Firefighters are making slow gains in their battle to corral the enormous blaze that has consumed big chunks of Los Angeles’ Pacific Palisades neighbourhood. However, flames were still pushing forward Sunday, threatening communities in the densely populated San Fernando Valley.
Aerial crews have been dropping water and fire retardant in rugged terrain to slow the Palisades Fire’s march east. Several homes were destroyed, although ground crews managed to save some of them, television reports by KTLA television said.
“Los Angeles County lived through another night of unimaginable terror and heartbreak,” County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath said about the current and abysmal situation.
Since the blazes broke out on Tuesday, at least six significant fires have raced through Los Angeles, killing at least 16 people, the Washington Post and other media organizations reported, referring to the office of the medical examiner for Los Angeles County.
The fires have been destructive, burning down or destroying about 12,000 structures and turning whole neighbourhoods into smouldering wreckage. The flames have affected the rich and the poor, leaving an apocalyptic scene.
In the last 24 hours, the Palisades Fire spread to another 1,000 acres and now sits at over 22,000 acres. According to Cal Fire official Todd Hopkins, 11% of the fire has been contained, and it continues spreading, it’s now threatening places such as Mandeville Canyon, the posh Brentwood neighbourhood, and the San Fernando Valley. It’s also creeping closer to the critical north-south 405 freeway, meaning there are more threats for the area.
