Wildfires tore through Los Angeles, California, over the past month. The neighborhoods of Altadena and Pacific Palisades were the hardest hit. Many thousands of residents were forced to evacuate their homes. It took firefighters weeks to contain the fires.
Extreme drought and powerful winds created the conditions for the blazes. The first fire started in the mountains outside of the city. But it soon spread to nearby residential areas. At first, firefighters could not use helicopters to put out the fires. The winds were too strong. The helicopters later dropped water and retardant [material that prevents or slows the spread of fire] to contain the blaze.
The fire spread to other parts of the city. A large fire erupted near Pasadena. Firefighters fought smaller fires throughout the city, including one in the Hollywood Hills. As the fires raged, the city issued warnings and evacuation notices to residents. Thousands of people fled their neighborhoods. People were seen loading pets, luggage, and other belongings into their cars. Thousands of homes and businesses were lost. At least 29 people have died.
Firefighters worked for weeks to put out the fires. They slowed or stopped the spread of many fires. But more fires cropped up in other parts of California. They were caused by continued drought and strong winds. Firefighters are working around the clock to contain those fires, too. Recent rainfall has helped put out some of the fires.
Over 40,000 acres have been burned in Los Angeles County. The damage is expected to cost more than $250 billion. The Los Angeles fires are among the most destructive fires in California history. Scientists believe that climate change is partly to blame.
What Do You Think? How can communities prepare themselves for natural disasters like wildfires?
Photo Credit: Wildfire Image/Alamy Stock Photo
