'Historic' winds are dying down, allowing wildfire access - Los Angeles mayor

Record ID: 1898217

  • Title: 'Historic' winds are dying down, allowing wildfire access - Los Angeles mayor
  • Date: 9th January 2025
  • Summary: LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES (JANUARY 09, 2025) (REUTERS) WIDE OF PRESS CONFERENCE ON LOS ANGELES WILDFIRES (SOUNDBITE)(English) MAYOR OF LOS ANGELES, KAREN BASS, SAYING: “The winds continue to be of a historic nature and a key factor of this firestorm. For much of Tuesday, the unprecedented winds prevented air operations to continue. However, as of yesterday, th
  • Embargoed: 23rd January 2025 17:05
  • Keywords: Eaton Fire Los Angeles Pacific Palisades Fire fires wildfires
  • Location: LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES
  • City: LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES
  • Country: US
  • Topics: Disaster/Accidents,North America,Wildfires/Forest Fires
  • Reuters ID: LVA001206409012025RP1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text:A pair of massive wildfires menacing Los Angeles from the east and west were still burning uncontained on Thursday (January 09), two days after they ignited, but firefighters managed to beat back another fire scorching the Hollywood Hills.
    At a press briefing, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said that “historic” winds that had worsened the fires were dying down somewhat, allowing for greater access to firefighters.
    The Palisades fire between Santa Monica and Malibu on the city's western flank and the Eaton fire in the east near Pasadena are already the most destructive in Los Angeles history, burning nearly 28,000 acres so far - an area exceeding the size of Disney World - and turning entire neighborhoods to ash.
    At least five people have been killed, thousands of structures have been incinerated and nearly 180,000 people have been ordered to evacuate their homes, officials said. The death toll is likely to rise, Los Angeles Sheriff Robert Luna told a press conference on Thursday morning.
    The Eaton fire's growth has been significantly stopped, Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said, though it remains 0% contained. While still fierce, winds have slowed slightly since the 100-mile-per-hour gusts seen earlier in the week, permitting crucial aerial support for crews on the ground.
    But officials warned that wind gusts of up to 60 miles per hour were forecast to persist throughout the day, and Kristin Crowley, Los Angeles City Fire Department Chief, said residents should be prepared to evacuate if ordered.
    "It is safe to say that the Palisades fire is one of the most destructive natural disasters in the history of Los Angeles," Crowley said.
    (Production: Ashraf Fahim)
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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