USA Death toll rises in flaming inferno in Los Angeles area
The death toll in the huge fire disaster in the Los Angeles area is rising: At least ten people have died so far in the wake of the wildfires, the Los Angeles County coroner's office announced. Previously, the number of victims had fluctuated between five and seven. The flames have left a trail of devastation and despair in their wake - and continue to rage.
10.01.2025, 07:33
SDA
According to media reports, around 10,000 buildings have already fallen victim to the devastating fires. US President Joe Biden described the fires as the worst in California's history. It looks as if "an atomic bomb has been dropped in these areas", said Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna about the situation in the affected regions.
The fires are still out of control. According to fire chief Kristin Crowley, more than 5,300 homes have burned in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood alone since Tuesday. In the so-called Eaton Fire near Pasadena, on the other hand, around 4,000 to 5,000 buildings have been destroyed or damaged so far, including single and multi-family homes and commercial properties, as confirmed by Anthony Marrone, Fire Chief of Los Angeles County.
While two of the major fires were contained on Thursday, a new one, the Kenneth Fire, broke out at the same time in the West Hills and Hidden Hills area between Los Angeles and Ventura.
It was moving dangerously fast at times towards homes in the hilly region, according to the fire department. Videos showed heavy smoke development. 900 additional firefighters were dispatched, US media reported, citing California Governor Gavin Newsom. After several hours, however, the progress of the flames was reportedly contained.
The largest of the five fires currently raging in the Los Angeles area - known as the "Palisades Fire" - is currently burning over an area of around 8,000 hectares, the fire department added. Meanwhile, the Eaton Fire has grown to more than 5,500 hectares. "The Eaton Fire is still zero percent contained," emphasized Fire Chief Marrone.
Scenes of severe devastation - death toll still unclear
Meanwhile, the death toll could continue to rise. Sheriff Luna had previously hesitated to give specific details. In view of the devastation, he did not expect any good news regarding the number of victims. The material damage is also enormous: according to a preliminary estimate by the private US weather service AccuWeather, the total damage and economic losses could amount to 135 to 150 billion dollars (131 to 146 billion euros). It is one of the costliest wildfire disasters in modern US history, said chief meteorologist Jonathan Porter. Many homes worth millions of dollars had been destroyed.
US President Joe Biden, after being briefed on the situation on Thursday evening (local time), said that 360,000 people had already been evacuated to safety from the worst-affected areas.
Arrests for looting
But it is not only the flames that people who have fled their homes have to fear: According to the authorities, the fire disaster also called criminals to the scene. At least 20 suspects have been arrested so far in connection with the looting, said Kathryn Barger from the Los Angeles district. Barger called the looters "opportunists" and added to journalists: "I will not stand idly by and allow an already traumatic experience to get worse." The police are considering curfews.
Everyday life in the region is largely at a standstill. Schools remain closed today, mainly due to the poor air quality, according to the authorities. The situation is also affecting the schedules of sports leagues, such as the NFL football league: the Los Angeles Rams' playoff game against the Minnesota Vikings scheduled for Monday has been moved to Arizona, as the NFL announced. It justified the move with concerns about the air quality in Los Angeles and the already heavy workload for the police and fire department. Dense smoke hangs over the city and many people wear masks to protect themselves from the harmful particles.
The plans of US Vice President Kamala Harris also changed: she canceled a planned visit to Germany due to the fire disaster. Originally, Harris had planned to visit Spangdahlem Air Base in the Eifel region on January 17 and speak with US soldiers there. The trip was also supposed to take her to US military bases in Singapore and Bahrain before Germany.
Many celebrities affected
Many Hollywood celebrities are also suffering from the major fires. Tokyo Hotel singer Bill Kaulitz (35) showed in an Instagram story how he had to leave his house because of the fires. The post shows his packed luxury suitcases, including a Red Cross emergency kit and two walkie-talkies.
According to reality star Paris Hilton, she had to watch on television as her house fell victim to the devastating fires near Los Angeles. "I'm heartbroken, I have no words," the 43-year-old wrote on the platform X. "I'm sitting with my family, watching the news and seeing our house in Malibu burn to the ground live on TV." She also shared a hand-recorded video of a news report showing a burnt-down neighborhood.
Meanwhile, the highly anticipated Oscar nominations are due to be announced in the next few days. Both this date and the announcement of the nominations for the Producers Guild of America Awards were postponed by two days due to the ongoing fires.
