LOS ANGELES could face “explosive fire growth” in the coming days as blazing wildfires threaten to burn through more A-list neighborhoods.
Firefighters have been tirelessly fighting against the raging infernos which have decimated several regions of California with the threat of high winds set to cause further problems.
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LA is bracing to battle dangerous 50 to 65mph winds that could fan the out-of-control flames towards the Hollywood hub of Brentwood or even the iconic San Fernando Valley.
Brentwood – known as one of the glitziest areas of LA – on Sunday ordered its residents to evacuate immediately as the threat grows.
Ariel Cohen, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service made a chilling prediction about how the fires could only worsen.
He told the LA Times: “There will be the potential for explosive fire growth as those winds pick back up.”
read more on LA wildfires
The winds were expected to cause carnage late on Sunday night into Monday – and could continue right through to Wednesday.
LA’s National Weather Service issued a rare Red Flag warning on Sunday – highlighting three “particularly dangerous situation” (PDS) areas.
They covered huge swathes of a California map – including the San Fernando Valley and the Western Santa Monicas – just a stones throw from Brentwood.
Some 50mph gusts are expected to affect most of the coastal areas but could reach up to 70mph in the mountains of Los Angeles and Ventura.
Strong gales pose a threat because they fan the flames, shift the direction of the blaze or even create new fires because of flying embers.
It comes as 24 people have been killed so far in the horror fires.
Another 16 are still missing with officials fearing the death toll could soon rise again.
This unpredictable weather is reportedly expected to push the existing deadly fires at a southward and westward angle.
Some of the blazes – the Eaton and Hurst fires – are north and east of Brentwood and the San Fernando Valley.
Brentwood is known for its celebrity residents.
Stars including Lebron James, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Kamala Harris, Jennifer Garner and US politician Robert F. Kennedy Jr all have homes in the area.
Cal Fire official Todd Hopkins warned that Brentwood is at a high risk along with the San Fernando Valley due to how fast the blazes have spread across the Mandeville Canyon in recent days.
The San Vernando Valley, known locally as “The Valley”, is home to all the iconic filming studios of Hollywood including Warner Bros, Walt Disney and Universal Studios.
It also includes Calabasas – another star-studded enclave which the Kardashians call home.
They are among many other celebs to have fled their mansions amid warnings from officials.
Deanne Criswell, head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), told CNN: “The winds are potentially getting dangerous and strong again.
“The biggest thing that people need to know is that this is still dangerous.”
Three wildfires remain uncontained and are still spreading in the areas of Hurst, Palisades and Eaton.
The largest two remain as the Palisades and now Eaton.
They cover a combined 38,000 acres and have only been contained 11 per cent and 27 per cent respectively.
Over 105,000 residents were told to evacuate from the two regions today.
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DEADLY WILDFIRES LATEST
Officials are battling against the terrifying wildfires with another 1,000 troops now being sent to tackle the blazes.
Around 2,500 California National Guard members will soon be helping to extinguish the three remaining fires after governor Gavin Newsom announced the latest deployments.
Over the past few days, more than 15,000 firefighters, highway officers and transportation teams have been supporting the firefight.
Many have helped on foot where as others have been tasked with using over 1,350 fire engines and 80 aircraft to pour water and fire retardant over the towering infernos.
Governor Newsom said: “The men and women of the California National Guard have been on the ground since day one.
‘War zone’ LA feels ‘broken’ as fires still ravage the city – but we will rebuild
The U.S. Sun’s Assistant Editor for Exclusives Katy Forrester is an LA resident and she witnessed first-hand the horror as flames engulfed the city. She said the city feels like a “war zone”.
EVERY year Los Angeles braces itself for wildfires. It is not uncommon to see flames torching the hills and even houses burning to the ground.
But many residents have never witnessed anything as devastating as this week. And it’s nowhere near over.
I spent time near Pacific Palisades, where thick smoke filled the air, and saw desperate families fleeing the city while others begged police to give them access to their properties as roads were blocked off.
“Everything is gone” was heard many times, as thousands of people were left homeless and with few possessions.
I was lucky to only have the power go out in my home, but I’ll never forget what I witnessed traveling throughout the city.
It was like a war zone.
During a visit to a shelter, I spoke with a resident who has lived in his home for almost 30 years and is battling cancer. He stayed long after he was told to pack up and go.
It was only when flames began leaping around his building that he finally gathered his belongings and ran out.
I reported from Altadena, where buildings were still engulfed in flames, and few fire trucks were in sight as emergency services were overwhelmed.
Cars and school buses were completely torched, and heartbroken families stood around in shock, not being able to process what had happened.
As the sun went down, I drove back home towards the city center, which I felt was safe, until I saw orange flames leaping behind buildings just minutes from my house.
I felt sick. I’ve never known wildfires so close to Hollywood, and suddenly, phones were blaring with emergency notifications to evacuate the area.
Traffic lights and street lamps were out, and areas filled with fallen trees from the strong winds became gridlocked.
I feel extremely lucky I live minutes outside of the evacuation zone, but friends panicked and fled their homes.
Although many worldwide will merely shrug when they hear wealthy people have lost their homes, the reality is very different.
The city as a whole feels broken, everyone from single mothers to elderly people have been through hell.
And people are angry.
Dozens have spoken of their insurance policies being canceled just months before the fires, while others are reeling over alleged corruption and mismanagement.
They may be angry. But they are also hopeful. The people of Los Angeles are made of strong stuff.
We will get through this. And we will rebuild.
“Not only fighting fires, but also assisting with public safety efforts in communities devastated by these fires.”
In another boost Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has also offered to send 150 firefighters to combat the California wildfires.
He said: “The situation there is extremely challenging, and Ukrainians can help Americans protect lives.”
Several serious warnings are in place across neighborhoods in LA including evacuation notices.
But the latest has urged civilians to avoid drinking any tap water from their homes.
The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power issued a “do not drink” notices for two postcodes near the Palisades fire, NBC News reports.
Fire-related contaminants, including benzene and other volatile organic compounds could have found its way into the water systems which connect to the houses.
The department made a statement saying: “It is possible that disease-causing organisms or other contaminants could be present.
“These organisms include bacteria, viruses, and parasites that can cause symptoms such as nausea, cramps, diarrhea, and associated headaches.”
LA county sheriff Robert Luna described some parts of the county as looking “like warzones” as he gave an update in a daily briefing.
He said the wildfires are likely to be the worst natural disaster in US history in terms of “cost… scale and scope”.
Meanwhile, satellite pictures have revealed whole blocks of homes in Los Angeles have been burned to rubble by the wildfires.
The snaps show before, during, and after the uncontrolled blazes have burned through LA homes and celebrity enclaves and caused thousands to flee.
A former Aussie child actor was also tragically killed in the devastating wildfires after his mum failed to save him due to water shortage.
Brit-born Rory Callum Sykes, 32, was left trapped inside a self-contained cottage in Malibu after it caught fire from flying embers.
Mum Shelley said she tried to put out the embers that landed on the roof of the 17-acre property with a hose but the water supply was turned off.
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