Source : NEW INDIAN EXPRESS NEWS
LOS ANGELES: Weary and anxious from a week of massive blazes burning around Los Angeles, Southern California residents faced dire new wildfire warnings and power shutoffs on Tuesday while they prepared to flee at a moment’s notice as fire-fueling winds blasted across the scarred landscape.
The winds, predicted to reach near hurricane-force in some areas, were expected to peak Tuesday morning before easing and then regaining strength later in the day. A beefed-up firefighting force was in place to attack flareups or new blazes. A week after the first fires began, the flames have destroyed thousands of homes and killed at least 24 people.
“Life threatening and destructive and widespread winds are already here,” LA city Fire Chief Kristin Crowley told a news conference.
Residents gathered up their pets and family photos in case they had to make a hasty escape. Tabitha Trosen said she was “teetering” on the edge, constantly fearing her neighborhood could be next.
“Our cats are ready to go. We have their carriers by the door prepped with their little stuffed animals and things like that,” Trosen said. “It’s like, how do I take care of myself, and what are the things that will ground me as a human and remind me of my background and my life and my family.”
In other developments, nine people were charged with looting, including a group that stole an Emmy award from a house that had been evacuated, said Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman.
Another pair pilfered more than $200,000 worth of items in a neighborhood filled with mansions, he said. Police have made roughly 50 arrests for looting, flying drones that could illegally interfere with firefighting aircraft and violating curfew.
Three people who tried to start small fires that were immediately extinguished were arrested on suspicion of arson, said LA Police Chief Jim McDonnell. One person was using a barbecue lighter to start fires. Another ignited brush while a third tried to set fire to a trash can outside the disaster zones, he said.
More than 75,000 households, mostly in Los Angeles County, were without electricity Tuesday morning in the blustery conditions, according to Southern California Edison, which shut off power in areas of high risk to prevent their lines from sparking new fires.
Santa Ana winds gusted up to 50 mph (80 kph) before sunrise in the mountains around LA, said meteorologist Todd Hall of the National Weather Service. Strong winds were expected to continue through midday Wednesday and could carry embers miles ahead of the fire lines or trigger fire tornadoes, he said.
SOURCE :- NEW INDIAN EXPRESS
