Los Angeles Fire: After the snow storm wreaked havoc in America last week, forest fire has wreaked havoc in California this week. Wednesday’s wildfires in Los Angeles are the latest example of how climate change can wreak havoc. 8 people have died in a 17000 acre forest fire at six locations in Los Angeles, one of the wealthiest cities. It is estimated that America has suffered a loss of 5.7 billion dollars i.e. about Rs 5.15 lakh crore due to this accident. The National Weather Service has issued a red flag warning for 1.6 million people in Southern California.
The first wildfires in Pacific Palisades and Altadena in Los Angeles, California, spread rapidly on Wednesday, engulfing many nearby neighborhoods within hours. Due to the fire, more than 1.50 lakh people had to flee their homes. The fire, which raged for almost two consecutive days, spread over 25,000 acres and became the worst disaster in the history of Los Angeles. Santa Ana winds and dry weather played a significant role in fanning the fire.
Captain Eric Scott of the Los Angeles Fire Department said that even before the firefighters could control the fire, the wildfire reached a speed of 70 kilometers per hour, which took a terrible form and spread from forests to high-rise buildings and luxurious bungalows. The Hollywood Hills also came under fire. More than 2000 buildings have been destroyed and more than 28000 houses have been damaged in this fire. Apart from this, hospitals and more than a dozen schools also came under fire.
The Palisades fire has spread to 15,000 acres. Los Angeles City Fire Chief Kristin Crowley said the city of Los Angeles and the entire county are struggling to contain the fire. Due to the severe nature of the fire, a red flag warning has been issued to the public and the fire is expected to become more dangerous.
The rapid spread of the fire in residential areas of Los Angeles was primarily due to the close proximity of buildings, which resulted in the clearing of grasslands, keeping the climate dry. Apart from this, due to lack of water, fire fighters are facing difficulty in extinguishing the fire.
