The images coming out of Los Angeles this morning are heartbreaking.
From the BBC:
We don’t yet have concrete answers as to what started the LA fires, it is too early to tell and first responders are still focused on evacuating and tackling the blazes.
But, officials have pointed to high winds and drought in the area, which has made vegetation very dry and easy to burn.
An important factor that has been cited in the spread of the blazes is the seasonally strong Santa Ana winds.
These blow from inland towards the coast and with speeds of more than 60mph (97 km/h) these are believed to have fanned the flames and embers across LA County.
The likely impact of climate change has also been cited been blamed – although the exact circumstances remain unclear.
Some 95% of wildfires in the area are started by humans, according to David Acuna, a battalion chief at the Californian Fire Service, although officials are yet to state how they think the current fires started.
My friend who lives in Pasadena sent me this yesterday along with a bunch of videos from her backyard. The next city over, Altadena is destroyed. Firefighters in Los Angeles are running out of water and don’t have enough engines. Her own neighbourhood looked like a scene from an apocalyptic movie. The sky was red and at least one house just a few doors down had been on fire. Three giant fires are still burning out of control in the worst fires in Los Angeles’ history.
