World
January 8, 2025 06:30
los angeles, california, usa - A forest fire in California's Pacific Palisades area has spread to residential areas with million-dollar mansions, leading to the evacuation of 30 thousand people.
In California's Pacific Palisades area near Los Angeles, a forest fire rapidly grew due to dry and strong winds, reaching residential areas.
Hundreds of firefighting teams sent to the area are struggling to intervene in the flames, and the Los Angeles Fire Department announced that evacuation orders were issued for 30 thousand people living in approximately 10 thousand households.
Between Santa Monica and Malibu neighborhoods in Los Angeles, a 510-hectare area burned, and intense smoke rose to the sky.
The fire caused traffic congestion in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood, leading some people to abandon their cars in the middle of the road and flee.
Actor Steve Guttenberg, who gained worldwide fame with his role in the comedy movie Police Academy in 1984, stated that he tried to evacuate his friends from the region but the roads were closed.
In his interview with a television channel, Guttenberg said, "If you are going to abandon your car, leave the key in it so that someone else can move the car off the road and fire trucks can enter. This is really important."
Firefighters are using bulldozers to move abandoned cars off the road. Dozens of luxury cars, including BMWs and Mercedes, were seen being crushed live, and some cars' alarms were heard.
There are many million-dollar mansions in the area. The fire that broke out in the morning rapidly grew, and dozens of firefighters also tried to bring the fire under control from the air.
Residents in the area reported to journalists that the fire spread very quickly. Andrew Hires, who lives in Pacific Palisades, told AFP that he received a message while his child was preparing to have a tooth pulled at the dentist, and immediately fled with his child.
"We were stuck in traffic for 20 minutes and saw the evacuation of children from Calvary School," he said.
Meteorologist Daniel Swain, speaking to AFP, warned that the storm in the region could reach speeds of 160 kilometers per hour.
"It will be a tough night, this is just the beginning because the weather conditions will worsen," said Swain.
US President Joe Biden's inauguration and the premiere events of Jennifer Lopez's new film 'Unstoppable' have been canceled.
California Governor Gavin Newsom stated that the severe winds in the region were causing the rapid spread of the fire, saying, "We are not out of danger yet. We are already seeing the destructive effects of this fire that started in Pacific Palisades and quickly grew." Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Anthony Marrone also stated that meteorologists predicted an increase in wind speeds, saying, "The danger continues." Firefighting efforts are ongoing.