EE.UU.: 10 muertos y miles de casas reducidas a cenizas por un incendio forestal
Un hombre ayuda a su esposa a ponerse una máscara mientras inspeccionan su casa dañada por los incendios forestales en Altadena, California (Foto: Reuters).
El incendio de Palisades, entre Santa Mónica y Malibú, en el oeste de Los Ángeles, y el de Eaton, en el este, cerca de Pasadena, se han convertido en los incendios forestales más destructivos de la historia de Los Ángeles. Los dos incendios han quemado más de 35.000 acres y han reducido a cenizas barrios enteros.
El número de muertos por los incendios ha aumentado a 10, según una actualización realizada el viernes por la noche por la Oficina del Médico Forense del Condado de Los Ángeles, que no proporcionó nombres ni otros detalles.
Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said at an earlier news conference that he expected the death toll to rise.
“The scene in these areas looks like an atomic bomb has just fallen. I don’t expect good
, and we don’t expect those numbers either,” said Mr. Luna.
Private weather forecaster AccuWeather estimates the economic damage and loss caused by the wildfires at $135 billion to $150 billion, signaling a difficult recovery and skyrocketing home insurance costs.
“We are moving forward with the goal of rebuilding Los Angeles in a big way,” said Mayor Karen Bass, a Democrat who has faced criticism from President-elect Donald Trump and other Republicans over her handling of the disaster.
President Joe Biden, who declared a major disaster on January 7, pledged that the federal government would cover 100% of recovery costs over the next 180 days. That includes debris removal, hazardous material removal, temporary shelters and first responder salaries.
“I told the governor and local officials to do everything possible to put out these fires,” Biden said after a meeting with senior advisers at the White House.
Five wildfires are breaking out in succession in Los Angeles (Graphic: BBC).
In all, five wildfires are raging in Los Angeles County, with the largest, the Palisades Fire, only 6 percent contained, and the Eaton Fire still out of control. Airplanes are dropping fire retardant and water on the burning hillsides.
A large Super Scooper aircraft on loan from Canada was damaged and grounded after colliding with an unauthorized civilian drone near the Palisades Fire, according to a statement from the Los Angeles County Fire Department. Fortunately, no one was injured.
A fire broke out quickly on January 9 near Calabasas, one of the wealthiest cities in the US and home to many celebrities and a gated community. The blaze, dubbed the Kenneth Fire, spread to 388 hectares in just a few hours.
With the situation tense, Los Angeles County accidentally sent out an evacuation notice to the entire region, affecting 9.6 million people, even though the notice was only for the Kenneth Fire area, officials said. A revised notice was sent out shortly after.
“The important thing is to be alive”
Officials say the Eaton Fire has damaged or destroyed between 4,000 and 5,000 structures, while the Palisades Fire has destroyed or damaged another 5,300.
Some Pacific Palisades residents have ventured back into areas the fire has passed through, where the remains of brick chimneys tower over charred rubble and burned-out cars.
“We are still alive. That’s the most important thing,” said Bilal Tukhi, a private security guard who stood guard outside his employer’s damaged home, saying the scene reminded him of his conflict-torn homeland of Afghanistan.
Schools will remain closed on January 10 due to air pollution, according to Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent Alberto Carvalho.
Los vientos habían disminuido el 9 de enero desde los 100 mph observados a principios de la semana, lo que permitió el apoyo aéreo a los equipos de tierra.
Sin embargo, las autoridades dijeron que se esperaba que los vientos aumentaran nuevamente durante la noche y que las condiciones de alerta roja duraran hasta la tarde del 10 de enero.
