Firefighters continue to battle two Los Angeles wildfires that continue to burn, taking advantage of an easing in dangerous conditions before strong winds fan the flames again.
Hurricane-force winds recorded earlier last week eased, giving firefighters a breather, but are now expected to regain strength of up to 112 km/h, making the situation dangerous until Wednesday.
Authorities have warned the entire population of about 10 million that anyone could be ordered to evacuate due to the flames and toxic smoke.
"Dangerous conditions for the spread of fires will continue through Wednesday. Strong winds combined with drought will cause the fire alert throughout Los Angeles County to remain very high," the fire chief said.
California Governor Gavin Newsom confirmed that at least 24 people have died in what he said could be the worst natural disaster in American history. The fires have reduced entire neighborhoods to rubble, flattening the homes of the wealthy and famous, and leaving behind an apocalyptic landscape.
Authorities say at least 12,300 structures have been damaged or destroyed, and more than 100,000 people have been forced to evacuate. There are currently three fires still burning, the largest of which is the Palisades, which has burned more than 9,000 hectares, and the Eaton and Hurst fires.
However, the latter is almost all under control. Private forecaster AccuWeather estimates that damages and economic losses could range from $135 billion to $150 billion. Another problem that the citizens of Los Angeles are facing is the looting of abandoned apartments and the large increase in hotel room rents. (A2 Televizion)
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