A song of flames: terrible fires rage in Southern California
On Tuesday, January 7, forest fires started in the state of California(USA), the fire began to spread rapidly and covered many buildings. At the moment it is known that because of the elements was destroyed more than 2 thousand buildings, among which there are houses of Hollywood stars. So far the fire can not be localized. More than 130 thousand people have been evacuated from the fire zone. Because of the emergency was postponed ceremony of announcement of nominees for "Oscar". Read more about what happened - in the material "Izvestia".
Fire in California: causes, distribution, whether there are dead
At the beginning of the week, January 7, 2025, in the prestigious area of Pacific Palisades, California, located in the north-west of Los Angeles, started a forest fire. The fire quickly spread to structures and homes of local residents, many of whom are movie stars.
The reason for the rapid spread of the fire was the low humidity and prolonged gusty winds in the region. The situation was made worse by the fact that the city's water system was overloaded due to power outages and could not be activated properly.
Five active fire hotspots are known at this time. The last fire in the Hollywood Hills area broke out on Wednesday evening (or on the night of Thursday, January 9, Moscow time). In this case, the hearth is in close proximity to iconic Los Angeles landmarks and popular tourist attractions, including the letters Hollywood. It is also reported that for January, the fires in the region were the worst and most destructive in the state's history.
The Pacific Palisades fire remains the largest of the five fires currently raging in California. Its area is about 70 square kilometers. About 300 buildings have been destroyed there, more than 13 thousand more are at risk.
In total in the fires in Southern California was destroyed about 2 thousand buildings, without light remain more than 175 thousand consumers. The total area of fires reached almost 11 thousand hectares.
It is also reported that more than 130 thousand people were forced to evacuate from the zone of fires.
How the fire is being fought in California
It is known that about 1.3 thousand specialists were sent to fight the fires that hit Southern California. Later, the official representative of the Pentagon Sabrina Singh said that the Ministry of Defense of the country sent 10 Navy helicopters to help extinguish the fire. However, the fire could not be localized.
On the instructions of the country's President Joe Biden, the Pentagon also intends to allocate personnel to fight the fire because of the inability of local authorities to cope with all the hotbeds on their own.
Joe Biden also announced the introduction of a large-scale disaster mode in California. Thus, residents of Los Angeles County will have access to federal assistance, in which they will be able to get grants for temporary housing, home repairs, as well as low-interest loans to cover the damage that is not covered by insurance.
Local officials have already requested the help of firefighters from neighboring counties. States such as Washington, Oregon and Nevada have also sent their help.
Fire damage in California
The consulting company AccuWeather has already released its forecast that the damage from the fires could range from $52 billion to $57 billion.
The White House is still assessing the damage from the fires.
There was also information that the house of the famous American TV host, actress and model Paris Hilton was completely destroyed by fire. Actors Anthony Hopkins, John Goodman, Billy Crystal, Adam Brody and many others lost their homes.
Postponement of the ceremony to announce the Oscar nominees
The American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has postponed the announcement of the Oscar nominees from Jan. 17 to Jan. 19 amid a state of emergency.
"We offer our deepest condolences to those affected by the devastating fires in California. Many members, our colleagues live and work in the Los Angeles area. We are thinking of you," the letter from Academy Director Bill Kramer quoted.
Earlier in the United States because of the fires canceled the announcement of nominees for the Screen Actors Guild Awards.
Reaction to the fires in California
The American entrepreneur Ilon Musk expressed his opinion about the fires in California. He responded to the publication of a user in the social network X, which said that California has the worst government among all US states. Also, according to the Network user, the spread of the fire was facilitated by the "failed policy" of California Governor Gavin Newsom in the field of water and forest management.
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump
To this, Ilon Musk wrote: "True." And added that his company SpaceX will provide Starlink satellite communication terminals to those affected on January 9.
US President-elect Donald Trump, who will take office on January 20, also blamed Gavin Newsom for the fires. He wrote on the Truth Social network.
"One of the best and most beautiful parts of the United States of America is burning to the ground. Everything has turned to ash, and Gavin Newscam (a play on words, where the English scum translates as "scum." - "Izvestia") should resign. It's all his fault," Donald Trump wrote.
The president-elect also accused Joe Biden of inaction against the background of what is happening in the state. In his opinion, the fires will serve as a symbol of blatant incompetence and mismanagement of the President.
