Just within these last few days, tragedy has struck Los Angeles County, California, and things are only getting worse. A fire that started in Palisades spread all the way through Hollywood Hills.
These fires are mostly all uncontained and started through powerful winds and dry conditions. The first sighting of the fire was on Tuesday morning in Palisades, a neighborhood east of Malibu, erupting in a brush fire.
Eventually, it spread through all these different counties, getting closer and closer to Hollywood. It spread through Eaton, Hurst, Lidia, and Sunset.
It’s reported that around 180,00 people have been ordered to evacuate and as many as 10,00 homes have been destroyed just so far.
As the fire gets picked up by the harsh winds, it gets much harder to contain. This is causing it to move closer and closer towards central Los Angeles which prompted around 100,000 evacuation warnings.
The conditions are still awful if you’re not right up to the fire and the air has become polluted, requiring people to wear masks when outside. As of Thursday January 9th, devastatingly there have been 6 reported deaths. All taking place close to where the fire started in Palisades.
People have begun to take eerie and chilling videos of the fires, just showing how real the fires are affecting people. Many businesses have been destroyed as well and the total economic loss could reach $50 billion according to JPMorgan.
Being all the way out here in WB, it feels like this doesn’t affect us. But, even if you don’t have family or friends living in Los Angeles, this affects us as Americans and our planet.
The Earth Club and T.E.A.M at WB were asked for statements on what they would like to say regarding this tragedy.
The Earth Club stated, “From everyone in Earth Club, we are wishing the best to the residents who’ve been affected by the wildfires in LA. We’re praying the fires are able to be swiftly managed before too much more residential and environmental damage occurs. Donate to disaster relief charities if you can, and if not verbal support is always appreciated by those in need. Good luck to everyone involved and stay safe!”
T.E.A.M stated, “From the entire TEAM community, we are sending our fullest support to those affected in LA right now. Wildfires are incredibly detrimental to residential communities and surrounding ecosystems; and with the rise of wildfires in the past decade, we hope it brings awareness to what climate change is causing around the world. Best of luck to everyone in LA right now, and we hope the damage will be as minimal as possible.”
We can all try to adopt this knowledgeable mindset and send our thoughts and prayers to the people of Los Angeles.
