At least 10 people have died since the fires began on Tuesday.
The wildfires in California continue to burn though winds began to slow on Thursday and firefighters made some progress against them. The fires have taken the lives of at least 10 people and destroyed over 10,000 houses and other structures. A red flag warning is still in place. Over 150,000 residents are under evacuation orders while more than 200,000 customers are still without power.
The LA County sheriff described the landscape as though “a bomb dropped“ on the area. Law enforcement has been arresting looters but warned residents who do not obey evacuation orders that they would be charged with misdemeanors. The LA Office of Emergency Management apologized on Friday for erroneous emergency alerts that instructed residents in unaffected areas to evacuate.
Over 36,000 acres have been burned. The Palisades fire has burned over 13 square miles and is 8 percent contained. The Eaton fire has burned roughly 21 square miles and is 3 percent contained. The Kenneth and Hurst fires have burned around 1.5 square miles and are 35 and 37 percent contained, respectively.
Officials have warned of possible contamination of Pasadena’s water supply, telling people not to drink tap water. They recommended bottled water, stating that boiling will not make it safe.
Citizens near Woodland Hills caught a homeless man in his 30s who was carrying a blowtorch or flamethrower on Thursday. They detained the man, who was suspected of lighting the Kenneth fire, until the police arrived and arrested him. On Friday, the Los Angeles Police Department announced there was no probable cause to hold the suspected arsonist.
Some are questioning who was in charge of Los Angeles at the time the wildfires broke out, as LA Mayor Karen Bass was in Ghana and the city’s deputy mayor was placed on leave in December for making a bomb threat against City Hall earlier in 2024.
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For the families who have lost loved ones, homes, or businesses in the wildfires.
- For the city leaders and law enforcement as they seek to restore order.
- For the firefighters who are working around the clock to contain the wildfires.
- For a break in the weather so that the fires cease to spread further.
Sources: Weather Channel, Red State, Townhall, Business Insider
