Violent fire | “Complete neighborhoods pass through there”

The fires encircling Los Angeles are so violent that they even horrify residents who might seem accustomed to Californian infernos. “In more than 40 years here, I have never seen this,” says Max Taves, a reporter based in the City of Angels. I grew up with fires. But this one surpasses everything. »

The flames continued to devastate Los Angeles County on Wednesday, as a new fire well away from all the others broke out in the evening in the Hollywood Hills, prompting evacuations in this area which adjoins Hollywood Boulevard.

Residents of the historic Hollywood district were also ordered to evacuate in the evening. A still uncontrolled fire also threatens the coastal city of Santa Monica, which is subject to partial evacuation.

Towering plumes of black smoke rise above Los Angeles, emitting an acrid burning smell. Authorities urged residents to conserve water as three reservoirs supplying fire hydrants have already been completely emptied to combat the flames in Pacific Palisades, which has so far burned an area of ​​6,400 hectares, the equivalent of of around 12,000 football fields.

A native of Malibu, Mr. Taves has just learned that his childhood home burned down in a fire the day before. His father’s house was also “probably” engulfed in flames.

“I sometimes have the impression that the media sensationalize an event. But in the case of these fires, I feel like it’s the opposite. They are “under-sensationalized,” says Mr. Taves in a telephone interview.

The abnormally violent winds complicate the task of firefighters, who fight on several fronts, sometimes hampered by the carcasses of charred or abandoned vehicles.

At the time of writing, more than 1,400 firefighters were battling blazes that had killed at least 5 people and destroyed around 1,500 buildings in the region. More than 100,000 people had been ordered to evacuate.

Gusts of up to 95 km/h are expected to continue this Thursday, according to authorities.

“On Tuesday, I was at the edge of the territory affected by the fire. The winds made my truck shake like a magnitude 7 earthquake. I have never experienced that,” insists Mr. Taves.

Santa Monica Mayor Lana Negrete on Wednesday urged area residents under evacuation orders to leave their homes. “We are monitoring the situation. It all depends on the wind. We don’t know what’s going to happen,” she told MSNBC.

Biden on site, Trump comments remotely

On Wednesday, President Joe Biden visited Los Angeles, where he was able to brief himself on the latest developments.

“We are doing everything we can, and we will do it for as long as it takes, to contain these fires,” he assured.

Mr. Biden appeared alongside Gavin Newsom, the state’s governor. The latter declared having also mobilized the National Guard and launched an appeal to firefighters from neighboring states.

On his Truth Social platform, President-elect Donald Trump attacked the Democratic governor. He held him “responsible” for this “real catastrophe” by claiming – falsely – that California’s lack of water was due to its environmental policies, repeating his fanciful thesis that rainwater was diverted for protect a “useless fish”.

Lack of water

The lack of water hampered fire crews’ efforts early Wednesday morning, Mark Pestrella, Los Angeles County public works director, said in a press briefing.

“Flame fighting with multiple hydrants drawing water from the network for several hours is not viable,” he said.

Authorities reported that dozens of tanker trucks had since transported water to supply the network.

Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said the Palisades fire was not under control. “We don’t have enough firefighters in Los Angeles County to deal with this situation,” lamented Mr. Marrone, saying his crews were overwhelmed by the scale of the fires.

“The cause of the fire remains unknown,” he said.

The fires caused the cancellation of many film premieres in the cinema city and some ceremonies were postponed, notably that of the Critics Choice Awards which was to be held on Sunday. The National Hockey League also postponed the game scheduled for Wednesday at home by the Los Angeles Kings against the Calgary Flames.

A Quebecer on his guard

A Quebecer living in Santa Clara, north of Los Angeles, for more than 25 years, Éric Charbonneau watches over the neighboring mountain, the one that separates his house from the blaze. This is the first time he has witnessed such a devastating fire, he emphasizes.

The arrival of embers carried by the wind particularly worries him. “Winds have already carried embers for kilometers… We cleaned the leaves around the house. But otherwise, there’s not much we can do. »

Raging a few kilometers from his home, the Eaton fire, which was in no way contained, has already destroyed nearly 4,300 hectares (43 km²). It is one of six fires raging in Los Angeles County.

Even tens of kilometers from the evacuated areas, residents are complaining of headaches and nausea due to the thick smoke covering the region. Residents are also instructed to be ready to leave their homes quickly in the event the flames spread.

Mr. Charbonneau notes that November, December and January are usually months when heavy downpours regularly fall on Los Angeles. “But we haven’t had any rain this year. So everything is dry. With the extraordinary winds we are seeing, this creates a very dangerous situation. »

With Agence France-Presse and the Associated Press