Fires in the Los Angeles area | “Bodies every day”

Bruised, Los Angeles tries to get back up, but strong winds could deal it another hard blow

(Los Angeles) Nearly a week after its hills were set ablaze, Los Angeles feared on Monday the winds which threatened to fan the flames once again. And when Aeolus blows, the risk of new fires starting increases.

“Not only do these extreme and dangerous conditions greatly complicate the fight against ongoing fires, but they will make new fires much more likely,” warned the American weather services.

“Weather conditions extremely conducive to fires” were developing in the region, where gusts were already blowing up to 120 km/h in certain areas on Monday. They will last at least until Wednesday, the weather services have warned.

“We will continue to use all the means at our disposal to fight the fires,” President Joe Biden pledged at midday.

These hot and dry winds predicted should have “a force close to that of a hurricane”, compared the mayor of Los Angeles, Karen Bass.

Besieged by flames since last Tuesday, the second most populous city in the United States is counting its deaths day after day: the toll rose to 24 people on Sunday, according to local authorities.

In the ravaged neighborhoods, rescuers assisted by dogs continue to inspect the rubble in search of bodies.

A “testing” task

“It’s a very grueling task, and unfortunately, we come across bodies every day,” laments Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna.

The efforts deployed by thousands of firefighters, including those from neighboring Mexico, nevertheless made it possible to partially contain the two main fires in recent days.

The firefighters on site have received human and material reinforcements, including dozens of tanker trucks, and are ready to deal with the situation, several of their officials assured.

Any return of evacuees was nevertheless ruled out until Thursday because of the wind which is gaining strength, warned the firefighters, calling for patience from the tens of thousands of residents queuing, sometimes for hours, in the hope to collect medicine or clothes from their homes, or simply to see if their house had been destroyed or not.

My house burned down, I know it. I saw photos: only the chimney remains. But I need to see it with my own eyes to believe it.

Fred Busche, a disaster victim

In the affected areas where the flames have been extinguished, the housing estates are nothing more than piles of ashes and rubble.

In Altadena, north of Los Angeles, one of the two most affected areas, Zahrah Mihms tries to contain the anxiety of her little Ethan, 4 years old.

“I try to make him forget what’s going on and tell him, ‘Everything’s okay. Our house had a little mess, but we’re going to fix it. Everything will be fine,” she says, still wearing the slippers she was wearing when she had to leave in a hurry because of the fire.

More than 12,000 homes, buildings and vehicles have been destroyed or damaged by the fires, which could be the costliest ever known, according to provisional estimates.

“It will cost tens of billions of dollars to restore Los Angeles to the state it was,” Joe Biden estimated Monday.

Many challenges

Hundreds of thousands of children returned to school on Monday, authorities announced. However, the affected schools and those in evacuated areas remained closed. More than 90,000 people remain affected by an evacuation order.

The number of evacuees to accommodate is another challenge for the California city, and there are reports of opportunistic landlords raising their rent.

Many residents are beginning to criticize the management of local authorities, firefighters having sometimes had to deal with dry hydrants or with low pressure.

California’s Democratic governor, Gavin Newsom, has called for “a comprehensive independent review” of Los Angeles’ water services.

Donald Trump once again attacked local leaders on Sunday, described as “incompetent politicians”.

“I look forward to him coming here,” replied Gavin Newsom, who aims to launch a “Marshall Plan” to rebuild California.

Faced with looting, a nighttime curfew is in force in the most ravaged areas. Local authorities announced Monday the indictment of nine people suspected of looting.

The Santa Ana winds that fanned the fire are a classic of Californian autumns and winters. But this time they reached an intensity not seen since 2011, according to meteorologists, with gusts of up to 160 km/h last week.

Enough to spread the fire at lightning speed, especially since two very rainy years had given rise to luxuriant vegetation, which then dried up during eight months without precipitation.

Scientists regularly point out that climate change is increasing the frequency of extreme weather events.