LOS ANGELES (dpa-AFX) – Flames are shooting into the sky, smoke in the air is making it difficult to breathe: Concern is growing in Los Angeles that the situation could become even more dramatic. Weather experts expect stronger gusts again for the weekend. They could fan the fire even further. Meanwhile, the number of deaths in the catastrophic fires rose to eleven. However, the authorities fear that even more deaths will be known once investigators can safely reach the areas, some of which have been completely devastated.
Three fires remained out of control, including the particularly violent “Palisades Fire” in the Pacific Palisades district. The fire department there extended the evacuation order to other areas. Firefighting helicopters battled the flames during the night (local time). A curfew was in place to prevent looting. The Los Angeles district had recently declared a local public health emergency due to dangerous smoke. People complained about headaches.
Situation still dangerous
The fire-fighting work progressed on Friday thanks to a brief decrease in winds, but the wind picked up again in the afternoon. “The situation remains very dangerous,” said the head of the US disaster agency FEMA, Deanne Criswell. Only the “Hurst Fire” and the “Lidia Fire” have so far been largely contained, the “Kenneth Fire” is now at least 50 percent contained, as the fire protection authority Cal Fire announced.
The authority estimates that more than 12,000 buildings have already been destroyed or damaged by the fires. Around 58,000 others are at risk. Since Tuesday, around 150 square kilometers of land have gone up in flames – that’s around one and a half times the area of the island of Sylt. An evacuation order remained in effect for more than 100,000 residents, and tens of thousands more people have been warned.
Accusations, but also good news
Meanwhile, the head of the Los Angeles Fire Department, Kristin Crowley, made serious accusations against the city administration. The cut in budget funding for the fire department by around $17 million (16.5 million euros) is now having a negative impact on her agency’s ability to fight the fires, she complained to CNN. “We can no longer maintain the current situation. We don’t have enough firefighters.”
The future US President Donald Trump railed against the governor a few days ago. The Democrat Gavin Newsom now invited the Republican to personally see the extent of the forest fires. Trump could see the devastation with his own eyes, thank the heroic firefighters and meet affected citizens at the same time, the Democrat wrote in a letter that he published on X.
At the same time, there is great concern for Germany’s cultural properties, the Thomas Mann House and Villa Aurora in Pacific Palisades. The sponsoring association announced on Saturday that they had so far been spared from the violent fires. “At this point in time, Villa Aurora has not suffered any damage from the fires of the past few days.” According to current knowledge, the Thomas Mann House “has not yet been damaged by the fires, but is still in the danger zone”.
The stars affected by the fires are often the focus of the media. Prince Harry (40) and his wife, Duchess Meghan (43), met with non-celebrities affected. In footage from the US broadcaster Fox 11, the two were seen at a conference site in Pasadena near Los Angeles. There they talked to people who had to flee their homes from the flames, as well as to helpers. It was repeatedly seen how the royals gave people a comforting hug.
What is known so far about the cause of the fire?
The causes of the fire remain unclear. “If any of the fires are found to have been deliberately set, those responsible will be arrested, prosecuted and punished to the fullest extent of the law,” said Dominic Choi of the police department. In addition to arson, defective power lines are being investigated as a possible cause.
Insurance problems exacerbate the situation
The fires could become the costliest conflagration in U.S. history, analysts said. California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara called for quick payment of insurance benefits for those affected. Some major providers had reportedly already limited or withdrawn insurance coverage in high-risk areas in the spring, which could leave many homeowners unprotected./cfn/ln/DP/mis
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