LOS ANGELES— At least five people have been killed in wildfires rampaging around Los Angeles, officials said Wednesday, with firefighters overwhelmed by the speed and ferocity of multiple blazes — including in Hollywood.
Up to 1,500 buildings have burned in fires that have broken out around America’s second biggest city, forcing over 100,000 people from their homes.
Hurricane-force winds whipped up fireballs that leapt from house to house in the upmarket Pacific Palisades area, incinerating a swathe of California’s most desirable real estate favored by Hollywood celebrities.
On Wednesday evening, a new fire erupted in the Hollywood Hills, just a few hundred meters (yards) from the storied Hollywood Boulevard, sparking an evacuation order for the world’s entertainment capital.
Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said his crews were overwhelmed by the scale and speed of the unfolding disasters.
“We’re doing the very best we can. But no, we don’t have enough fire personnel in LA County between all the departments to handle this,” he said.
The fire raging in Pacific Palisades had consumed around 6,500 hectares as of Wednesday afternoon (Thursday in Manila), taking 1,000 homes and businesses with it.
A separate 10,600-acre (4,300-hectare) fire was burning around Altadena, north of the city, where flames tore through suburban streets.
Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said five people were known to have perished, with more deaths feared.
“Remember, this is still a very fluid situation, there’s zero containment on this fire. I’m really praying we don’t find more, but I don’t think that’s going to be the case,” he said. William Gonzales got out alive, but his Altadena home was gone.
