Destructive Wildfires in Los Angeles County Leave Thousands Devastated and Displaced
Recent wildfires in Los Angeles County have destroyed thousands of homes, resulting in fatalities and widespread evacuations across affected areas.
The scope of the destruction was just becoming clear: Block after block of California Mission Style homes and bungalows were reduced to nothing but charred remains dotted by stone fireplaces and blackened arched entryways.
New Fire Breaks Out In Hollywood Hills, Threatening Iconic Landmarks
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The Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) said there was an "immediate threat to life" in the area and that it was being legally closed to the public.
Hollywood Hills evacuated as LA fire spreads
BBC News·3M·ReliableThis source consistently reports facts with minimal bias, demonstrating high-quality journalism and accuracy.CenterThis outlet is balanced or reflects centrist views.The escapes were perhaps the most harrowing from a disaster that Los Angeles has ever seen.
Harrowing escapes from Los Angeles wildfires were made by foot, by car or by the grace of strangers
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Widespread wildfires across Los Angeles County have forced city schools to shutter, with at least three buildings in Pacific Palisades sustaining "significant damage" from the raging blazes.
FOX News·3M·Mostly ReliableThis source is generally reliable but sometimes includes opinion, propaganda, or minor inaccuracies.Leans RightThis outlet slightly leans right.This is likely to end up being one of the most expensive wildfires in modern California history and it will also be one of the most damaging in terms of the numbers of structures that have been destroyed.
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Firefighters gained an upper hand on a fast-moving wildfire that erupted in the Hollywood Hills, prompting a mandatory evacuation order for a wide area of the historic Hollywood entertainment district.
Fast-moving Sunset Fire erupts in Hollywood Hills, evacuations ordered
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the situation became so dire that people were seen abandoning their cars in the middle of the road to escape the massive blaze, which firefighters were then forced to bulldoze to clear the way.
Watch: Hollywood Streets Gridlock Amid Evacuations for Sunset Fire
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The admission comes as residents have wondered how the wildfires — whose causes are still under investigation — got so out of hand and turned into one of the most devastating Los Angeles fires in recent memory, killing at least five and destroying at least 1,000 homes, businesses, and other structures.
'Pushed the system to the extreme': Los Angeles fires unchecked amid scarce water supply
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A sixth blaze erupted in the Greater Los Angeles area—this time in the Hollywood Hills—late Wednesday evening, as emergency crews were still fighting to contain a devastating spate of wildfires that have resulted in five deaths and forced thousands to flee from their homes.
"Explosive" Sunset Fire prompts evacuation order in Hollywood Hills: Map
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The flames marched toward highly populated and affluent neighborhoods, including Calabasas and Santa Monica, home to California’s rich and famous.
Hollywood Hills fire breaks out as deadly wildfires burn out of control across Los Angeles area
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However, Los Angeles Fire Department Capt. Erik Scott said the LADWP proactively filled all available water storage tanks before the fires began.
Fire hydrants ran dry due extreme demand in Pacific Palisades, officials say
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The Santa Ana windstorm described as the strongest in a decade is expected to cause unpredictable conditions through Thursday, and fires have continued to spread and erupt in different locations.
Los Angeles Fires: Tracking, Evacuation, and How to Volunteer
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With climate change altering rainfall patterns and making droughts both more likely and more intense, destructive wildfires like the ones in the Los Angeles area will continue to threaten people's lives and livelihoods.
The dangerous combination fueling the L.A. fires: Exceptional dryness and strong winds
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The fast-moving fire broke out in the Hollywood Hills, threatening some of Los Angeles’ most famous landmarks.
California fires live: sixth wildfire breaks out in Los Angeles as five people killed
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But the governor's office called Trump's evidence "pure fiction."
'He is the blame for this': Trump points finger at Newsom for wildfires with disputed evidence
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Here’s the real, ugly truth: This is just how every major climate disaster is going to unfold online from here on out.
As Los Angeles Burns, We’re Seeing a Conflagration of Lies and Disinformation
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Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass is being criticized for being out of the country during this critical time. Bass was in Ghana as part of a U.S. delegation for the inauguration of Ghana’s president.
Gov. Newsom, LA mayor criticized over Palisades Fire response, empty hydrants
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Critics, however, have noted that defunding the fire department is a recipe for disaster as the climate crisis brings increasingly devastating fires to the drought-stricken region.
LA Gave More Money to Cops While Cutting Fire Budgets. Now It’s Burning.
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In all my years in and studying disaster management, I have never seen a president (elect) blame a jurisdiction WHILE the disaster was still out of control. It distracts, is cruel to first responders and victims, and could impede effective response.
Trump blames wildfires on 'Biden/Newscum duo' in multiple attacks as Californians lose all
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At least two people are dead and over 30,000 people evacuated their homes as multiple wildfires tore through Southern California, forcing Gov. Gavin Newsom to declare a state of emergency as flames engulfed homes and left hillsides charred to the ground from the beach to the inland areas.
4 things you may not know about the Los Angeles wildfires
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As wildfires ravage Los Angeles, horse owners are being forced to flee with their animals to protect them from the encroaching flames, adding to the overwhelming chaos as authorities respond to the crisis.
Horse owners flee with animals amid LA wildfire chaos
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As wildfires become increasingly common in urban areas such as Boulder, Colorado and Lahaina, Hawaii, public water systems are often unable to meet the demand of fighting these large fires.
Fire hydrants ran dry in California, highlighting a major problem in firefighting
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Instead Trump has taken verbal potshots at California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) and President Biden, suggesting their actions are to blame for the failure to contain the fires.
The Memo: Trump sparks political fight as Los Angeles wildfires rage
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This is just how every major climate disaster is going to unfold online from here on out. There will be criticisms and expressions of fury, some more fair and reasoned than others, But in an ecosystem where social media outlets have purposefully hobbled their ability to provide real-time, reliable updates to users, the people affected by those disasters are literally left in the dark.
The California Wildfires Just Revealed This Very Grim Truth
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Karen Bass left L.A. for Africa as wind, fire warnings increased. Mayor returned to a burning city
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The fight to contain the flames has put immense strain on the system.
Fire hydrants ran dry in Pacific Palisades as a major wildfire raged
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Trump’s message to Newsom came as the Kincade Fire raged in Sonoma County from Oct. 23 to Nov. 6, 2019.
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The devastating nature of the fires is in part due to climate change, experts say, which has exacerbated the size, intensity, and damage caused by the wildfires in recent years.
The Conditions that Led to the L.A. Fires
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Pacific Palisades Fire Most Destructive in Los Angeles History
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Multiple fires are consuming swaths of Los Angeles, so far destroying thousands of homes and taking at least 11 lives, and at one point straining firefighting efforts so much that some hydrants ran dry.
Extreme Fires Whip Across Los Angeles: Updates
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Summary
Wildfires in Los Angeles County have burned over 27,000 acres, destroyed 1,900 structures, and resulted in at least five fatalities. With evacuation orders affecting over 130,000 residents, President Biden signed a federal emergency declaration and sent assistance as the catastrophic fires continue fueled by strong winds and dry vegetation. The situation has raised significant concerns over disaster preparedness and resources amid climate change contributing to increasingly severe fire seasons.
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