New Delhi/California:
The city of Los Angeles in the American state of California is burning. 4 days ago there was a fire in a forest here, which is spreading. Right now 6 forests are burning in Los Angeles. The scope of the fire is increasing every moment. By Friday evening, half the city was in the grip of fire. So far 10 people have died in the fire. The fire is spread in about 40 thousand acres of Los Angeles. Till now an area of ​​29 thousand acres has been completely burnt. This is said to be the biggest fire so far in California. According to an estimate, there has been a loss of Rs 11,610 billion so far due to forest fire. This figure is equal to the GDP of the European country Ukraine. However, the US government has not yet released official data on the economic loss caused by the fire.

Let us understand why fires often occur in the forests of California? How much destruction did the fire cause in Los Angeles? After all, why is it becoming so difficult to control the fire:-

The orgy of fire started from Pacific Palisades
Los Angeles is the second largest city in America after New York. This forest fire first started from Pacific Palisades on Tuesday morning. This area falls in North-West Los Angeles. The fire that started in an area of ​​just 10 acres spread to an area of ​​2900 acres within a few hours. Clouds of smoke started gathering over the city. According to CNN report, the fire has so far spread in an area of ​​40 thousand acres. So far, an area larger than Manhattan has been destroyed in the fire.

In the Pacific Palisades forest of Los Angeles, a fire is destroying an area equal to 5 football fields every minute. According to FIFA, the size of the football ground should be 105 meters long and 68 meters wide.

10 thousand buildings destroyed in fire so far
There is a fire in the forests named Palisades, Kenneth, Hurst, Lydia, Eaton and Sunset in Los Angeles. Till now about 10 thousand buildings have been destroyed. These include homes of many Hollywood celebrities. The Eaton fire near Pasadena has burned approximately 5,000 vehicles. At least 5 churches, one synagogue, 7 schools, 2 libraries, boutiques, bars, banks, stores have been destroyed in the fire. The condition has become such due to fire that blackened buildings are visible everywhere.

3 lakh people were shifted
30 thousand houses have been damaged by the fire. The rescue team has asked about 50 thousand people to vacate their homes immediately, while 3 lakh people have been instructed to go to safe places. Nearly 2 lakh people are out of their homes. Birds and animals have also become homeless in the fire. Burnt bodies of birds can be seen lying here and there on the roads.

Lights went off in homes of more than 4 lakh people
The administration has warned of further spread of the fire by Saturday. Therefore, power has been cut as a precautionary measure. In such a situation, lights are off in the houses of more than 4 lakh people.

Danger looms on ‘Hollywood Board’ too
The fire in Los Angeles has become so terrible that it is in danger of destroying the ‘Hollywood Board’, the identity of the American film industry, on the Hollywood Hills. The fire is spreading in the Hollywood Hills, just above Hollywood Boulevard and its Walk of Fame. The bungalows of many Hollywood stars have been gutted by fire in Palisades, the posh area of ​​the city.

The bungalows of these stars were destroyed
According to reports, the houses of many Hollywood stars including Paris Hilton, Steven Spielberg, Mandy Moore, Ashton Kutcher have been destroyed. Due to the fire, many celebrities had to leave their homes and shift to other places.

Even in this terrible fire, the house of Hollywood actor Steve Guttenberg has somehow survived. He told that when he woke up on Thursday morning, there was a scary sight around him. However, there was no damage to his property. The actor said that he has never seen a fire more terrible than the California fire.

On the other hand, actress Paris Hilton’s house was destroyed in the fire. He has shared the condition of his house by sharing a video on Instagram. It is clearly visible in this video that where his house used to be, some walls are now visible. The rest of the house has been reduced to debris.

Ash scattered on the roads, schools and colleges closed
Due to the fire, ashes are scattered on the roads. A cloud of black smoke is rising into the sky. In such a situation, all the schools and colleges of the city have been closed as a precautionary measure. Markets are closed. Every kind of activity has been banned. Due to the fire, Southern California Gas Company has shut off the supply of natural gas to Malibu communities from Brentwood Country Club to Pepperdine University. At least 15,000 customers will be affected by this.

How much economic loss has been caused by the fire so far?
The government has not released any loss figures. According to a private company, there has been a loss ranging from 135 billion to 150 billion dollars i.e. 11,610 billion rupees. This amount is slightly less than the GDP of Ukraine.

In the last 50 years, there have been more than 78 fires in California’s forests. Before this, the fire that broke out in Griffith Park in Los Angeles in 1933 was the largest fire in California. It had engulfed an area of ​​about 83 thousand acres. With time, residential areas near forests have increased. Therefore, there is more loss in case of fire.

Los Angeles fire visible from space
The fire in Los Angeles has become so huge that it is visible even from space. NASA has released its pictures. The view visible from the sky is scary. Burnt trucks are visible everywhere on the roads. Helicopters are trying to extinguish the fire by dropping water.

Why do California’s forests burn?
According to BBC report, there are two major reasons for forest fires. First-strong winds. Second- no rain. However, climate change can also bring such situations. The current situation in California is so critical because it has not rained in recent months. That means there was already a drought situation here. After this there were hot days. Then the weather changed. Strong winds often blow in Southern California. It is called Santa Ana Winds. These winds along with dry weather make a dangerous combination. Therefore, the possibility of sudden forest fire increases.

How is the fire spreading?
In fact, ‘Santa Sana’ winds are the biggest reason for provoking fire in the forests of Los Angeles. These winds are very hot, which blow during the autumn season. These winds trouble Southern California the most. According to BBC report, due to winter season, strong winds are blowing in the city at a speed of about 160 km per hour. Due to this the fire is spreading, which is becoming difficult for the fire tender team to control.

How is the fire being extinguished?
The help of helicopter is being taken to control the fire. 7500 firefighters have been deployed to extinguish the fire. People are being rescued and taken to safe places. Emergency shelter homes have been made in schools, colleges and community centres. Arrangements for food and drinks have been made. Emergency has been declared in the entire city. The California Administration has advised the general public not to go to the affected area. Like President Joe Biden, he has announced financial assistance for the people affected by the fire.

Problems being faced in air rescue operation
There are difficulties in controlling the fire due to stormy winds. Due to changing direction of winds, the fire is continuously spreading at different places. Due to strong winds, the fire has taken the form of firenado i.e. fire+tornado.

Canada sent super scupper plane to help
Neighboring country Canada has also come to help extinguish the fire. Canadian firefighters have started helping the rescue team. Canada has sent its CL-415 planes called Super Scooper to California. Super-scupper planes are fire fighter planes, which have the capacity to store up to 1500 gallons of water.

a suspect in custody
Meanwhile, users on social media are searching for the reason for the fire. It is being claimed on one such platform that a person started setting fire in the forest, which spread and took a huge form. Amidst these alleged rumours, the Los Angeles Police has detained a suspect. However, the Fire Chief there David Acuna has rejected this claim.