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An investigation has begun into a series of wild fires that have hit Los Angeles County, California, United States in the past week, leaving 24 people dead and prompting local health officials to declare a public health emergency.
Home to many of Hollywood's elite, the area has been razed to the ground by six forest fires that have simultaneously caused massive damage, destroying nearly 10,000 buildings since January 7, while firefighters have struggled day and night to control the blaze.
With gusts reaching 100 miles per hour and sustained winds gusting up to 83 miles per hour in some places, the raging fire engulfed more than 53 square miles.
The AccuWeather report estimated fire damage at between $135 billion and $150 billion, making it one of the most destructive wildfires in modern U.S. history and the worst in Los Angeles history.
The first fire, known as the Palisades Fire, started around 10:30 a.m. local time (6 p.m. BST) on January 7 in the Pacific Palisades area of northwestern Los Angeles County and as of January 12 had burned 23,713 hectares and was 11 percent contained.
The Eaton Fire started around 6:23 p.m., about 23 miles east of the Palisades, in the Altadena/Pasadena area north of Los Angeles, and as of Jan. 12 had burned 14,117 acres and was 27 percent contained.
The Hurst Fire broke out overnight at around 10:25 p.m. near Santa Clarita and, as of January 12, had burned 799 acres and was 89 percent contained.
The Kenneth Fire started around 3:35 pm on January 9 in the West Hills area of Los Angeles, and as of January 12 had burned 1,052 acres and was 90 percent controlled.
Other small fires have also started across the state of California in recent days and have been brought under control.
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As of January 11, 153,000 residents had been evacuated, and another 166,000 were given warnings, with around 57,000 additional structures threatened as the fires continued to spread.
The county has imposed a curfew order in the Palisades and Eaton fire areas between 6:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. to prevent vandalism.
“If you violate this curfew, you will spend time in jail,” Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna told Reuters.
A suspect was questioned on Jan. 9 in connection with the Kenneth fire after a 911 call reported a suspicious person trying to start a fire, but police found no evidence to charge him with arson, according to Los Angeles Deputy Police Chief Dominic Choi. The suspect was later arrested for felony probation violation, and the fire investigation continues, according to Choi.
President Joe Biden approved a major disaster declaration for California on January 8. He approved federal disaster aid for the state and said the US government would reimburse 100 percent of recovery costs over the next six months.
Biden met with California Governor Gavin Newsom on January 8 to discuss water supplies after water shortages were reported at hydrants throughout the city and generators were brought in.
Resources from the National Guard and firefighters from surrounding states and Canada have been mobilized to help control the fire.
Source/Support Team:
Theepochtimes.com, Travis Gillmore, Jill McLaughlin, And Reuters
