Los Angeles Wildfires Force Mass Evacuations and Claim Five Lives

Out-of-control wildfires raging across Los Angeles County have forced the evacuation of over 80,000 residents and claimed five lives, officials confirmed Wednesday. Fueled by fierce Santa Ana winds and dry conditions, the fires have ravaged neighborhoods like Pacific Palisades, Pasadena, and Sylmar, leaving thousands of homes destroyed and iconic areas like Sunset Boulevard choked with abandoned vehicles and thick smoke.

The Eaton Fire, which erupted in the Angeles National Forest, has been the deadliest so far, with five confirmed fatalities and warnings from L.A. County Fire Chief Anthony C. Marrone that conditions remain dangerous. Meanwhile, the Hurst Fire in Sylmar and other blazes continue to stretch emergency services to their limits, with mutual aid requested from nearby counties and firefighters from as far away as Nevada and Oregon joining the efforts.

Pacific Palisades, a neighborhood of 23,000, has suffered catastrophic losses, with more than 1,000 homes destroyed. “The whole city has just burned to the ground,” one evacuee told MSNBC. Even residents who stayed behind have been injured, along with firefighters battling the relentless flames.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who canceled a trip to Washington, D.C., to address the crisis, briefed President Joe Biden in Santa Monica. Biden approved a major disaster declaration to release federal aid, while Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna warned looters to stay away from evacuated areas.

Hazardous air quality has closed schools across Los Angeles Unified and attractions like the Hollywood sign. Air quality index readings have exceeded 500 in some areas, with Pasadena reaching emergency levels of 1,200. Despite the devastation, officials are urging residents to heed evacuation orders as fires remain unpredictable and new blazes may ignite at any time.