Two massive wildfires fueled by relentless winds have terrorized Los Angeles for eight days, forcing widespread evacuations and causing catastrophic damage. Officials warn residents to remain vigilant as peak gusts are expected to persist through Friday. Thousands of firefighters from across the United States, Canada, and Mexico are battling the blazes, aided by aircraft dropping water and retardants. While the city grapples with the devastating consequences, critics question whether adequate preparedness measures were in place in the face of warnings about hazardous weather.
Firefighters have been contending with persistently strong and dry winds fuelling two giant fires that have terrified Los Angeles for eight days, testing the resolve of a city upended by the worst disaster in its history.
Although anticipated winds of up to 112 km/h had yet to materialise, firefighters reported winds of 48 to 64 km/h combined with low humidity in a region that has failed to receive any appreciable rain in nine months., damaged or destroyed more than 12,000 homes and other structures, and forced as many as 200,000 people from their homes.
A fleet of aircraft has dropped water and fire retardant into the rugged hills while ground crews with hand tools and hoses have worked around the clock since the fires broke out on January 7, with the aircraft occasionally grounded by high winds. “You’re all in it for the same mission,” said Martin Macias of the St. Helena Fire Department in Northern California. “We all got into this as service, to make somebody’s day better at the worst time.”
WILDFIRES LOS ANGELES CALIFORNIA EVACUATIONS WIND
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