A ferocious wildfire in suburban Los Angeles devoured buildings and prompted panicked evacuations on Tuesday as hurricane-force winds swept through the region.
Dozens of residents abandoned their cars and took shelter in a safe place. One resident told the media that he saw people crying and screaming as they fled, carrying children and pets in their arms.
The wildfire started on January 7 in an area adjacent to the Santa Monica Mountains, north of Los Angeles. The hills are densely built up. There are many villas in this prestigious neighbourhood, some of which have already burned.
By noon, the fire had engulfed 80 hectares on the outskirts of Los Angeles, reports CalFire. The fire has created a huge column of smoke that can be seen from anywhere in the metropolis.
Schools have closed in the neighbouring city of Malibu, which was hit by a major fire in December.
According to the US Meteorological Service (NWS), wind gusts reached 44 metres per second. Warm air currents from the south, dubbed the Santa Ana, are common in California at this time of year.
The winds are causing the fire’s area to grow rapidly. Firefighters do not have time to extinguish the fires. Forecasters have warned that the situation will improve only in a few days.
The reaction of the authorities
An emergency regime has been declared in Los Angeles. Governor Gavin Newsom said the state has deployed firefighters to other areas of Southern California because of the risk of more fires.
Another fire in California occurred 50 kilometres from Los Angeles in the foothills above Pasadena, burning 160 hectares. More than 96 thousand people in Los Angeles County were left without electricity.
The fire in Los Angeles caused US President Joe Biden to cancel his visit to California, where he had planned to participate in a ceremony to create two new national monuments.
