To combat the fires threatening Los Angeles, the governor of California declared a state of emergency in the metropolis and neighboring counties on Wednesday, September 11, while the fires have already destroyed several dozen homes.
Gavin Newsom “A state of emergency has been declared in Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties to combat the Bridge Fire and in Orange and Riverside counties to combat the Bridge Airport Fire.”according to a press release published Wednesday.
The Bridge Fire, one of three wildfires raging near the second-largest city in the United States, has already destroyed dozens of homes and scorched nearly 20,000 hectares in the Los Angeles Highlands in 24 hours.
North of the Californian megalopolis, residents of the towns of Wrightwood and Mount Baldy have been ordered to evacuate their homes. At least 33 houses and several cabins were destroyed by the fire, which also swept through a ski resort, according to authorities. An Agence France-Presse (AFP) journalist present in Wrightwood saw the remains of buildings and burned cars.
The blaze, which started Sunday, had already consumed 1,600 hectares of land by Tuesday; the toll increased tenfold to 20,000 hectares by Wednesday. Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said three people, including a member of his squad, were trapped in a remote area near Mount Baldy. “Our air rescue team is preparing to get them out once the smoke clears.”Emergency services are also trying to reach them by road in 4×4 vehicles, he said.
A suspect arrested
Northeast of the megacity, another blaze, the “Line Fire,” scorched 14,000 hectares. Residents of mountain villages were asked to evacuate their homes while several roads were blocked.
A 30-year-old man suspected of setting the fire was arrested on Tuesday, according to court documents. “California is deploying all available resources to combat these devastating fires”said Newsom, who visited a Line Fire command post on Wednesday. More than 5,700 personnel have been mobilized to fight the three fires, his office said.
Southeast of Los Angeles, a third major fire, the Airport Fire, continued to rage on Wednesday. It has so far scorched more than 8,900 hectares. According to local firefighters, seven people were injured in the disaster that occurred on Monday.
The spread of these fires has been aggravated by the heatwave that has affected the region, with temperatures exceeding 43°C in some areas in recent days. However, temperatures began to drop on Wednesday.
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With global warming, the western North American continent is increasingly affected by extreme weather events such as heat waves, droughts and fires.
