Los Angeles: Wildfires in California have ravaged some of the most scenic neighbourhoods in Los Angeles. The fire department battled three major out-of-control blazes, reported The Associated Press. These wildfires continue to grow on Wednesday killing at least five people.
Notably, the Eaton Fire raging in the Angeles National Forest, Altadena and Pasadena claimed is responsible of all the five deaths Several people were also reportedly injured in this blaze. It is the second wildfire in the area. As per officials, a new blaze broke out in the Hollywood Hills.
The Eaton fire was was first reported at around 6 p.m. Tuesday near Altadena Drive and Midwick Drive above Altadena, reported CBS News quoting Cal Fire and the Los Angeles County Fire Department (LACoFD) crews. As per Fire Chief Chad Augustin between 200 and 500 structures have been damaged so far in the Eaton blaze.
Meanwhile, evacuation orders were also extended to Santa Monica. Over 1,30,000 people are reportedly under evacuation orders in the area, from the Pacific Coast inland to Pasadena.
According to the report by The Associated Press, more than 1,000 structures, mostly homes, have been destroyed in the wildfires. As per officials, seven schools in the fire-hit area were destroyed.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and other officials also reached the spot. Notably, on Tuesday evening much of the destruction occurred due to strong winds.
Meanwhile, a major fire in the Pacific Palisades destroyed many structures, including grocery stores and banks. Over 1,000 structures were damaged in the Palisades fires. It was the most destructive in the history oof Los Angeles. The blaze also moved further to highly affluent areas, including Calabasas and Santa Monica. These areas are homes to California's rich people and celebrities.
So far, the wildfires have wreaked havoc in about 42 square miles of area.
US President Joe Biden is closely monitoring the situation. California had reportedly deployed more than 1,400 firefighting personnel to control the fires.
Reports also surfaced that Bass cut fire department's funding by USD 17.6 million months before the wildfire
