At least 11 dead as wildfires ravage Los Angeles
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Los Angeles: Following devastating wildfires in Los Angeles, at least 11 people have died, and as rescue attempts increase, there are concerns that the death toll could grow. Communities are in shock as they observe the massive devastation brought on by the fires, which broke out on Tuesday.
Firefighters continue to battle the flames amid challenging conditions, though the strong winds that fueled the infernos earlier in the week have now subsided. The disaster has already engulfed over 12,000 homes and structures across a densely populated 25-mile (40 km) area north of downtown Los Angeles.
For residents like Michael, an accountant in Altadena where the Eaton Fire erupted, the devastation has been life-altering. He was evacuated moments before his home was engulfed by flames.
"It's like living through Armageddon," he said, choking back tears. "We've lost everything."
Nearly 150,000 residents remain under evacuation orders as the fires have scorched approximately 56 square miles (145 square kilometres) of land. With the region experiencing more than eight months without rain, the scale of the damage has been immense. Fire crews are beginning to make progress in containing the blazes as conditions improve slightly.
In Malibu, officials reported the first fatality from the Palisades Fire on Thursday. The cause of death remains under investigation. Malibu Mayor Doug Stewart expressed profound sorrow, offering condolences to the victim's loved ones.
"This tragedy weighs heavily on our hearts," he said.
Currently, firefighters are battling four major wildfires: Palisades Fire, Eaton Fire, Sunset Fire in the Hollywood Hills and Hurst Fire in Sylmar.
While some progress has been made in controlling the Eaton Fire, strong winds reaching 100 km per hour have made containing the Palisades Fire particularly challenging. Officials hope calmer weather conditions will improve containment efforts, though the National Weather Service has warned of critical fire weather persisting through Friday night.
With inputs from IANS