California [US], January 12: Aircraft dropped water and fire retardant on steep hills to stem the eastward spread of the Palisades wildfire in Los Angeles on Saturday as on-the-ground firefighting efforts also intensified amid warnings of wind gusts of up to 70 miles per hour that could make matters worse.
Over the past 24 hours, the Palisades Fire spread over an additional 1,000 acres, officials reported, and consumed more homes.
Earlier on Saturday, Cal Fire official Todd Hopkins told reporters at a press conference that while 11% of the Palisades Fire was now contained, it has burned over 22,000 acres (8,900 hectares).
Hopkins said the Palisades Fire had spread into the Mandeville Canyon neighborhood and threatened to jump into Brentwood, an upscale neighborhood where celebrities live and play, and the San Fernando Valley. It also inched towards the north-south 405 freeway.
The National Weather Service warned of worsening Santa Ana winds that it predicted would pick up Saturday night into Sunday morning in Los Angeles and Ventura counties, and again on late Monday through Tuesday morning, bringing sustained winds up to 30 mph and wind gusts up to 70 mph.
Evacuation orders throughout the Los Angeles area now cover 153,000 residents, putting 57,000 structures at risk. Another 166,000 residents have been warned that they may have to evacuate, said Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna.
But significant progress was reported in bringing electrical power back to Los Angeles neighborhoods.
Southern California Edison CEO Steven Powell told reporters there are now about 50,000 customers without power, "down from over half a million just a couple days ago."
Powell said there was no evidence that any of Edison's equipment caused the Hurst fire but that the investigation was continuing.
As state and local officials grappled with the worst cluster of fires in Los Angeles history, President Joe Biden spoke by phone with some of them to get an update on their efforts and he also was briefed by his senior aides on federal resources that were being dispatched.
Biden's major disaster declaration unlocked federal assistance for those affected by the wildfires, clearing the way for FEMA to provide support.
Federal Emergency Management Agency officials, for example, were at the Pasadena Convention Center helping residents navigate FEMA aid applications.
FEMA spokesperson Michael Hart said that support can range from funding to help with home repairs to money to replace lost food or medication. The assistance can be provided within a matter of days, he said.
Source: Fijian Broadcasting Cooperation
