At least 24 lives have been lost to the wildfire sweeping through Los Angeles, a Southern California city in the USA.
While providing an update on the disaster on Sunday evening, the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner reported that out of the 24 confirmed death cases, only 10 have confirmed human remains.
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The inferno, which began last Tuesday, has reduced over 12,000 structures to rubble and covered over 23,000 acres, destroying homes, businesses, and landmarks.
Aside from Los Angeles, other affected areas in Southern California include Pacific Palisades, Malibu, Santa Monica, Ventura County, and parts of San Francisco.
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According to the Los Angeles Medical Examiner Department, death cases are still under investigation as the effort to control the spread of the fire intensifies.
In Pacific Palisades, where the fire is most severe, aerial teams have been dropping water and fire retardant onto the scorched hills, which have burned through.
This fire has already become the most destructive in Los Angeles history. Despite efforts to control the blaze, the flames are advancing north and east.
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Fire officials warned that even with some progress made, the approaching winds could further complicate firefighting efforts and heighten the danger.
The Director of the California Office of Emergency Services, Nancy Ward, during a Sunday press conference said, “We’re not out of the woods yet. We have some very significant fire weather ahead of us.”
According to the BBC, she emphasised that additional resources, including fire crews, engines, helicopters, and bulldozers, have been strategically positioned across Southern California to combat the escalating threat.
As the fire threatens many other areas, such as Encino and Brentwood, authorities have issued evacuation orders and warnings, particularly to the west of the 405 freeway.
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According to local reports, authorities have traced the smoke to Temescal Ridge in the Santa Monica Mountains in Southern California, where an earlier fire – suspected by local residents to have been ignited by fireworks – had already occurred.
However, determining the primary cause of the wildlife is expected to take weeks or months.
The threat of the wildfire spreading further across Southern California remains a major concern as new winds are expected to worsen the situation.
These winds are considered a significant environmental challenge, hindering containment efforts. Humidity levels are anticipated to drop, further fueling the flames.
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