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Major blazes keep growing in Los Angeles, despite better weather, and new fire is threatening homes to the north-west of the city, with officials warning the death toll would climb above 10 and estimating 10,000 homes, vehicles and other structures have been destroyed by the two biggest infernos.
As partisan combat embroiled one of the worst natural disasters in US history, President Joe Biden vowed the federal government would cover 100 per cent of firefighting costs for the next six months, and condemned what he saw as politicisation of the disaster just days from President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration.
Water is dropped by helicopter on the Kenneth fire in the West Hills of Los Angeles.Credit: AP
Biden pointed out the role of climate change in exacerbating extreme weather, and played down accusations of poor preparation by local Democratic officials. Such claims came from residents exasperated that, for instance, fire hydrants had run dry in their moment of need, but the complaints were also fanned by partisan critics such as Trump and billionaire Elon Musk, who blamed California’s “woke” politicians.
“In case you haven’t noticed, there is global warming. It does change weather patterns,” Biden said. “The more we can explain to the American people … what exactly is happening, the more likely we are to get the kind of support [we need], and not make a political deal out of this.”
Despite lighter winds, a new blaze named the Kenneth fire broke out in bushland north-west of Los Angeles, threatening homes near Bell Canyon and prompting further evacuation orders, later reduced to a warning. Meanwhile, the large blaze that tore through Altadena, named the Eaton fire, grew by 30 per cent in daylight hours despite earlier assurances from officials that growth had been “significantly stopped”.
Eaton was likely to have destroyed 4000 to 5000 structures, officials said, in addition to 5000 destroyed by the Palisades fire near the Malibu coastline. Those preliminary figures included damage to homes, offices, vehicles and other buildings. The fires’ economic cost was estimated at above $US50 billion ($80 billion) so far.
The numbers were expected to rise, as was the death toll. At least five bodies were found in areas burnt by the Eaton fire. An earlier fire called Sunset, near the Hollywood Hills, was brought under control.
Altogether, the fires have burnt more than 14,000 hectares, more than 8000 from the Palisades fire alone. LA Fire Chief Kristin Crowley said: “It is safe to say that the Palisades fire is one of the most destructive natural disasters in the history of Los Angeles.” Just 6 per cent of the blaze was contained by night-time on Thursday (Friday AEDT).
As homes and businesses sit empty, looting has become a problem, with at least 20 arrests made so far. Officials ordered a 12-hour curfew that began on Thursday evening in the parts of Los Angeles County subject to evacuation orders. The Californian unit of the National Guard dispatched 400 soldiers, vowing to help enforce the law “through any means necessary”. It was not immediately clear how many nights the curfew would be in place.
Like many things in the fiercely divided US, the fires were quickly used as political ammunition, with Trump and his allies portraying governance failure or arson as the disaster’s cause, and playing down the contribution of climate change.
Musk, the billionaire Tesla founder and prominent Trump adviser, drew attention to perceived governance shortfalls including a supposed $US17 million ($27 million) cut to the Los Angeles Fire Department, as well as the department’s diversity and inclusion policies. Such policies, which promote or compel the employment of minorities, are under attack by conservatives around the country.
Among the material Musk promoted was celebrity podcaster Joe Rogan’s interview with actor Mel Gibson, who accused California Governor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, of failing to prepare for the fires. “I think all our tax dollars probably went for Gavin’s hair gel,” Gibson said.
Sky News broadcasted footage of a woman confronting Newsom in the street as he attempted to get into a car. One of the network’s reporters also cornered Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass at an airport; she maintained an awkward silence rather than answer questions.
One of the key concerns from residents – amplified by Trump and Musk – related to fire crews being unable to use hydrants that ran dry on Tuesday. Trump posted: “Gavin Newscum should immediately go to Northern California and open up the water main, and let the water flow into his dry, starving, burning state, instead of having it go out into the Pacific Ocean.”
At a news conference, Bass said there was “confusion” about cuts to the fire department’s budget, which related to future salaries and would not have impacted this week’s firefighting efforts. She said she was frustrated by the fire hydrants’ failure, but they were not built to deal with this type of “massive devastation”, and the real problem was the unprecedented windstorm that prevented aerial firefighting.
At a briefing, Biden said rather than a so-called “water shortage”, the hydrants failed because power was deliberately shut off to prevent lines being blown down and sparking additional fires.
He promised federal funding would cover 100 per cent of California’s firefighting costs for the next 180 days, after Newsom requested an increase to 90 per cent from the current three quarters. But Biden and other Democrats expressed fear Republicans would block funding once Trump takes office on January 20.
“I’m going to make an appeal right now to the United States Congress. They’re going to have to step up when we ask for more help,” the president said. “I’m leaving this office very shortly, but it’s not about the politics, it’s about giving people some sense of security that we’re going to be able to get this under control.”
The federal government would also send another 400 firefighters, 30 helicopters and planes and eight Defence Department C-130s equipped to suppress wildfires. Canada, which Trump says he will coerce into becoming the 51st US state, is sending aircraft and firefighters too.
“We’re going to keep at it,” Biden promised Californians. “We are with you. We’re not going anywhere.” Vice President Kamala Harris described the calamity in her home state as apocalyptic.
Asked about the fires by reporters in Perth, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said they demonstrated that the economic costs of climate change could not be ignored. He also told ABC radio Australia could provide extra support if asked, but he had to be mindful of the local fire season.
While the conditions in Los Angeles – many months without rain and with the fierce Santa Ana winds – set the scene for the record-breaking fires, officials said the exact causes remained under investigation, including the possibility of arson. Winds have been so strong that a cigarette flicked from a car window could have started the Palisades fire, they said.
The winds have died down from their peak, but authorities said gusts up to 96km/h continued in some locations, and winds were expected to pick up again in coming days.
