Wildfires ravage California, also affecting Hollywood. President Biden cancels visit to Rome to manage the crisis. Thousands of residents evacuated and growing casualties
Apocalyptic scenes are convulsing Los Angeles and other areas of California, where vast fires continue to ravage the land, fuelled by raging winds. The current toll is five dead, with the flames also affecting the heart of Hollywood. Residents of this area, one of the city’s most iconic landmarks, have been ordered to evacuate urgently, as the fire threatens to approach hotspots such as Hollywood Boulevard and the famous Chinese Theatre.
The gravity of the situation prompted US President Joe Biden to cancel his official trip to Italy. White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre said that Biden made this decision ‘after returning from Los Angeles, where he met with police, firefighters and emergency personnel who are dealing with these unprecedented fires’. The president’s priority, he added, will now be ‘managing the federal response to the ongoing emergency’. Biden was scheduled to meet with Pope Francis, President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni during his visit to Rome.
Meanwhile, the situation in Hollywood is critical. The flames, after having burnt the nearby hills, are coming dangerously close to residential neighbourhoods, forcing more than 100,000 people to leave their homes. Another fire broke out in the evening in Studio City, a neighbouring area, further worrying the authorities as they try to contain the damage.
The fires have already destroyed about 1,500 buildings and authorities fear the death toll could rise. The city of Los Angeles has been overwhelmed by ‘hurricane force winds’, as Mayor Karen Bass explained at a press conference, combined with a severe drought that has amplified the extent of the devastation.
According to California Governor Gavin Newsom, some 7,500 firefighters are currently engaged, with resources coming not only from the region, but also from other areas of the United States. The Palisades Fire, which stretches between Malibu and Santa Monica, has already burned over 17,000 acres of land and continues to grow without containment. With more than 1,000 structures destroyed, it is the most destructive fire ever recorded in Los Angeles County.
The situation remains highly critical and ongoing, with thousands of people fleeing and authorities working tirelessly to try to contain the flames and prevent further losses.
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