Fires continue to spread throughout Los Angeles County, with three out of the five blazes currently burning not contained at all.
The five fires burning Thursday morning have destroyed more than 45 square miles and forced around 179,000 people to be placed under evacuation orders, CBS News reported. Five people have died, and more than 1,300 structures have been destroyed, with more than 60,000 additional structures threatened.
One resident told the BBC that the situation was “like Armageddon,” and numerous celebrities have reported that their homes have been destroyed, including Mandy Moore, Anna Faris, and James Woods.
Strong winds have pushed the fires into densely populated areas in Southern California, CBS reported, adding that the two largest fires – the Palisades and Eaton Fires – weren’t contained at all. The Palisades Fire alone covers nearly 27 square miles and destroyed hundreds of homes and buildings. Five people have died in the Eaton Fire, which has burned more than 16 square miles and destroyed nearly 1,000 homes and buildings. The Sunset Fire began Wednesday night in Hollywood Hills, but the evacuation order for the area has been lifted. The Hurst Fire has burned at least 855 acres and was 10% contained as of Thursday morning, while the Lidia Fire has scorched 348 acres and was 40% contained.
JOIN THE MOVEMENT IN ’25 WITH 25% OFF DAILYWIRE+ ANNUAL MEMBERSHIPS WITH CODE DW25
Shortly after 6 p.m. on Wednesday, the Los Angeles Fire Department issued an evacuation order for parts of the Hollywood Hills, where many celebrities reside. That led to major traffic jams in Hollywood and West Hollywood as residents attempted to flee.
Traffic jam as people try to evacuate due to the Hollywood Hills fire
— The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) January 9, 2025
Democrat politicians in California have been blamed for the devastating fires following reports that Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass slashed the fire department’s budget. Failure to properly manage water in the state also led to fire hydrants drying up when crews tried to put out the fires, leading President-elect Donald Trump to slam California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat.
“Governor Gavin Newscum refused to sign the water restoration declaration put before him that would have allowed millions of gallons of water, from excess rain and snow melt from the North, to flow daily into many parts of California, including the areas that are currently burning in a virtually apocalyptic way,” Trump published on social media.
