US President Joe Biden said at a White House briefing Thursday afternoon that federal resources and additional funding have been made available to California to fight the wildfires, which he described as “the worst fire ever to hit Los Angeles.”
The money will be used to cover all 180-day costs for temporary shelters, removal of hazardous materials, first responder salaries and life-saving measures, the president said.
Vice President Kamala Harris, a former US senator from California, also spoke at the briefing.
Harris described the situation in California as “apocalyptic” and “something that is going to have ramifications for months and years to come.”
The Vice President’s home is in the evacuation zone, but it was not immediately clear whether his home suffered any damage.
While the death toll from the Los Angeles wildfires stands at five, Southern California officials say the number is likely to rise as the fires are brought under control and crews search ruins.
Wildfires burning in and around the city of Los Angeles have forced the evacuation of about 180,000 people, destroyed thousands of homes and burned thousands of hectares of land, officials said.
“This is an absolutely unprecedented, historic storm,” said Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass.
At a news briefing Thursday, Los Angeles city and county officials provided the latest information on the fires and efforts to get them under control.
Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristin Crowley told reporters that the fierce winds that fueled the fire had largely subsided, allowing firefighters to gain control and resume aerial operations.
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said it is fighting five active wildfires in the Los Angeles area: the Palisades, Eaton, Hurst, Lydia and Sunset fires, with the Palisades and Eaton fires being the largest.
The spark of a sixth fire — the Kenneth Fire, near Woodland Hills — was announced Thursday, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department, and a mandatory evacuation order was in effect for that area.
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said in its last report that the fire had burned more than 11,750 hectares of land, an announcement made before the Kenneth Fire was contained.
Some people are apparently preying on devastated areas, and at least 20 people have been arrested for looting in recent days.
“I promise you, you will be held accountable,” Los Angeles Supervisor Katherine Barger said at a news conference Thursday.
Barger said, “Shame on those who are preying on our residents during this time of crisis.” Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said the Palisades, Eaton, Hurst and Lydia fires have prompted the evacuation of about 180,000 residents, and another 200,000 residents have been ordered to evacuate.
Fire Chief Crowley called the Palisades Fire alone “one of the most devastating natural disasters in the history of Los Angeles.” More than 5,000 homes and other structures were destroyed in the Palisades, officials said Thursday.
A leading national credit rating service echoed that view. Morningstar-DBRS Credit Services said in a statement Thursday that preliminary estimates suggest the fire could cause property losses of more than $8 billion.
The fire has already destroyed more than 1,100 homes and threatens more than 28,000 structures, Morningstar-DBRS said, citing local fire officials. The organization, which monitors and evaluates risk, said it expects the wildfires to have an adverse but manageable impact on California property insurers.
Some information for this report was received from Associated Press and Reuters.