The third day of the fight against the wildfires in Los Angeles has begun.
Tens of thousands of people are without power, thousands of people are still displaced, and the destructive fires
The most damaging fire in Los Angeles history, the Palisades Fire, spreads to 17,000 acres.
Los Angeles As firefighters battled to contain the 17,000-acre Palisades Fire—the most destructive wildfire in Los Angeles history—more strong winds were predicted for Thursday.
Authorities estimate that the fire, which started Tuesday near North Piedra Morada Drive under hurricane-force, dry Santa Ana winds, has burned at least 1,000 buildings, many of them residences.
Tens of thousands of people fled as it swiftly spread through the residential and business areas of this wealthy coastal town.
The fire was estimated to be 17,234 acres on Thursday morning and was not contained. The cause was still being looked into.
With the aid of helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft, over 800 firefighters are combating the fire. However, the utilization of aircraft resources has been constrained by the same winds that fanned the fire.
CalFire stated in a statement that “firefighting efforts for the Palisades Fire continue to be challenged by extreme fire behavior, including short and long-range spotting.” Through Thursday, winds of up to 60 mph are predicted, which could help with suppression operations and more fire activity.
The evacuation order covered parts of Santa Monica, Malibu, and Topanga as well as the Pacific Palisades and the Pacific Ocean. On Thursday, Calabasas businesses and residents were still under an evacuation notice.
According to data from the Wildfire Alliance, the Palisades Fire has already destroyed 1,000 structures, making it far more devastating than the second-most destructive wildfire in Los Angeles history, the Associated Press said. The estimated amount of damage is in the tens of billions of dollars.
The Sayre Fire, which burned 604 buildings in Sylmar in November 2008, was the most damaging fire to date.
This week, a number of significant wildfires have prompted evacuations in the Los Angeles region, including the Palisades Fire. In the Altadena and Pasadena neighborhoods, the Eaton Fire has damaged an undetermined number of homes and killed five lives.
Additionally, on Wednesday night, a fast-moving brush fire broke out in the Hollywood Hills, forcing thousands of residents to evacuate their homes. Before workers gained the upper hand and rescinded the majority of evacuation orders after midnight, the Sunset Fire had burned about 40 acres.