The outgoing United States President Joe Bidden declared a state of emergency and approved a major disaster declaration for federal assistance after several fire outbreaks in the city of Los Angeles. The county is currently battling multiple wildfires, primarily the Palisades Fire, Eaton Fire, Hurst Fire, and Sunset Fire, which have collectively caused significant destruction to livelihoods and losses of life and property.
Pacific Palisades fire, close to Malibu, has reportedly burned through 17,234 acres of land, destroying over 1,000 structures. This is considered the most destructive fire in the history of Los Angeles. More than 37,000 residents have been under evacuation orders, affecting several neighborhoods, including Calabasas, Malibu, and parts of Los Angeles. While there have been reports of deaths and injuries, no official figures have been released yet.
Hollywood Hills fire seems to be well controlled as of now with minimal damage of 50 acres as compared to the rest of the fires. Further orders to evacuate have been lifted.
In the Altadena and Pasadena areas, over 10,600 acres of land burned down, and approximately 1000 structures destroyed as of now. With the fire still being uncontained significant evacuations are still in place, with at least five deaths reported.
Hurst Fire
Sylmar, in the San Fernando Valley around 855 acres have been consumed by the fire, and as of recent updates only 10% of the fire has been contained.
With the ongoing winds and drought, the fire has been quite challenging to contain, however, the firefighters together with the aerial support have been trying their best to contain the fire. Evacuation orders have been put in place for areas that face possible threat.
Due to the fires, there have been power outages and issues with the water supply. The smoke in the air has also impacted air quality. The fires have already caused significant economic losses, and as they continue to spread, even greater losses are anticipated. People will need to make uncomfortable adjustments in their lives as a result.
The current question is whether this situation is a result of global warming or simply bad luck. If it is due to global warming, what measures should be implemented to prevent similar occurrences in the future?