The number of people who died in the Eaton fire in Los Angeles has risen to five, according to NBC News, which cited Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna. Earlier today, the number was up to two dead.
The fire is located northeast of downtown Los Angeles, above the city of Pasadena. It has burned more than 16,000 acres since it started yesterday and is 0 percent contained, according to Cal Fire.
More than 100,000 people have now been ordered to evacuate the greater Los Angeles area while three other major fires burn, including this one in the upscale Pallisades.
Despite a massive mobilization from across the state of California, the fires are still burning completely out of control due to the very high winds. Personnel, and water, to put out the fire aren’t enough, US media report.
Authorities are even urging residents throughout the area to conserve water so there is enough for firefighters. Demand was so high that three reservoirs were empty by Wednesday morning, causing some fire hydrants to run dry.
Meanwhile, state Gov. Gavin Newsome has declared a state of emergency.
The picture so far
There are two major fronts that are of concern to the authorities, but there are smaller ones that are just as risky.
In the one in Eaton, north of Pasadena, more than 40,000 acres have burned. More than 100 buildings have been destroyed, according to the latest estimate.
At least 32,500 residents were under an evacuation order.
The Pallisades fire, west of Los Angeles, has burned 47,000 acres and destroyed more than 1,000 structures. In that area, about 37,000 residents are under evacuation orders.
A third fire, Hearst, in the San Fernando Valley, is approaching 2,000 acres, and more than 3,000 residents have been ordered to evacuate.
More than 1.5 million homes, businesses, and other electricity customers were without power as of Wednesday afternoon, according to PowerOutage.us . Nearly all were in Southern California.
Finally, the fires are also causing political controversy.
Outgoing President Joe Biden warned that recovery “will take time,” but President-elect Donald Trump found another issue to deal with: blamed Newsom and his environmental policies for the failure to address the wildfires promptly.
One dangerous factor that is adding to the fires in Southern California is the Santa Ana (Santa Ana) winds that blow frequently through the state.
These are winds that come down from the mountains to the sea. Because their patterns are irregular and their directions are unpredictable, which is why they are called “diablo winds”, meaning “devil winds”.
Wind gusts are usually around 80-100 km/h (50-100 mph), but locally they have even reached up to 160 km/h (100 mph).
The good news is that the winds will start to weaken slightly during Wednesday afternoon (Thursday morning in Greece).
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The battle with the insurance companies
Beyond that, complaints being made about insurance companies suggest that, even when the fires are out, the road to recovery will be a difficult one with uncertain – if not non-existent – outcomes for fire victims.
State Farm, one of the largest insurance companies in California, last summer cancelled hundreds of homeowners’ policies in Pacific Palisades, the area currently affected by a devastating wildfire.
The company justified the move as an attempt to avoid “financial failure,” reports Newsweek, as the frequency and severity of wildfires increases in California, particularly in high-risk zones. But as the wildfires currently burning across California threaten to cause major damage to residents, many of whom will have to rely on their insurance companies to get back on their feet again.
In addition, several private insurers have cut coverage in high-risk areas across California over the past three years, leaving homeowners scrambling to find options for coverage. As a result, California’s FAIR plan, which is an insurer of last resort in the state, more than doubled its policies between 2020 and 2024.
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