More than a week into the wildfires in Los Angeles, the flames have already become the most destructive in the California county’s history and are on course to becoming among the deadliest ever in the state.
The fires have so far destroyed at least 12,300 structures and killed 24 people, according to local authorities.
Officials are bracing for more strong winds which are expected to persist through Wednesday.
Where are the LA fires still burning?
As of Tuesday morning, three of the six main fires in Los Angeles County were still raging. They include:
- Palisades fire – 9,596 hectares (23,713 acres) burned, 14 percent contained.
- Eaton fire – 5,713 hectares (14,117 acres) burned, 33 percent contained.
- Hurst fire – 323 hectares (799 acres) burned, 97 percent contained.
The Kenneth, Lidia and Sunset fires have now been 100 percent contained.
How big are the Los Angeles fires?
The LA fires have so far burned 16,425 hectares (40,588 acres) of land. That is about the same size as Washington, DC, about half the size of Philadelphia, an eighth the size of Los Angeles, or about 30,000 football fields.
California typically experiences thousands of wildfires each year. These fires range from small brush fires to large, destructive fires that burn tens of thousands of hectares.
In 2020, California recorded its largest wildfire in history. The August Complex fire, which was caused by a lightning strike, burned more than 400,000 hectares (one million acres) across several counties. The fire, which was fuelled by dry conditions and extreme heat, was not fully contained until late October.
The following year, the Dixie fire burned at least 380,000 hectares (960,000 acres) destroying 1,300 structures, including much of the town of Greenville in Plumas County.
Despite both fires being about the size of the US state of Rhode Island, the fires caused only two deaths, largely due to authorities issuing early evacuation orders in the mostly sparsely populated areas.
California’s most destructive wildfires
The Palisades and Eaton fires are the most destructive wildfires in Los Angeles County history, collectively destroying more than 10,000 structures as of January 14. Together, their destruction has been surpassed in California only once, in 2018.
These fires are burning in California’s densely populated Los Angeles County, unlike many much larger fires in less populated areas.
According to California’s Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, the Palisades fire, which swept through the affluent Pacific Palisades neighbourhood nestled between the Santa Monica Mountains and the Pacific Ocean, destroyed at least 5,300 homes and forced more than 100,000 residents to evacuate.
About 40km (25 miles) to the east, the Eaton fire also engulfed large parts of the Altadena area, destroying more than 5,000 structures.
AccuWeather has estimated the fires could have a total damage and economic loss of between $135bn and $150bn.
California’s deadliest wildfires
In 2018, 85 people died in California’s deadliest and most destructive fire. The Camp fire, which ignited near the town of Paradise in Butte County, was caused by faulty electrical transmission lines. The blaze which engulfed an area of 62,000 hectares (153,000 acres), destroyed nearly the entire town and burned more than 18,000 structures.
The fire started in the early hours of the morning while many residents were still asleep, leaving them with little time to react and evacuate as the flames rapidly engulfed the town.
The second deadliest wildfire in California history is the Griffith Park fire, which occurred on October 3, 1933, in Los Angeles. The fire left 29 people dead, most of whom were workers clearing brush in the park when it broke out.
According to the Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office, 16 of the 24 deaths recorded so far in the current fires occurred in the Eaton fire in the foothills east of Los Angeles, while the remaining eight were attributed to the Palisades fire on the town’s western side.
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