Drone footage recently captured the extensive damage caused by the wildfires in California, showcasing the destruction of homes, celebrity neighborhoods, and over 10,000 structures reduced to ashes.
Aerial views from the once-bustling neighborhoods showed a sorry sight – lavish homes obliterated, soot-covered streets, and eviscerated vegetation.
The devastating wildfires reached the affluent areas of Calabasas and Hidden Hills in Los Angeles, including residences of famous personalities like the Kardashians.
An evacuation order was swiftly issued for the border between Los Angeles and Ventura County as the fast-moving Kenneth Fire engulfed West Hills, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake.
The death toll has also risen to seven, but the real number is likely higher – as dogs trained to detect human remains were given access to the charred remains of properties in fire-ravaged neighborhoods.
Amid the frantic flurry to get locals out of their scorching Calabasas homes, LAPD officials confirmed the sinister news that this offshoot blaze was in fact sparked by an alleged arsonist – who is now in police custody.
A chilling warning was issued on Thursday night urging locals to get out now, with Senator Adam Schiff bluntly revealing: ‘If you stay, you’re going to die.’
‘If you get an evacuation order, get the hell out,’ he said. ‘You may think you can outrun a fire, you cannot outrun these fires. If you stay, you’re going to die in them.’
The fast moving Kenneth blaze is already encompassing 960 acres and threatening the Malibu Canyon area north of the 101 Freeway near Calabasas, home to Kourtney Kardashian and Will Smith. Kim and Khloe Kardashian live in nearby Hidden Hills.
Mandatory evacuation orders are in place as firefighters drop water bombs from the skies in an effort to contain the blaze, which is being spurred on by strong Santa Ana winds.
Already, the road out of Calabasas is gridlocked with bumper to bumper traffic as locals heed warnings and abandon their homes.
Residents across southern California have been warned for days to have bags full of important documents and possessions packed and ready to grab in an emergency.
The fire was reported as 50 acres at 3:45 pm but had exploded to 791 acres by 4.45pm. By 6pm, it encompassed 960 acres.
Sheriff Robert Luna of Los Angeles County called for ‘patience’ with official death counts.
‘Right now, frankly, we don’t know yet,’ he said. ‘I think the death toll will rise. I hope I’m wrong.’
Across Los Angeles some 180,000 people have been given mandatory evacuation orders, while another 200,000 have been put on alert and warned to consider fleeing their homes.
Officials with Los Angeles County say an evacuation order alert for residents near the Kenneth Fire in the West Hills was mistakenly sent countywide on Thursday afternoon.
The alert was only intended for residents of Calabasas and Agoura Hills.
The damage from the two largest fires – the Pacific Palisades blaze and Eaton inferno – has been immense. Up to 10,000 structures have been wiped out, officials say.
David Acuna, a spokesman for Cal Fire, provided a chilling new warning for Californians as they look ahead to the future and consider rebuilding their lives.
‘There really is no fire season, it’s a fire year,’ he said. ‘I’ve been doing this for 20 years, and I’ve never seen it this bad.’
Similarly, Pasadena fire chief Chad Augustin said: ‘The level of devastation is staggering.’
Neither of the major two fires have been contained whatsoever.
Eaton now covers 13,690 acres, while the larger Palisades fire stretches beyond 17,200 acres.
Embattled LA Mayor Karen Bass held a press conference on Thursday afternoon vowing to prosecute ‘to the full extent of the law’ any persons caught looting, amid warnings that evacuation orders are mandatory and as strong as curfews, which the city is now also considering implementing.
The high fire weather risk will continue through Friday, National Weather Service Los Angeles meteorologists said Thursday afternoon in a social media post.
Santa Ana winds will be moderate to strong Thursday night, keeping the fire weather threat in the area focused on Los Angeles and Ventura County into Friday morning.
“The threat doesn’t end after Friday however,” the post said. Offshore winds will continue into early next week, peaking Sunday as well as Tuesday into Wednesday.
The systemic failures in the deep blue city have led many to wonder how things could’ve gotten this out of hand – and led many to call for the resignation of Mayor Karen Bass and Governor Gavin Newsom.
With many furious people saying that water was unavailable to fire crews, Biden explained that the problems are self-inflicted to avoid further fanning the flames.
‘What I know from talking to the governor, there are concerns out there that there’s also been a water shortage,’ he said in a press briefing Thursday.
‘The fact is the utilities, understandably, shut off power because they are worried the lines that carried energy were going to be blown down and spark additional fires.
‘When it did that, it cut off the ability to generate pumping the water, that’s what caused the lack of water in these hydrants.’
