Southern California is battling devastating wildfires that have claimed at least five lives, injured many and destroyed homes. By early Thursday, nearly 30,000 acres across Los Angeles County had burned, with firefighters racing to contain the flames amid dry conditions and strong winds.
Among the most destructive is the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood, which has scorched over 15,000 acres, destroyed at least 300 structures, and threatens an additional 13,300.In Altadena, the Eaton Fire has grown to 10,600 acres with no containment in sight, while the Hurst Fire northeast of San Fernando has burned 855 acres. Smaller fires, like the Lidia Fire in Acton, have scorched 348 acres, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CalFire).
“This is an unprecedented crisis,” said LA County Sheriff Robert Luna, noting that about 130,000 residents have been ordered to evacuate or prepare to leave their homes.
The National Weather Service warned that critical fire risks persist, as Southern California grapples with historic drought conditions.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom shared that over 7,500 personnel from local, state and federal agencies are responding to the fires. “We’ve deployed helicopters, water tenders, air tankers, and dozers,” he said, emphasizing the scale of the coordinated effort.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass called for residents to conserve water while police assist with evacuation traffic. “We are working urgently to close roads, redirect traffic, and expand access for LAFD vehicles to respond to the growing fire,” she posted on X.
Bass, who had just returned from a delegation trip to Ghana on Wednesday, dismissed criticism about her timing. “I took the fastest way home and stayed in contact with authorities during the trip,” she clarified, according to NPR.
The City of Los Angeles cut $17.6 million from the fire department’s budget for the 2024-2025 fiscal year. That amount represents a roughly 2% decrease from the previous year.
In response to worsening conditions, all Los Angeles Unified School District schools will remain closed Thursday. “The confluence of factors — wind, fire, and smoke — have created dangerous, complex situations that present unsafe conditions for our school communities,” the district stated.
President Joe Biden has declared a major disaster for the region, unlocking federal aid for affected residents. The assistance includes grants for temporary housing, low-cost loans for uninsured property losses, and other recovery programs. “Southern California, we are with you. And we’re not letting up,” Biden said.
This is an ongoing story. ESSENCE will continue to provide updates as more information becomes available.