Immeasurable damage has been caused in recent days by the massive wildfires sweeping through California, putting thousands of lives at risk.
HDN Newsroom
Dozens of homes have been destroyed and hundreds of thousands of acres burned as the state of California faces one of its most severe crises in years.
California Governor Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency in Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Orange and Riverside counties as the so-called "Bridge Fire" has destroyed dozens of homes and burned nearly 200,000 acres in just 24 hours, while the Airport Fire continues to cause extensive damage.
The fire produced clustered clouds of thick smoke and flames were visible on the ridges of the hills.
In particular, the "Bridge Fire" raging in the heights of Los Angeles, burned houses and caused the evacuation of settlements such as Wrightwood and Mount Boldy. Authorities said at least 33 homes and several warehouses were destroyed, and the fire even reached a ski resort. Northeast of the city, the Line Fire has burned 140,000 acres and led to evacuations of mountain villages, with many roads still closed. A 30-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of being responsible for the fire.
The Airport Fire, raging southeast of Los Angeles, has destroyed 89,000 acres of land and injured seven people, including three firefighters, and more than 35,000 buildings have been threatened, including single-family homes, apartment buildings and commercial buildings, with authorities issuing evacuation orders for several areas.
Local fire brigades continue to battle to control the situation while authorities try to contain the impact of a heatwave that is exacerbating wildfires, with temperatures exceeding 43 degrees Celsius.
The National Weather Service said downtown Los Angeles reached 44 degrees Celsius, marking the third time since 1877 that temperatures had reached this high. Experts attribute the increasing intensity of wildfires in recent years in part to a landscape that has become warmer and drier amid the ongoing climate crisis, driven mainly by the burning of fossil fuels.
Governor Newsom said "California is mobilizing all available resources" and pledged full support for firefighting efforts while visiting a Line Fire command post. More than 5,700 firefighters have been deployed to fight the three major fires threatening the region.
With temperatures dropping slightly over the past 24 hours, fire brigades are hoping to gain more control of the situation and more forces are expected to arrive.
