At least five people have been killed and over 1,000 structures have been destroyed in Los Angeles’ worst wildfire in history which is raging fueled by powerful Santa Ana winds gusting to more than 112 kmph.
California Governor Gavin Newsom said that more than 1,400 firefighters were deployed to battle the wildfire while the Los Angeles Fire Department urged all the off-duty firefighting personnel to help.
US President Joe Biden has canceled his trip to Rome and Vatican to monitor the response of wildfire from Washington. Residents have fled their smoke-filled canyons, neighbourhoods in Los Angeles, which is home to several Hollywood celebrities.
A new blaze erupted in Hollywood Hills on Wednesday night which has threatened one of Los Angeles’ most iconic spots as more than 130,000 people have been evacuated from the Pacific Coast to inland Pasadena.
The recent wildfire was burning near the Hollywood Bowl and about a mile (1.6 kilometers) from the Hollywood Walk of Fame, reported Associated Press. The area near Madame Tussad and Grauman’s Chinese Theatre were packed with stop and go traffic as sirens were heard and helicopters soared to pour water on the flames.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has said that the air operations were ongoing to douse the blaze and she warned that the emergency responders were facing “erratic winds”, however not like Tuesday when aircrafts were forced to be grounded.
According to the private forecaster AccuWeather, an estimated $52 billion to $57 billion in preliminary damage and economic loss has occurred till now from the raging wildfires whereas more than 1,000 structures have been damaged.