in the affluent Pacific Palisades neighborhood, the most destructive in Los Angeles history
— Anadolu English (@anadoluagency) January 9, 2025
↗️California Governor announced a state of emergency
↗️All of the infernos are raging out of control, powered by fierce seasonal winds
↗️At least five killed and estimated… pic.twitter.com/DC82yNIOlF
The Hurst Fire northeast of downtown has burned an estimated 850 acres.
As of 0316 GMT, three of the five fires were reportedly 0% contained.
Meanwhile, the Lidia Fire has reached 348 acres of land with a 40% containment level.
🚒 Los Angeles firefighters, due to a lack of equipment, are using various surrounding objects to fight fires ⤵️
— Anadolu English (@anadoluagency) January 9, 2025
🔥 A firefighter is using a woman's handbag to extinguish the flames, while another is attempting to tackle the fire with a traffic cone pic.twitter.com/O2HFx5G57t
All of the infernos are raging out of control, powered by fierce seasonal winds known as the Santa Anas, dry vegetation, and low humidity.
Fire officials have warned that they are overwhelmed with the sheer scope of the devastating fires.
"We're doing the very best we can. But no, we don't have enough fire personnel in LA County between all of the departments to handle this," Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone told a Wednesday press conference.
Authorities had earlier confirmed two deaths, but updated the toll to five during an evening news conference.
"We're praying that that number doesn't increase, but there's a lot of work to do, and we'll see what happens," Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna he said. "Sometimes we talk about the looting and people who aren't listening (to authorities). I'm going to tell you, 99% of the people are listening, and I think that's why, hopefully, the injuries and fatalities, and all those ugly things will stay down. So thank you to our LA County residents for working with us in partnership."
So far, three people have been arrested for looting, he said.
🔥 The US city of Los Angeles struggles to cope with fires ⤵️
— Anadolu English (@anadoluagency) January 9, 2025
• President Joe Biden canceled his trip to Italy as the number of active fires has risen to 5
• The Palisades Fire remains the largest after being the first to erupt Tuesday morning, burning nearly 16,000 acres pic.twitter.com/MTkxEpN5WY
All of the fatalities have been attributed to the Eaton Fire, which broke out Tuesday night amid strong winds of up to 160 kilometers per hour (100 miles per hour), according to multiple reports.
A Red Flag Warning remains in effect for the area over the fire until Friday evening and winds are expected to shift to the north overnight.
