Local authorities in Los Angeles declared a public health emergency on Saturday due to the ongoing wildfires.
Wildfires raged for four consecutive days, claiming at least 11 lives and devastated large swathes of the city, however the winds fanning the flames subsided on Friday.
The large amounts of hazardous smoke and particulate matter in the air have led to a significant deterioration in air quality. To combat the spread of ash, smoke, and dust, the authorities have banned the use of leaf blowers.
The Los Angeles Times reported that wind conditions are expected to change soon, which could further increase smoke pollution.
Thousands of buildings have been destroyed and over 14,000 hectares have burned in the fires, which have ravaged the second-largest city in the United States.
The blaze has scorched more than 8,000 hectares along the Malibu coast and the affluent Pacific Palisades neighbourhood, where firefighters report beginning to gain control.
A chimney stands on the ground of a home reduced to rubble by the Eaton Fire in Altadena, California, on January 10, 2025. Credit: Belga / AFP
The situation “is still very dangerous,” warned Deanne Criswell from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
“The winds have subsided today, but I just received the weather report… the winds are expected to pick up again in the coming days,” she added during a meeting with the White House.
Evacuations across the California megacity number in the hundreds of thousands.
Amid growing incidents of looting in affected and evacuated areas, a curfew has been imposed from 18:00-06:00 in Pacific Palisades and Altadena.
Military personnel have been deployed and dozens of individuals have been arrested. Before this measure, residents had taken to patrolling their neighbourhoods to protect their homes.
A beach house is engulfed in flames as the Palisades Fire burns along Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu, California, on January 8, 2025. Credit: Belga / AFP
Although it is too early to determine the cause of the fires, criticisms have surfaced regarding the authorities’ preparedness and response.
California Governor Gavin Newsom has called for a “full independent review” of the city’s water distribution services, highlighting concerns over the initial lack of water supply and pressure at fire hydrants.
“We need answers to what went wrong,” Newsom wrote in an open letter.
Fire chief Kristin Crowley told KTTV, a Fox News affiliate, that they still lack “personnel, resources, and funds.”
Authorities have urged Californians to conserve water as some reservoirs supplying fire hydrants have been drained in combatting the flames.
Erroneous evacuation alerts were sent to residents’ phones on both Thursday and Friday, prompting apologies from officials.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is investigating after a drone collided with and damaged a tanker aircraft.
These severe wildfires may become the costliest on record, with AccuWeather estimating total damages and losses between $135 billion and $150 billion.
Former President Donald Trump has spread misinformation on his Truth Social network, claiming California lacks water due to Democratic environmental policies diverting rainwater to protect a “useless fish.”
President Joe Biden remarked that “many demagogues” are looking to exploit misinformation surrounding the disaster.
