I predict the Los Angeles wildfires will go down in history, joining the burning of Rome and the Chicago fire in the catalogue of massive urban destruction created by natural forces and man-made foolishness.
I will be following the wildfires through the weekend. As of this morning, the Great Los Angeles Fire consists of five major blazes:
So far, 11 deaths have been confirmed and more than 12,000 structures have been damaged or destroyed. At least 150,000 people are under mandatory evacuation orders. Law enforcement sources told The Los Angeles Times that many of the small fires reported (multiple via X.com) are suspected to be acts of arson.
Palisades Fire
The Palisades Fire is currently the largest and most destructive, having become the most destructive fire in Los Angeles history. According to Watch Duty, it has destroyed over 21,000 acres and is at 11% containment. Over 5,000 buildings have been incinerated, and the Los Angeles School District has cancelled classes.
Last night, the fire shifted eastward, threatening areas closer to the 405 freeway, including Mandeville Canyon, Brentwood, and potentially putting UCLA in its crosshairs. Firefighting efforts have been redirected to combat the eastward progression, with additional aircraft and strike teams deployed.
An evacuation warning has been issued for an area bordering UCLA’s campus, reaching the corner of Sunset Boulevard and Veteran Avenue, an intersection that directly borders the UCLA campus. While there is no immediate fire danger to the campus, the university is on high alert.
UCLA students have criticized the administration for their delayed response to the emergency, taking to social media to share their complaints and concerns.
It wasn’t until Wednesday night that Chancellor Julio Frenk announced that UCLA would curtail campus operations, cancel undergraduate classes and move graduate classes to remote on Thursday and Friday in light of the multiple wildfires in the area….”UCLA? More like university care less about (its students’ lungs),” TikToker @negativesmart wrote while capturing the bright red, smoke-filled sky from their alleged dorm room.”L.A. may be on fire, but don’t worry, UCLA says all things are normal,” another TikTok video by @ayiana.scott said, which has been viewed more than 1 million times.
Origin: The Palisades Fire began in the backyard of a wealthy enclave known as Palisades Highlands. It was initially perceived as a minor brush fire in the arid terrain. The Los Angeles Fire Department’s arson investigators are examining the brushy hillside near the fire’s origin.
Eaton Fire
The Easton fire is currently at 15% containment and has impacted over 14,000 acres. Over 7000 buildings gave been damaged or destroyed, and the communities of Altadena and Pasadena are still under threat.
Origin: The cause of this blaze is still under investigation, though the top suspect is currently a downed power line.
Surveillance video and witness accounts are raising questions about whether the Eaton Fire in Pasadena, California may have been started by a downed power line.The video shows power lines running through Eaton Canyon arcing in the high winds on Tuesday just after 6 p.m. Within minutes, it sparked a fire that exploded in size.Cal Fire has a copy of the video, and while the person who owns it says they won’t release it while the investigation is ongoing, others in the area say they witnessed the same thing.
Hurst Fire
The Hurst Fire in the Sylmar area is currently at 76% containment and has hit nearly 800 acres. Firefighting efforts are continuing to focus on building and improving containment lines, with an emphasis on public safety and structure protection.
Evacuation orders have been downgraded to warnings and evacuation restrictions have been lifted. Residents returning home are advised to observe extreme caution and are advised to NOT drink the water until advised by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power.
Origin: As with the Eaton fire, the cause is still under investigation but transmission lines are the prime suspect.
Southern California Edison said the fire ignited near its transmission lines.“While the reported ignition site (of the Hurst Fire) is within the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power’s service area, SCE has transmission facilities near the reported ignition site, and the company is currently conducting a review of the event,” officials said.
Lidia Fire
The Lidia fire near Acton (in the Antelope Valley area) is currently 98% contained and has burned approximately 395 acres. Firefighters have made significant progress in containing the blaze, with support from aircraft operations. Crews are continuing to strengthen containment lines and perform extensive mop-up operations.
Origin: The cause of this blaze is still unknown.
Kenneth Fire
The fire is currently at 1052 acres and 50% containment. Firefighters will work throughout the day to mop up hot spots and improve containment lines, adding to the overall containment of this fire.
Origin: As my colleague Mary Chastain reported, Juan Sierra, a 33-year-old man, was arrested on suspicion of a probation violation after he was allegedly seen attempting to start a fire in the West Hills neighborhood. Although Sierra has not been charged with starting the Kenneth fire, he is considered a person of interest in the investigation.
Conclusion
The destruction of one of our Great Cities will go down in history as the consequence of one of the most wretched examples of urban political governance. Just how angry are Californians?
Angry enough that our press is beginning to ask hard questions of its Democratic leaders, who thought they would breeze into January with ease and focus on lawfare against President/President-elect Donald Trump.
There is not a bus that has a big enough undercarriage to put all of the failed civic leadership at the local and state levels.
I will be monitoring the disaster reports throughout the weekend, so stay tuned.
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