New York [US], January 10: At least five people have died, four firefighters have been injured and more than 1,000 homes have been destroyed as major wildfires, fuelled by strong winds, continue to ravage the Los Angeles area in the United States, officials said.
Several wildfires are burning across the Los Angeles area in California. The largest of which, the Palisades fire, had burned more than 17,000 acres as of Thursday morning, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
A state of emergency has been declared, with more than 130,000 people ordered to evacuate or prepare to evacuate the area, County Sheriff Robert Luna told a media conference.
Thousands of emergency personnel are battling the inferno which has destroyed almost 2,000 buildings. Officials said more than 37,000 buildings in the region are threatened by the flames.
Firefighting efforts in the difficult-to-access terrain are being hindered by extreme wind speeds.
About 1,000 houses have been burned down by the Palisades fire, which is raging on the western edge of Los Angeles, including in the affluent Pacific Palisades district where several celebrities have homes.
Actor Billy Crystal and hotel heiress Paris Hilton have both made public statements saying that they have lost their homes in the fire.
Another fire erupted Wednesday evening in the iconic Hollywood Hills district and parts of the neighbourhood had to be evacuated.
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said on Thursday that the United Nations was ready to support the firefighting efforts in and around Los Angeles if needed.
"Antonio Guterres is shocked and saddened by the widespread devastation caused by the wildfires in California," his office stated.
Guterres also offered his condolences to the families of the victims and expressed his sympathy for the many people who had had to leave their homes or had lost them.
He thanked the emergency services who were "doing everything they can in extremely difficult conditions."
US President Joe Biden declared the fire-affected region in California a disaster area on Wednesday. The president's action makes federal funding available to those affected by the fires.
California Governor Gavin Newsom said, "California has thousands of boots on the ground working to combat these fires. The state is leaving no stone unturned to protect California communities." Biden later cancelled his planned trip to Italy due to the wildfires.
In a short statement, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Biden had travelled to Los Angeles on Wednesday to meet with police, fire and emergency personnel.
On his return to Washington, Biden made the decision to cancel his upcoming trip to Italy to "remain focused on directing the full federal response in the days ahead," Jean-Pierre said. Biden had planned to have one more audience with Pope Francis in the Vatican on Friday. The US president had also planned to meet with Italian President Sergio Mattarella and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni during his time in Italy.
Source: Qatar Tribune
