Los Angeles Fires Death Toll Reaches 10 as Firefighters Hope for Low Wind Reprieve

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The number of confirmed deaths due to the fires currently burning through Los Angeles County has reached 10, according to the LA Medical Examiner’s Office. Firefighters battling against strong winds are eagerly anticipating a break on day four of these relentless flames that have reduced entire communities to ashes and destroyed over 10,000 homes and structures, forcing residents to evacuate for safety reasons.

Firefighters are successfully holding back a recent wildfire, the Kenneth Fire, which sparked in San Fernando Valley on Tuesday under high wind alerts. This fire erupted just two miles from a school that has been converted into an emergency shelter and was heading towards Ventura on Thursday night. On Friday morning, the Kenneth Fire was reported to be 35% contained. The Palisades Fire near the coastline is only 6% contained at this time, while the Eaton Fire, which claimed several lives north of Pasadena, remains uncontained. The Hurst Fire, situated south of Santa Clarita, has been controlled to 37%.

On Thursday evening, helicopters dispersed water onto the Palisades Fire in Los Angeles as hurricane-like winds, reaching up to 99 miles per hour in certain areas, spread embers, causing the fire to advance in all directions. Unfortunately, one of the city’s firefighting planes was hit by a civilian-operated drone and had to be grounded, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department. Simultaneously, California National Guard troops were deployed during the night to help manage road closures and were dispatched to Altadena, where they are reinforcing their efforts as Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies started patrolling to prevent potential looting. It was reported that 20 individuals were apprehended this week for looting following the fires.

The historic Palisades Fire, known for causing the greatest destruction in Los Angeles, has destroyed more than 5,300 buildings in its path. These structures include homes, apartment complexes, businesses, outbuildings, and vehicles. The fire moved swiftly towards the coast, forcing residents from some of the city’s wealthiest neighborhoods to evacuate by car, with some eventually having to flee on foot as the flames approached.

Simultaneously, the destructive Eaton Fire, covering approximately 13,960 acres, has destroyed around 5,000 buildings and charred about 14,000 acres of land according to authorities.

As a gamer, I’d rephrase it like this: “On Thursday, Accuweather bumped up the projected damage and economic loss from these fires in my area to a staggering $135-$150 billion. Right now, all five blazes raging around Los Angeles are making their way onto the list of the most devastating fires ever recorded. To put it into perspective, these wildfires have already scorched over 36,000 acres – that’s about the same size as Miami or nearly three Manhattan-sized areas.

On Friday, it was confirmed that 2024 marked the warmest year on record for our planet Earth. This significant increase pushed the temperature above the long-standing threshold of a 1.5-degree Celsius (2.7-degree Fahrenheit) rise compared to pre-industrial levels.

This is a developing story. 

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2025-01-10 21:25