The situation is still critical in Los Angeles. Hot and violent winds continued to blow and fan the flames overnight from Tuesday to Wednesday.
At least 25 people and thousands of homes have been killed in the fires ravaging California. More than 12,000 homes, buildings and vehicles were destroyed or damaged, and entire neighborhoods razed. Nearly 88,000 people are still displaced, according to the new report.
Hot and violent winds continued to blow and fan the flames overnight from Tuesday to Wednesday. A final round of dangerous fire weather was forecast for the region on Wednesday, with a rare warning of “particularly dangerous situation”.
Thanks to weaker winds, firefighters benefited from a respite on Tuesday, which allowed them to move forward in the fight against the two gigantic fires in the Los Angeles region and to quickly extinguish several new fires.
The Eaton Fire, burning just north of Los Angeles, and the Palisades Fire, which destroyed much of the Pacific Palisades beach district, broke out on Jan. 7 under conditions similar to those expected Wednesday . Strong winds last week fueled the flames at remarkable speed and carried the flaming embers sometimes miles away.
According to the meteorological service in a message published late Tuesday, the Americans are not yet out of the woods. The winds have reportedly reached an intensity not seen since 2011, with gusts blowing up to 160 km/h last week.
More than 77,000 homes were without power as utilities cut power to prevent their lines from sparking new fires.