VIDEO: The Palisades Fire alone could become the 'costliest' wildfire in U.S. history
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MTV Lebanon
10-07-2025
- MTV Lebanon
31 workers rescued after tunnel collapses in Wilmington
After a tunnel collapsed at a work site in Wilmington, 31 people were extricated uninjured, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. No workers remained unaccounted for in the collapse of an 18-foot-diameter tunnel. 'Preliminary reports are that the trapped workers were able to scramble with some effort over a 12-15' tall (undetermined length) pile of loose soil, to meet several coworkers on the other side of the collapse, and be shuttled several at a time by tunnel vehicle to the entry/access point more than five miles distant,' the LAFD said in a statement. Workers were removed from the tunnel shaft using an elevator system known as a bird cage, Michael Chee, spokesperson for the L.A. County Sanitation District, told The Times late Wednesday. The bird cage can carry up to eight people at a time and is the only way in and out of the tunnel, he said. The accident took place in a new tunnel construction project known as the Clearwater Project, which is designed to carry treated, clean wastewater from the Joint Water Pollution Control Plant to the ocean. The tunnel boring machine is six miles south of the plant, where it is being used to create a 25-foot-diameter tunnel, he said. This tunnel will replace existing tunnels of smaller diameter that have been in service for many decades. Around 10 p.m., 27 of the workers were being medically evaluated by LAFD paramedics at the scene for minor injuries. Prior to the accident, the tunnel was expected to reach Royal Palms Beach by the end of the year, at which point it would be seven miles long. The plant is the largest wastewater treatment plant owned and operated by L.A. County Sanitation Districts and the districts' only plant that discharges treated wastewater into the ocean. This is the first major incident that has taken place since construction on the project began in late 2019. Work on the tunnel itself started in 2021. Wednesday's incident, at 1701 N. Figueroa St. — the only entry point to the tunnel — was first reported around 8 p.m. More than 100 Los Angeles Fire Department personnel were assigned, among them search and rescue teams specially trained and equipped to handle confined-space tunnel rescues. It was feared the workers could have been trapped up to six miles south of the access point, according to the LAFD.
Ya Libnan
22-01-2025
- Ya Libnan
Fast-growing Los Angeles wildfire forces evacuations
Smoke and flames rise as firefighters and aircraft battle the Hughes Fire near Castaic Lake, north of Santa Clarita, California, U.S. January 22, 2025. REUTERS/David Swanson By David Swanson CASTAIC, California- A rapidly growing wildfire broke out some 50 miles (80 km) north of Los Angeles on Wednesday, burning 5,054 acres (20 square km) while two major fires burning in the metropolitan area for more than two weeks were getting under control, fire officials said. The Hughes Fire in the Castaic Lake area of Los Angeles County forced evacuations with warnings of 'immediate threat to life,' while much of Southern California remained under a red-flag warning for extreme fire risk due to strong, dry winds. Some 19,000 people, a number roughly equal to the entire population of the community of Castaic, were under mandatory evacuation orders, according to Los Angeles County officials. Another 16,000 were under evacuation warnings. Los Angeles County, the state of California and the U.S. Forest Service said their firefighters were responding. The Angeles National Forest said its entire 700,000-acre (2,800-square-km) park in the San Gabriel Mountains was closed to visitors. As a result of the red-flag warning, some 1,000 firefighters were deployed around Southern California in anticipation of fast-moving fires, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) said. Helicopters scooped water out of a lake to drop on the fire, video on KTLA television showed, as flames spread to the water's edge. Interstate 5, a major north-south highway, was closed in the area of the fires due to poor visibility, the California Highway Patrol said. While the new fire raged, the two deadly fires that have ravaged Los Angeles came under greater control, Cal Fire said. The Eaton Fire that scorched 14,021 acres (57 square km) east of Los Angeles was 91% contained, while the larger Palisades Fire, which has consumed 23,448 acres (95 square km) on the west side of Los Angeles, stood at 68% contained. Containment measures the percentage of a fire's perimeter that firefighters have under control Since the two fires broke out on Jan. 7, they have burned an area nearly the size of Washington D.C., killed 28 people and damaged or destroyed nearly 16,000 structures, Cal Fire said. At one point, 180,000 people were under evacuation orders, according to Los Angeles County officials. Private forecaster AccuWeather projects damage and economic losses at more than $250 billion. A series of smaller wildfires has been extinguished or brought largely under control in Southern California the past two weeks. REUTERS
Nahar Net
16-01-2025
- Nahar Net
Windy, flame-fanning weather eases up as progress made on LA-area fires
