Deadly wildfires threaten Hollywood

Biden cancels Italy trip to focus on fires response

FE Team | Published: January 09, 2025 21:29:05

A home burns during the Palisades Fire in Pacific Palisades, California, on Wednesday — AFP

HOLLYWOOD, Jan 09 (AFP): Wildfires threatened to engulf parts of Hollywood on Thursday as a growing number of blazes raged across Los Angeles, forcing tens of thousands of people to flee their homes and claiming at least five lives.
Over 100,000 people have been told to flee at least five separate blazes, including in the heart of historic Hollywood, just a few hundred meters (yards) from the storied theaters of Hollywood Boulevard.
Fighters in helicopters dumped water on the Hollywood Hills blaze where an evacuation order was issued for a number of streets in the historic district.
Sharon Ibarra, 29, told AFP she had rushed into Hollywood when she heard of the blaze to see if she could help her boss with her two babies. "I am super nervous, scared because of everything that has happened in the other places," she said.
The sudden eruption created gridlock on Hollywood's streets, hampering efforts by people who live in the area-a mixture of ritzy homes and rent-controlled apartments-to leave.
Fast-moving flames fanned by powerful winds have levelled 1,500 structures, many of them multi-million dollar homes in a rolling tragedy that the US media describe as the worst in the city's history.
Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said his crews were struggling with the scale and speed of the unfolding disasters. "We're doing the very best we can. But no, we don't have enough fire personnel in LA County between all the departments to handle this," he said.
New fires appeared to be spotting as embers were thrown up to 2.5 miles (four kilometers) including one that razed a large property late Wednesday in the densely populated Studio City area.
President Joe Biden on Wednesday canceled his upcoming trip to Italy to focus instead on the federal response to wildfires raging across Los Angeles, which have razed hundreds of homes and forced thousands to evacuate.
"After returning this evening from Los Angeles, where earlier today he had met with police, fire and emergency personnel ... President Biden made the decision to cancel his upcoming trip to Italy to remain focused on directing the full federal response in the days ahead," White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement.