Los Angeles Fire: The fire in Los Angeles, America is becoming dangerous. Even Donald Trump has called it the biggest disaster in American history. At least 16 people have been confirmed dead due to the fire so far. The entire area has been turned into ashes and thousands of people have become homeless. Despite massive efforts the Palisades Fire is growing. It extends east toward the Getty Center art museum and north into the densely populated San Fernando Valley. Los Angeles is considered one of the most expensive areas in the world. Here, Hollywood celebrities have luxurious bungalows worth crores of rupees. Till now the houses of celebrities have been burnt to ashes.
“The winds are potentially dangerous and strong again,” Dean Creswell, head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), told CNN. “The biggest thing people need to know is that it’s still dangerous. .” US officials have warned that dangerous and strong winds will further inflame the Los Angeles wildfire and it could move faster towards residential areas.
According to AFP, weather forecasters warned that winds could reach 50 mph (80 kph) early Sunday, fueling the fires in the coming days. The National Weather Service said winds weakened Sunday and became stronger again overnight. The Palisades Fire was 11 percent contained, but had grown to 23,600 acres (9,500 ha), while the Eaton Fire was at 14,000 acres and 15 percent contained. Official figures show that more than 12,000 buildings were burnt. However, Todd Hopkins of Cal Fire said these were not all homes and included a number of outbuildings, trailers and sheds. In some areas, the massive fire turned burnt cars into molten metal.
The sudden influx of evicted people in search of a place to live has created a big problem for the city. “I’m back in the market with thousands of people. The apartment is on fire. This is not a good sign,” said a man, giving his name as Brian. Due to incidents of looting and a nighttime curfew, police and the National Guard have set up checkpoints to prevent people from going to disaster areas. Vice President Kamala Harris charged with violating curfew order after police received reports of theft Two people were arrested near his Brentwood home. A handwritten sign reading “Looters will be shot” was found hanging from a tree next to an American flag outside a home in Pacific Palisades. “I have to go there for the safety of my family, my wife, my kids, my mother, and I can’t even go see them,” said Bobby Salman, 42, of Altadena.
City officials have united following reports of a behind-the-scenes dispute between the mayor and the fire chief, but President-elect Donald Trump accused California officials of incompetence. Trump said on his Truth social platform, “This is one of the worst disasters in the history of our country. They can’t put the fire out. What’s wrong with them?”
A major investigation is underway by federal and local authorities to determine the cause of the fire. California Governor Gavin Newsom told the press that he was also launching a “Marshall Plan” to rebuild the state. “We already have a team reimagining L.A. 2.0,” he said. He also stressed the immediate problem of weather conditions, saying, “The challenge is the winds. We will get extreme winds on Monday.” Although wildfires may be started intentionally, they are often natural, and are an important part of the environmental life cycle. But urban sprawl causes more harm to people.