California wildfires claim 28 lives; San Diego evacuations underway
More tragic news from California. The fires that have been ravaging the southern part of the state for over two weeks have claimed 28 lives so far. Unfortunately, the threat is not diminishing, and California authorities have decided to evacuate residents near San Diego.
The fires that have been devastating southern California for over two weeks have led to the deaths of 28 people. State authorities have announced the need to evacuate residents near San Diego due to new fires.
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, known as Cal Fire, reported that 11 people died in Pacific Palisades, in the Los Angeles area, and 17 near Pasadena and Altadena in the Eaton fire. Both fires broke out on January 7th and covered over 15,000 hectares by Tuesday evening.
"Firefighters are making steady progress, and officials are reassessing evacuation orders to ensure safe returns," Cal Fire stated.
Progress in fighting the fire
UPI reported that the Palisades fire was 65 percent contained but threatened nearly 12,500 buildings, even though it had already destroyed over 6,500. The Eaton fire was 89 per cent contained, destroyed 9,410 structures, and threatened another 6,775. Evacuated residents are gradually returning to their homes.
The National Weather Service of Los Angeles has announced that despite weaker winds, the high-risk warning has been extended until Thursday. The red flag warning indicates an increased risk of fire damage due to high temperatures, very low humidity, and strong winds.
On Tuesday, three smaller fires broke out near San Diego, one of which was not contained by Tuesday evening (Greenwich Time).
Problems with identifying fire victims
A few days ago - on Sunday - officials from the Los Angeles County Department of the Medical Examiner (DME) reported that the number of fatalities from the recent fires had risen to 24, emphasising that there are serious problems with identifying the victims.
So far, the only identified person was 66-year-old Victor Shaw, who tried until the last moment to save the family home. When his body was found, it turned out that the man was holding a garden hose in his hand.
