[Some Los Angeles County residents will wake up to hazardous conditions today, as polluted air and unsafe water pose a threat in several areas. At least five people have been killed and officials expect the death toll to rise as fast-moving fires continue to blaze across Los Angeles County, mostly uncontained.
The fires are the most destructive in LA history, with more than 1,000 structures burnt and over 130,000 people under evacuation orders or warnings as of Wednesday. More than 200,000 homes and buildings are without power. The major fires include the Palisades Fire, the Eaton Fire, the Hurst Fire, the Lidia Fire, and the Sunset Fire, with varying levels of containment.
The fires spread quickly due to extreme fire weather, with strong winds and low humidity exacerbating conditions. Although winds decreased in intensity Wednesday, they were still making it difficult for firefighters. Wildfires are fueled by a knot of factors, but scientists say that global warming is loading the dice in favor of more intense and severe blazes.
Critical fire weather is forecast to last across parts of Los Angeles and Ventura Counties through Friday, with red flag warnings remaining for over 10 million people. The Palisades wildfire alone is expected to be the costliest in history, according to climate scientist Daniel Swain.
Firefighters are risking their lives battling the fast-moving wildfires, with some personnel working 36-hour and 48-hour shifts. More than 7,500 firefighting and emergency workers have been mobilized. Nevada is also sending resources from multiple fire agencies to Southern California to help in the firefight, and the California National Guard has deployed troops.
The City of Pasadena has issued an urgent alert concerning unsafe drinking water in areas impacted by recent evacuations due to the Eaton Fire. Residents are advised to rely solely on bottled water for all consumption, including drinking, food preparation, brushing teeth and pet care.
The excessive smoke and ash has caused air quality to plummet to ‘hazardous’ levels across parts of the region, with air quality alerts in place in many areas, including Downtown Los Angeles. Altadena has a current air quality index of 426, which exceeds the worst air quality seen in New Delhi, a city notorious for air pollution, over the last two days.
All schools within the Los Angeles Unified School District will be closed today, with a decision to be made by 4:00 p.m. PT on whether schools will be open Friday. In the Palisades, two schools have been burnt to the ground.
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