A big Los Angeles wildfire shifted direction on Saturday, triggering more evacuation orders and posing a new challenge to firefighters. The fires spread toward previously untouched neighborhoods, sparking fears that it would wreak more devastation to the city.
At least 11 people have died as multiple fires razed thousands of homes worth billions of dollars. Winds, which act as catalyst to wildfires, were forecast to pick up again.
Meanwhile, as thousands have been displaced, including Hollywood celebrities, Los Angeles residents have increasingly demanded to know who was at fault for the disaster.
Also read: How wildfires are wreaking havoc in Los Angeles: An interactive guide, map
Nicole Perri, a resident of the plush Pacific Palisades, said officials “completely let us down.”
James Brown, a 65-year-old retired lawyer, said the officials weren’t prepared at all for the calamity.
California governor Gavin Newsom on Friday ordered a “full independent review,” describing the lack of water supplies during the initial fires as “deeply troubling.”
“We need answers to how that happened,” he wrote in an open letter.
‘War scene in Los Angeles’
The police arrested 22 people for curfew violations, trespassing and looting in Los Angeles. Residents have organized street patrols and kept armed watch over their own houses.
According to California’s fire agency, 7,000 acres (15,000 hectares) of land has been scorched by five fires. Around 12000 buildings, including houses of Hollywood stars, have been destroyed.
“It reminded me of more of a war scene, where you had certain targets that were bombarded,” US President Joe Biden said.
The fierce Santa Ana winds that fanned the infernos eased on Friday night. But the Palisades Fire on the city’s western edge was heading in a new direction, prompting another evacuation order as it edged towards the Brentwood neighborhood and the San Fernando Valley foothills, the Los Angeles Times reported.
Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said 153,000 people were under evacuation orders and another 166,800 faced evacuation warnings.
Also read: California fire updates: Pope Francis ‘saddened’ by loss of lives, Vatican says
The US National Weather Service said that conditions in the Los Angeles area would improve through the weekend, with sustained winds slowing to about 20 mph (32 kph), gusting between 35 mph and 50 mph,
Cal Fire said there was a chance of strong winds again on Tuesday.
“There will continue to be a high likelihood of critical fire weather conditions through next week,” it said.
With inputs from Reuters, AFP
