As of Thursday morning, the most severe wildfire in Los Angeles history is sweeping through the city, with the core of the American film industry also not spared, as Hollywood Hills is burning out of control.
Currently, there are at least six separate wildfires burning in Los Angeles County, with three of them classified as “completely uncontrollable,” including the large fires on both ends of the city, and the smaller Sunset Fire near Hollywood Boulevard and the Walk of Fame on Hollywood Hills.
From space, the flames form a crescent-shaped fire clamp attacking Los Angeles. Due to dry weather and hurricane-force winds fueling the fire, the flames spread rapidly on the drought-ridden land without rain for months, forcing over 100,000 people to evacuate. Since the outbreak of the fires on Tuesday, at least five people have died.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said at a press conference, “This firestorm is unprecedented in scale.” She cut short her official visit to Ghana to quickly return to Los Angeles.
In the western part of Los Angeles, the Palisades Fire has engulfed 15,832 acres of land and hundreds of buildings, spreading from the hills between Santa Monica and Malibu, down through Topanga Canyon, reaching the Pacific Ocean by Tuesday.
On Wednesday evening, a new “Sunset Fire” ignited on Hollywood Hills. Los Angeles Fire Department Captain Erik Scott said the large fire on the iconic hills of Hollywood is forcing evacuations, and residents in the vicinity should be prepared to evacuate at any moment.
Aerial videos from U.S. media show small patches of fire raging on the mountaintop, with firefighters working hard to extinguish the blaze. The Los Angeles Fire Department stated that the current area burned is approximately 10 acres.
Evacuation orders have been issued by the Los Angeles Fire Department, affecting iconic locations in the entertainment industry including from Hollywood Boulevard to Mulholland Drive in the north, the 101 Freeway in the east, and Laurel Canyon Boulevard in the west, where the famous Hollywood Sign is located across the freeway.
The fire has spread to globally renowned entertainment landmarks and some of the most luxurious properties in the world, with homes of several movie stars and celebrities being consumed by the flames.
Movie star Billy Crystal and his wife Janice announced that their residence in Pacific Palisades, where they have lived since 1979, has been destroyed by the fire. They said, “We are heartbroken, but with the love of our children and friends, we will get through this.”
Media personality Paris Hilton expressed her deep sadness at seeing her oceanfront residence in Malibu “burn to the ground on live TV.”
Actor James Woods, in a television interview, recalled the scene of escaping the fire, saying, “One day you’re swimming in the pool, the next day everything is gone.” He choked up mentioning his niece, who brought her “little piggy bank” to help them rebuild their home.
Some residents returned to areas swept by the flames, greeted by charred ruins with only brick chimneys standing and burnt-out vehicles scattered around.
36-year-old Oliver Allnatt, wearing ski goggles and a filter mask, stood in the rubble taking photos. He said, “I just came back from my mother’s house, which has been burned to a crisp… then I came to my own home, and it’s the same, all turned to ash.” He added, “Basically just a chimney and a pile of ashes. It feels like a scene from a movie.”
In the eastern foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains, the Eaton Fire has burned 10,600 acres of land and over 1,000 buildings, resulting in at least five deaths.
Los Angeles County Emergency Management Director Kevin McGowan said at a press conference, “We are facing a historic natural disaster, which cannot be overstated.”
Although meteorologists say that the wind may temporarily weaken on Wednesday night, a “red flag warning” is expected to continue until Friday.
The scale and scope of the fires make it challenging for exhausted firefighters to respond. Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said at a press conference that firefighters from six other states are urgently rushing to California, with 250 fire crews and 1,000 personnel being relocated from Northern California to Southern California.
Officials reported water resource shortages leading to some fire hydrants in Pacific Palisades running dry. Los Angeles Department of Water and Power Director Janisse Quinones told reporters, “We have pushed the system to the limits and are combating the wildfires with the city’s water system.”
The fires come at an extremely vulnerable time for Southern California, which has seen minimal rainfall for months. Subsequently, strong Santa Ana Winds carrying dry desert air blowing from the east towards the coastal mountains have fueled the fires, rapidly spreading between hillsides and canyons.
(This article references Reuters reporting)