A terrifying wave of wildfires continued to destroy Los Angeles on multiple fronts, pushing closer to the symbolic heart of the U.S. film industry on Thursday. A new blaze ignited in the hills overlooking Hollywood Boulevard and its Walk of Fame.
Flames closed in on Los Angeles - including a huge fire between Santa Monica and Malibu on the city's west and another in the east near Pasadena, that was so expansive that it was visible from space as a huge pincer, NASA said.
The Los Angeles wildfire is projected to be one of the costliest natural disasters in US history, with damages estimated between $52 billion and $57 billion, according to a Bloomberg citing a preliminary financial assessment.
Over 100,000 people have been ordered to evacuate as Santa Ana winds spread the flames across dry grounds that haven’t seen rain for months. At least five people have died since the fires erupted.
The homes of Hollywood actors and celebs were among those engulfed by flames, which tore through some of the costliest real estate, and showbiz landmarks instantly recognizable around the world.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass told a press conference "This firestorm is the big one," after rushing back to the city, cutting short an official trip to Ghana.
At least six separate wildfires were burning in Los Angeles County on Thursday morning. Three of them were listed as "0% controlled," including the Palisades fire in the west, the Eaton Fire in the east and the smaller Sunset Fire in the Hollywood Hills.
Some hydrants to ran dry in upscale Pacific Palisades, between Malibu and Santa Monica, officials said. An official said firefighters were doing their best to save lives and then focused on what they could do to save structures, whether there was water in the hydrant or water had to be shuttled in.
"We have to be prepared for anything," he said.
On the west side of Los Angeles, 17,234 acres (6974 hectares) and hundreds of structures in the hills were burned down.__________________________________
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