by Naharnet Newsdesk 16 January 2025, 17:11 The windy, flame-fanning weather that put the nation's second most-populous metropolitan region on edge eased up Wednesday as firefighters made significant gains against the two massive wildfires burning around Los Angeles. A "Particularly Dangerous Situation" red-flag warning expired without causing explosive fire growth as feared, though forecasters said gusty winds could linger into early Thursday, mostly in the mountains. Temperatures were predicted to drop, and a deep marine layer was expected to move in over the weekend, according to the National Weather Service in Los Angeles. Those improved conditions should help fire crews make even more headway and allow residents to return to their neighborhoods to begin rebuilding. But Santa Ana winds could return early next week. "Good news: We are expecting a much-needed break from the fire weather concerns to close this week," the weather service posted on social media Wednesday afternoon. "Bad News: Next week is a concern. While confident that we will NOT see a repeat of last week, dangerous fire weather conditions are expected." Still, firefighters and police faced new challenges. Since the beginning of the outbreak last week, authorities have arrested about half a dozen people accused of setting new, small fires that were quickly knocked down. One suspect admitted starting a fire in a tree "because he liked the smell of burning leaves," Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell said. Another said "she enjoyed causing chaos and destruction," the chief said Wednesday. Authorities have not determined a cause for the major blazes in what is on track to become the nation's costliest fire disaster, with at least 25 people dead and thousands of homes destroyed. Officials facing questions over response LA officials, who already were criticized for hydrants running dry, faced more questions. Fire officials chose not to double the number of firefighters on duty last Tuesday as winds increased, and only five of more than 40 engines were deployed, according to internal records obtained by The Los Angeles Times and interviews with fire commanders. The department also did not call in off-duty firefighters until after the Palisades Fire erupted. Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristin Crowley defended her decisions. "I can tell you and stand before you, we did everything in our capability to surge where we could," she told a news conference. Crowley said that despite "limited capacity" within the department, crews were able to respond swiftly by calling for assistance from other agencies and seeking help from off-duty firefighters. Increasing containment on the biggest fires More manageable winds Tuesday allowed firefighters to make gains on the two most destructive fires. Almost half of the Eaton Fire just north of LA was contained, and one-fifth of the fire that destroyed much of the seaside neighborhood of Pacific Palisades was surrounded. Both of those broke out Jan. 7 in conditions similar to what was expected Wednesday, though winds were higher last week when they pushed flames at remarkable speed and carried fire-sparking embers for miles. Packed and ready to go Weary and anxious residents said they were ready to make a hasty escape amid the threat from intense winds. Javier Vega, who said he feels like he has been "sleeping with one eye open," and his girlfriend have planned out how they can quickly pack up their two cats, eight fish and leopard gecko if they get orders to evacuate. "Typically on any other night, hearing helicopters flying overhead from midnight to 4 in the morning, that would drive anyone crazy," Vega said. But figuring they were helping firefighters to keep the flames from threatening their neighborhood, he explained, "it was actually soothing for me to go to sleep." Long road of rebuilding ahead Los Angeles authorities promised to do everything they could to help people recover and rebuild. But Mayor Karen Bass acknowledged there is no way to replace much of what has been lost. "You've lost memories, family. All of the experiences that took place there are gone, and gone unexpectedly, gone rapidly," Bass said. This week the mayor issued an executive order to eliminate red tape and allow people to live in tiny homes and trailers while they rebuild. Different kind of disaster Thomas Martin works with Calvary Disaster Relief, a group that responds to disasters all over the world. Most times, he shows up after floods, tornadoes and hurricanes, helping people repair their roofs and rip out soggy carpet. "This is different," he said. "This is total devastation. There's nothing much we can do other than pray for the folks." Wildfires on the rise across LA With almost no rain in more than eight months, the brush-filled region has had more than a dozen wildfires this year, mostly in the greater Los Angeles area. The four largest ones have scorched more than 63 square miles (163 square kilometers), roughly three times the size of Manhattan. Searching for victims Nearly 30 people were still missing, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said Wednesday. Deputies have searched more than 5,500 properties for victims from the Eaton Fire and hoped to finish in that area by Thursday, he said. One of the victims of the Eaton Fire, 95-year-old Dalyce Curry, loved wearing big hair and makeup, her family said. She hobnobbed with stars from old Hollywood, appearing as an extra with Diana Ross in "Lady Sings the Blues" and in 1956's "The Ten Commandments." Entertainment community responds The Grammy awards ceremony will happen Feb. 2 and focus on helping the city's recovery. "In challenging times, music has the power to heal, comfort and unite like nothing else," Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. and Tammy Hurt, chair of the board of trustees, said in a letter sent to academy members that was obtained by The Associated Press.
