Ten dead in LA wildfires as Joe Biden says the devastation reminds him of a 'war scene'

LAST UPDATE | 54 mins ago

THE DEATH TOLL has risen to 10 from the Los Angeles-area fires, according to the county officials, as massive wildfires continue to engulf neighborhoods and displace thousands across the city.

The fast-moving Kenneth Fire started in the late afternoon in the San Fernando Valley near the West Hills neighbourhood and close to Ventura County.

A vast firefighting operation has continued into the night, bolstered by water-dropping helicopters thanks to a temporary lull in winds, even as new fires continue to spring up.

US President Joe Biden today likened Los Angeles to a “war scene”.

“It reminded me of more of a war scene, where you had certain targets that were bombarded,” Biden said.

The president added that there was “clear evidence of looting” during the mayhem, while also slamming “demagogues” for spreading rampant disinformation about the fires.

Meanwhile, Los Angeles mayor Karen Bass said she is expecting the fire to “rapidly spread due to high winds”, echoing the forecast that called for winds to strengthen on Thursday evening through to Friday morning.

The orders came as Los Angeles County officials announced the Eaton Fire near Pasadena that started on Tuesday night has burned more than 5,000 structures, including homes, apartment buildings, businesses and vehicles.

To the west in Pacific Palisades, the largest of the fires burning in the LA area has destroyed more than 5,300 structures.

Between the Eaton and Palisades fires, more than 10,000 structures have burned.

All of the large fires that have broken out this week in the Los Angeles area are located in a roughly 25-mile band north of downtown.

The Kenneth blaze ignited less than 3 kilometres away from the El Camino Real Charter High School, where people are sheltering from the fire in Palisades. The two fires are about 18 kilometres apart.

Dozens of blocks were flattened to smouldering rubble in scenic Pacific Palisades. Only the outlines of homes and their chimneys remained. In Malibu, blackened palm strands were all that was left above debris where oceanfront homes once stood.

At least five churches, a synagogue, seven schools, two libraries, boutiques, bars, restaurants, banks and groceries were lost. So too were the Will Rogers’ Western Ranch House and Topanga Ranch Motel, local landmarks dating to the 1920s.

The government has not yet released figures on the cost of the damage or specifics about how many structures burned.

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Firefighters made significant gains on Thursday at slowing the spread of the Eaton and Palisades fires, though Eaton remained at zero percent contained and Palisades at only a small percentage.

Crews also knocked down a blaze in the Hollywood Hills, allowing an evacuation to be lifted on Thursday. The fire that sparked up late on Wednesday near the heart of the entertainment industry came perilously close to igniting the famed Hollywood Bowl outdoor concert venue.

“While we are still facing significant threats, I am hopeful that the tide is turning,” Los Angeles County supervisor Kathryn Barger said Thursday.

Water dropped from aircraft helped fire crews quickly seize control of the fires in the Hollywood Hills and Studio City, officials said. Much of the widespread destruction occurred on Tuesday after those aircraft were grounded due to high winds.

Fire officials said on Thursday that they do not yet know the cause of the fires but are actively investigating.

Looting response

Amid the chaos, around 20 people have been arrested in the area since the first fires broke out on Tuesday, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said.

With reports of looting, Luna said a nighttime curfew was planned, and the state’s National Guard was on hand to patrol affected areas.

Governor Gavin Newsom said the service members were part of a thousands-strong deployment of state personnel.

“We’re throwing everything at our disposal – including our National Guard service members – to protect communities in the days to come,” he said.

“And to those who would seek to take advantage of evacuated communities, let me be clear: looting will not be tolerated.”

Luna said his officers were patrolling evacuation zones and would arrest anyone who was not supposed to be there.

US President Joe Biden told a White House briefing he had pledged extra federal funds and resources to help the state cope with “the most… devastating fire in California’s history.”

Meteorologists warn that “critical” windy and dry conditions, though abated, are not over.

A National Weather Service bulletin said “significant fire growth” remained likely “with ongoing or new fires” into Friday.

Wildfires occur naturally, but scientists say human-caused climate change is altering weather and changing the dynamics of the blazes.

Two wet years in Southern California have given way to a very dry one, leaving ample fuel dry and primed to burn.

With additional reporting from PA.

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