At least five people have lost their lives and over 1,000 structures have been reduced to ash as raging wildfires swept through the Los Angeles area, officials confirmed.
The fires, fueled by powerful Santa Ana winds, have forced thousands to evacuate their homes and businesses, with many fleeing smoke-filled canyons and celebrity-filled neighborhoods.
The towering blazes ignited on Tuesday and were driven by winds gusting up to 70 mph (112 kph) in certain areas, creating an inferno that firefighters struggled to contain. For a time, the winds rendered aerial firefighting efforts too dangerous. By Wednesday morning, however, firefighting aircraft resumed operations, dropping water and retardants over the flames.
Governor Gavin Newsom reported that more than 1,400 firefighters have been deployed to combat the fires, with additional support coming from Oregon, which has dispatched 240 firefighters and 60 engines. The Los Angeles Fire Department issued an extraordinary call for all off-duty personnel to join the fight.
Preliminary estimates by AccuWeather place the damage and economic losses from these fires between $52 billion and $57 billion. The destruction is concentrated in Pacific Palisades, where at least 1,000 structures have been decimated, making the Palisades Fire the most destructive in Los Angeles history. It surpasses the Sayre Fire of November 2008, which destroyed 604 structures in Sylmar.
Social media has been flooded with heart-wrenching videos capturing the fire’s wrath. Harrowing footage shows flames consuming entire neighborhoods and forcing mass evacuations.
Videos also document firefighting planes scooping water from the Pacific Ocean and releasing it over residential areas in a desperate effort to battle the infernos.
The fire’s proximity to iconic landmarks, including the Hollywood Sign, has heightened public alarm, with some residents reporting flames visible from across Los Angeles.
The devastation has prompted an outpouring of support, with neighboring states and local organizations stepping in to aid rescue operations. The Wildfire Alliance, a collaboration between the city’s fire department and MySafe:LA, is actively documenting and responding to the crisis.
