The death toll from the ongoing wildfires in Los Angeles has risen to five. California Governor Gavin Newsom told CNN that five people have died and “possibly more” could die as six wind-driven fires in Los Angeles County have largely gone unchecked.
Most recently, a brush fire broke out in the Hollywood Hills near Runyon Canyon, where authorities have issued evacuation orders.
The Palisades Fire, which has been described as the most destructive fire in Los Angeles history and has scorched the coastal area between Malibu and Santa Monica, has already spread to more than 15 acres and is out of control. It has destroyed at least 800 structures, making it the most destructive fire ever seen in Los Angeles County, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, Cal Fire.
The other major blaze, the fast-moving Eaton Fire, has engulfed homes in Altadena. “It’s a surreal scene,” CNN’s Anderson Cooper said. The fire has spread to more than 10 acres and is now threatening about 13 buildings.
All schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District, the nation's second-largest school district, will be closed Thursday as fires rage across the district, officials said.
On the other hand, US President Joe Biden officially signed a federal disaster declaration.
The White House says the declaration allows federal funding to provide temporary housing and home repairs to affected people in Los Angeles County, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses and other programs aimed at helping individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster.
California Senators Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff also led the 47 members of the state's congressional delegation in asking Biden to accept California Governor Gavin Newsom's request for a major disaster declaration in response to the wildfires and storm event that hit southern California earlier today.
