USA 16 dead in Los Angeles fires - concern about new winds
It's just a little breather for the firefighters battling the blaze inferno around Los Angeles. The wind should pick up again significantly, which could further fan the flames. But there is no sign of that for the time being. Valuable time for the emergency services on the US West Coast to continue their advance against the blaze. However, the weather service is not giving the all-clear. Meanwhile, the death toll continues to rise. There is no end in sight to the fires.
12.01.2025, 14:12
SDA
At least 16 people have died. So far, the coroner's office is aware of eleven deaths - on Saturday, the authorities added five more victims to the list. It cannot be ruled out that the number will rise. It is not possible for the emergency services to enter all areas - the danger is too great. It will be days before there is final certainty.
Coroners attribute the five new confirmed deaths to the second-largest fire, the Eaton Fire near Pasadena. In total, at least eleven people have died in the area. In the even larger "Palisades Fire" in the Palisades district, there were five, as before.
How many buildings were destroyed?
According to Cal Fire, more than 12,300 buildings have been destroyed or damaged. Since Tuesday, almost 163 square kilometers of land have gone up in flames - that's more than one and a half times the area of the island of Sylt.
Los Angeles and the region are used to fires, but not on this massive scale. "It was like the apocalypse," the Los Angeles Times quoted Rob Orlandini, who lost his DIY store in the flames. He will rebuild the store. "That's 100 percent my goal."
Celebrities are also affected. Various stories have already come to light. Actor Arnold Schwarzenegger also lives not far from the fire. The 77-year-old wrote on X: "Don't worry about me, my animals and certainly not about my house." Instead, his fans should think of the "heroic firefighters".
Meanwhile, the USA is getting help from abroad to fight the fire. Mexico sent firefighters to California. The helpers from the neighboring country have landed by plane, announced Governor Gavin Newsom on the X platform. They will join the more than 14,000 firefighters on site. California is eternally grateful for the support. It had previously been announced that Canada was sending help. More than 900 prisoners are also involved in the firefighting operation.
What are the prospects?
Support is urgently needed. The so-called Santa Ana winds are expected to become stronger again as early as Sunday night (local time). This was announced by the US weather service. The stronger foehn winds and the very dry vegetation favored the rapid and unpredictable spread of existing and new fires. Wind speeds of up to 110 kilometers per hour are forecast for Sunday afternoon (local time).
Letters to Trump
Kathryn Barger from the administrative district of Los Angeles appealed to Donald Trump to take a look at the immense damage. She posted a letter on X to the Republican, who will take over from President Joe Biden on January 20. Barger, who is also a Republican, also wrote in the invitation that she was looking forward to working with the new administration with a view to rebuilding in and around Los Angeles in the coming years. She asked Trump to stand by the people.
Democratic Governor Newsom had previously sent a letter to the future US President inviting him to personally inspect the extent of the fires. Trump had attributed responsibility for the extent of the fires to Newsom - he criticized his water-saving measures, for example. Newsom countered that human tragedies should not be politicized.
Meanwhile, the White House announced on X that US President Biden had spoken to representatives of the authorities about the current situation. His team also informed him how federal funds could help and how additional support could be provided to survivors.
Price gouging, fraud and looting
The devastating flames in California are not the only problem authorities are seeing. California Attorney General Rob Bonta warned of profiteering, fraud and looting. In emergency situations like this, experience has shown that malicious actors "try to exploit the trauma and chaos of such moments for their own gain", said Bonta and promised to take rigorous action against them.
"We have seen companies and landlords take advantage of the increased demand during emergencies to drive up the prices of essential goods and services such as gas and water, batteries, first aid supplies, building materials and accommodation, including hotels and short-term rentals," he lamented. This is illegal and will be punished.
The authorities were also currently on the lookout for fraudsters posing as charitable organizations and falsely claiming to be collecting money for victims of the fire disaster.
