A series of wildfires engulfed Los Angeles on Thursday (9 Jan) after a new fire broke out in the hills overlooking Hollywood Boulevard and its Walk of Fame, pushing the symbol of the US film industry closer. Fires in Los Angeles, Santa Monica, and Malibu on the city’s western flank, and a wildfire to the east near Pasadena, created a terrifying scene. Reuters reported.
More than 100,000 people were ordered to evacuate to shelters as a result of the rapidly approaching fire ring. Originally dry in the vicinity, hurricane-force winds spread the fire to parched land where it hadn’t rained in months. At least five people have died, and many homes have been damaged since the fire broke out on Tuesday (7 Jan).
People’s homes and celebrities’ homes were destroyed in the fire. Flames tore through some of the world’s most expensive real estate and in the case of the Hollywood Hills fire.
At least six separate wildfires were burning in Los Angeles County Thursday morning, according to Reuters. Three of the six fires listed as uncontrollable include the Palisades fire in the west, the Eaton fire in the east, and the smaller Sunset fire in the Hollywood Hills.
West of Los Angeles, the Palisades fire has consumed 17,234 acres and hundreds of mountainside vegetation and wildlife habitats, descending Topanga Canyon until reaching the Pacific Ocean on Tuesday (7 Jan).
According to Reuters, media personality Paris Hilton said she was devastated to watch her beachfront home in Malibu burn on live TV. Actor James Woods recounts fleeing the fire and expresses deep sadness.
East of Los Angeles, California, in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains, the Eaton Fire has claimed another 10,600 acres, 1,000 more structures, and killed at least five people, officials told Reuters.
According to Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone, firefighters from six U.S. states are being moved to California, while 1,000 personnel and an additional 250 engine companies are moving from Northern California to Southern California.
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