By Jorge Garcia and Lisa Richwine
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Firefighters on Wednesday faced persistently strong and dry winds fanning two massive wildfires that have terrorized Los Angeles for eight days, testing the resolve of a city battered by the worst disaster in its history.
Officials urged residents to remain vigilant and be prepared to evacuate as the strongest wind gusts are forecast to last through Thursday afternoon.
About 6.5 million people remain under critical threat from the wildfires, after fires have engulfed an area nearly the size of Washington, DC, resulting in at least 25 deaths so far, authorities said.
“We want to repeat a particularly dangerous situation today. Prepare now and be ready to go,” county Supervisor Lindsey Horvath said at a news conference Wednesday.
Although expected winds of up to 70 mph (112 km/h) have yet to materialize, firefighters reported winds of 30 to 40 mph (48 to 64 km/h) combined with low humidity in a region that has not seen a significant event in nine months rains.
The fires damaged or destroyed more than 12,000 homes and other structures, and forced as many as 200,000 people to leave their homes. About 82,400 people were under evacuation orders and another 90,400 had evacuation warnings as of Wednesday, County Sheriff Robert Luna said.
Entire neighborhoods were flattened, leaving smoldering ashes and rubble. Many homes only have a chimney.
About 8,500 firefighters from the western United States, Canada and Mexico fought the blaze for three days.
The Palisades Fire on the western edge of the city remained stable at 23,713 acres (96 square kilometers) burned, and moved to 19% containment — a measure of how much of the perimeter was under control. The Eaton (NYSE: ) The fire in the foothills east of the city has burned 14,117 acres (57 square kilometers) and is 45% contained.
A fleet of air tankers and helicopters dropped water and fire retardants into the rugged hills while ground crews with hand tools and hoses worked to contain the blaze.
Aerial firefighters – or fire bombers – operate without precision equipment or autopilot, just the pilot’s view through the windshield and his experience.
“I call it ‘the feeling of the force,'” said pilot Diego Calderoni, of the New Mexico-based contractor, referring to the mystical energy in the Star Wars movies.
Hundreds of visiting firefighters and EMS workers stay outside the Rose Bowl football stadium, a base camp where colleagues build camaraderie between 24-hour shifts followed by 24 hours of rest.
“You’re all in it for the same mission,” said Martin Macias of the St. Louis Fire Department. Helena in Northern California. “We all got into this as a favor, to brighten someone’s day at the worst time.”
A new wildfire broke out Wednesday in San Bernardino County east of Los Angeles, burning 30 hectares (12 acres), Cal Fire reported. Two other wildfires in Southern California are mostly under control.
Some Angelenos are trying to return to a semblance of normalcy.
Students and teachers displaced by the Palisades Charter Elementary School fire found a new home Wednesday at nearby Brentwood Elementary Science Magnet School, where they were welcomed with open arms.
“For the kids who lost their homes and also lost their school, it’s absolutely devastating. And the way I can help and the way I can give back is to make sure those kids have somewhere to go. And even though we’ve lost the physical buildings, we still have our community,” said Palisades Charter Elementary Principal Juliet Herman.
FIRE PREPARATION Questionable
As the fires raged, critics questioned whether the city had properly prepared for the fire danger under National Weather Service warnings of dangerous weather, even though firefighters were on standby and able to deploy resources in advance.
Fire Chief Kristin Crowley on Wednesday responded to questions about a Los Angeles Times report that the fire department decided last Tuesday not to order 1,000 firefighters to stay on duty for a second shift last Tuesday as the fires began to spiral out of control.
The Times quoted critics as saying that the outgoing shift should have remained on duty and that as many as 25 additional fire engines should have been moved to the hills.
Crowley defended her department’s preparations, saying it’s impossible to know exactly where fires might break out and that some firefighters must stay put to field ordinary emergency calls anywhere in the city.
“We did everything in our power to expand where we could,” Crowley said.
The Times quoted Deputy Chief Richard Fields, who was in charge of personnel and equipment decisions before the fire, as saying the oversight was welcome, but that critics were too easily questioning the decisions after the event.
The disaster cast a shadow over Hollywood’s annual awards season, normally a time of celebration leading up to the Oscars in March. Several red carpet events have been postponed, canceled or scaled back.
“It’s a tough time for our industry right now,” said actor Adrien Brody, who won a Golden Globe for his role in “The Brutalist,” at the film’s premiere in London on Tuesday. “I’m a little heartbroken for the many friends and colleagues who are suffering tremendous loss in Los Angeles right now.”
