“We Have Lost Everything”: Despair In The Los Angeles Fires

AFP/APP

Altadena: Homes reduced to rubble, businesses in flames, and desperate residents amidst the devastation: the California city of Altadena, ravaged by a violent fire on Wednesday, resembled a war zone.

“This was our home,” William Gonzales told AFP, gesturing to the smoldering remains where only embers and a chimney were left. “We have lost practically everything,” he sighed. “The flames have consumed all our dreams.”

Since Tuesday, large parts of the Los Angeles area have been devastated by fires that have claimed at least five lives. More than 100,000 people have been evacuated due to the fierce flames and violent winds, gusting up to 100 miles (160 kilometers) per hour.

In Altadena, located north of Los Angeles behind the mountains, firefighters are struggling to contain a blaze that has already destroyed around 500 buildings, many of them homes.

The streets of Altadena were blanketed in ash on Wednesday, with fires raging through numerous buildings. An emotional shopkeeper in his sixties, standing in front of the charred remains of his liquor store, cried, “This was my whole life.”

Jesus Hernandez, visibly shaken, expressed uncertainty over whether his parents would be compensated for their $1.3 million house. “Hopefully the insurance can cover most of it, if not, we’ll have to stay with friends,” he said.

In the past 24 hours, fires have ignited across the Los Angeles area, with one outbreak occurring in the Hollywood Hills, dangerously close to the famed Hollywood Boulevard. The fierce winds have carried embers up to 2.5 miles (4 kilometers), sparking new fires faster than firefighters can extinguish them.

The Santa Ana winds, a recurring feature of California’s autumns and winters, have reached a level not seen since 2011, according to meteorologists.

These winds, combined with the dry landscape, have created the perfect conditions for the wildfires, presenting a nightmare for firefighters, who have also struggled with water shortages. In the Pacific Palisades fire, hydrants ceased functioning after major storage tanks ran dry.

David Stewart, a local resident, refused to surrender his neighborhood to the flames. “The county turned off our water supply, so we’re out there with shovels throwing dirt on the fires,” he explained. “We’ve saved three neighbors’ houses so far, but the fires are still advancing towards ours.”

Jesse Banks, another resident, was anxiously trying to locate his son, who had fled the flames earlier in the day. “My son left the house before us on foot, without a cell phone. I’m searching for him now,” he said, his voice filled with concern. “I’ve lived here for over 20 years, and we’ve seen fires before, but nothing like this.”

The battle is far from over. While wind speeds are expected to moderate, a Red Flag warning, signaling high fire risk, is set to remain in effect until Friday evening.

In the midst of the catastrophe, scientists’ warnings about the increased frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, driven by humanity’s reliance on fossil fuels, are increasingly evident on the ground.