The third large-scale wildfire this month in Los Angeles, the largest city in the western United States, is spreading for the second day on the 23rd, driven by strong winds. According to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, the “Hughes Wildfire” that broke out near Lake Castaic in northern LA County at 10:53 a.m. the previous day had spread to 1,176 acres (41.2 km²) by 10:34 a.m. today. In just one day, the fire burned an area nearly 10 times the size of Yeouido (4.5 km²).
Hundreds of firefighters are working tirelessly to combat the blaze, but as of now, the fire is only 14% contained. Authorities have issued evacuation orders for 31,000 residents near the fire area and have warned another 23,000 people who are at risk to prepare to evacuate. According to CNN and others, some of the county jail facilities are in the evacuation zone, and about 470 inmates have been relocated to other facilities. Authorities have stated that there have been no reports of damage to buildings or any casualties or injuries from the fire.
Meanwhile, another wildfire, known as the Sepulveda fire, broke out near the Bel-Air area close to the Getty Museum after midnight, putting residents on high alert. Authorities reported that about 250 firefighters responded quickly, and the fire was extinguished after burning 0.16 km². The previous day, wind gusts of up to 67 km/h blew across the northwest of LA, fanning the flames. The National Weather Service (NWS) has forecasted that extremely dry and windy weather will persist until the 24th. Afterward, fire departments and residents are hopeful for the long-awaited rain, expected over the weekend.
According to the NWS, 12.7 to 19.1 mm of rain is expected in the LA area on the weekend of the 25th and 26th. While not a large amount, this rain could be a much-needed relief for the area, which has been suffering from drought for over three months. However, experts have warned that even this modest amount of rain could trigger landslides, and debris flows in the vulnerable fire zones, so authorities are preparing for potential risks.
In addition, two large wildfires have been ongoing in LA since the 7th. The Palisades wildfire on the west coast has burned 94.9 km², and the Eaton wildfire on the eastern inland has consumed 56.7 km². As of today, the suppression rates for these fires are 72% and 95%, respectively. Though strong winds continue to affect these fires, authorities report that they are no longer spreading, thanks to defence lines set up by firefighters. Tragically, these two fires have claimed at least 28 lives, and an estimated 16,000 buildings have been destroyed.
According to Reuters and other news outlets, disaster management service provider KCC has estimated that the insured losses from these fires could amount to approximately $28 billion (around 40.2 trillion won). In response to the ongoing crisis, the California State Assembly passed a bill on the same day to allocate $2.5 billion (around 3.6 trillion won) from the state budget to support wildfire victims and assist in the restoration of local infrastructure.