A leading credit rating service said Thursday the wildfires burning in the Los Angeles area of southern California could be the most destructive in the state’s history, with preliminary estimates of more than $8 billion in property losses.
In a statement, Morningstar-DBRS credit rating service, citing Los Angeles fire officials, said the fires have destroyed more than 1,100 homes and threaten more than 28,000 structures. The organization, which monitors and evaluates risk, said it expects the wildfires to have an adverse but manageable impact on California property insurers.
The California Department of Forestry and Fire protection, in its latest report, said the five active fires in the Los Angeles area have so far burned nearly 11,000 hectares of land.
In a statement Thursday, the White House said President Joe Biden was briefed on the latest impact of the wildfires. Following the memorial service for former President Jimmy Carter, Biden will convene senior administration officials for a briefing on the full federal response directed to the wildfires.
Biden has approved a federal emergency declaration for California to release federal money and resources to help battle the wildfires.
The White House said late Wednesday that Biden canceled a planned trip to Italy so that he can “remain focused on directing the full federal response in the days ahead.”
“We are prepared to do everything and anything, as long as it takes, to contain these fires and help reconstruct and make sure we get back to normal. It’s going to be a hell of a long way,” Biden said Wednesday. “It’s going to take time.”
Biden signs emergency declaration for California wildfires
The Defense Department pledged to provide “additional firefighting personnel and capabilities” to California.
Property burned to the ground
More than 130,000 people in the Los Angeles area were under evacuation orders early Thursday as firefighters battled multiple major wildfires that already killed at least five people.
The fires have torn through some of the world's most lavish real estate and showbiz landmarks instantly recognizable around the world. Pictures posted to social media Thursday show beach front property burned to the ground. The homes of movie stars and celebrities were among those consumed by flames.
A new, fast-moving fire broke out late Wednesday in the Hollywood Hills, prompting the latest round of orders for people to flee to safety.
Meteorologists said the dry conditions and strong winds conducive to the breakout and spread of the fires are expected to remain in place through Friday.
High wind gusts had forced the grounding of planes used to help fight the fires, but officials said Wednesday the winds had eased enough for those operations to resume.
Pasadena Fire Chief Chad Augustine said he was confident the improved conditions would allow them to begin to control the fire.
Worse than expected
While authorities had warned of the potential for wildfires in the Los Angeles area given the conditions this week, the blazes were more extensive than anticipated.
“The L.A. County Fire Department was prepared for one or two major brush fires, but not four, especially given these sustained winds and low humidities,” L.A. County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said Wednesday.
In addition to the Hollywood area, there were active fires in Pacific Palisades, Altadena, Pasadena and Sylmar.
Thousands of hectares have burned, and the fire is continuing to spread.
Two thousand National Guard members have been deployed to help local firefighters.
In the Pacific Palisades, the fire jumped from one house to the next, pushed by hurricane-force winds. In the same area, firefighters said hydrants had run dry.
“We had a tremendous demand on our system in the Palisades,” said Janisse Quinones, chief executive and chief engineer of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. “We pushed the system to the extreme.”
The call for water was “four times the normal demand ... for 15 hours straight,” she said.
Some information for this report came from The Associated Press and Reuters.
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