It’s nature's harsh emergency yet again in the US. Forest fires are creating unprecedented havoc disrupting normal life, breaking water and power lines and disconnecting homes and workplaces. Fire fighters are not able to contain or minimize fire due to intense winds fanning the flames. To make matters worse, disruptive winter storm will increase the possibility of heaviest snowfall in decades. Hollywood stars too were among the hundreds who flew frantically by car or on foot as flames engulfed homes and set nearby hills ablaze. Weather was expected to deteriorate further with possible wind storms and lengthening of arid conditions. Life appears to have come to a standstill. It may take a long time before the situation is under control.
Warm Weather Accelerates
In December, there was prevalence of dry and warm weather all through. Wild fires fanned by strong gusts of the speed of 138 kmph, therefore, ripped through Los Angeles (LA) California, Palisades, Eton, Hollywood, Ohio valley, Kentucky, Indiana, Virginia, West Virginia, Illinois, Missouri, Hurst, Sylmar, San Fernando, Santa Monica, Santa Ana etc forcing thousands to flee homes immediately as rescuers struggled to contain the blaze. Winds aid and abate the fires, engulfing large tracts of land in the process. Towering clouds of smoke could be seen all over.
Causes Leading To Fire
The Thomas Fire of 2017 was one of the largest
in USA 's history. It was sparked by Southern California Edison power lines
coming in contact with high wind. It killed only 2 but charred 1140 sq kms of
vast area.
While lightning, arson and utility lines are
the most common causes, burning debris and fireworks are also the factors
responsible. Fires are also instigated by accidents. Lightening is the most
common cause. Fires intentionally set and those sparked by utility lines too
lead to it.
While a large population of 300,000 were left without power from Missouri to Kentucky to Virginia on 5th January and 1500 flights had to be cancelled and hundreds delayed, due to heavy snowfall in Washington, workers had to clear the Plaza at U.S. Capitol as snow fell ahead of Joint Session of U.S. Congress. Within two days, 5 persons were reported killed and 6,500 flights were delayed. In the same way, 250,000 people had to remain without power in Kentucky, Indiana, Virginia, Illinois and Missouri. Subsequently, four wildfires were witnessed in L.A., followed by another three in Palisades, Eaton and Hurst. These impacted densely populated and affluent areas. By 8th January, strong fires gutted 2,921,1000 and 500 acres of land respectively. Strong winds facilitated engulfing of large areas. Warmth in the climate once again precipitated the crisis.
Massive Evacuation, Jamming Of Roads
Further damage took place in Santa Ana wherein
massive wildfires destroyed over one thousand structures. Flames and towering
clouds of smoke were seen everywhere. An estimated seventy thousand people were
ordered to evacuate. Roads were jammed. As a result, some were compelled to
abandon their vehicles. It included several Hollywood stars.
Weather was to deteriorate further as a windstorm and Arid conditions fanned a blaze in Pacific Palisades. In addition, thunderstorm was expected in the morning.
6)To ease state of tension, the Woman Mayor of Los Angeles urged residents to follow evacuation and parking orders seriously and use shelters set up by authorities. They were told not to worry about personal belongings. "STAY VIGILANT, STAY SAFE" was her slogan.
Eton & Hurst Fires
It broke out fifty kms inland in Atlanta, near Pasadena
and went in to increase in size of one thousand acres from a mere 200 acres in
a few hours.
Third fire was in Hurst. It began in Sylmar,
prompting immediate evacuations. It grew from an area of 100 to 500 acres. Soon
more than twenty thousand homes and businesses in L.A. county was without power.
In no time, it was destruction and chaos
everywhere as unstoppable forest fires were raging from Palisades to Hollywood.
Rather, horrifying wildfires had pushed L.A. area on multiple fronts. A new blaze
ignited the hills overlooking Hollywood Boulevard and its famous Walk of Fame.
Five persons were reported killed and communities were ravaged from Pacific
Coast to Pasadena. Thousands of people yet again flew from their homes. A huge
fire was witnessed between Santa Monica and Malibu and near Pasadena. This was
so huge that it was visible from space as a huge pincer.
At least six separate wildfires were on blaze, including Palisades fire, Eton fire and the Sunset fire in Hollywood hills.
Destruction By Palisades & Eton Fires
Two thousand homes, businesses and other
structures were destroyed in Palisades and Eton fires. It was expected to rise
further. Five deaths that were recorded were from Eton.Talking of burning of
vast lands, Palisades fire had burned over 17,000 acres, Eaton more than 10,000
acres and the Hurst fire had already spread to 800 acres.
Sunset Fire
The Sunset fire that broke out in the Hollywood hills struck closer to heart of city and the roots of its entertainment industry. It put densely populated areas on the edge during exceptionally windy but dry conditions. Barely a mile away, streets around Hollywood Walk of Fame, TCL Chinese theatre and Madam Tussauds were bustling, and the eager onlookers used their cell phones to capture live the blazing hills.
However, ferocious winds that spread the flames and led to chaotic evacuation soon calmed down and were expected not to be very powerful. This provided useful opportunity to fire fighters to record progress in containing blazes that had devastated massive areas in Pacific Palisades and Altadena, about 40 kms east.
Efforts By Fire Fighters
It was learnt that within a few hours, fire
fighters had made major progress on Sunset fire. They were in a position to
keep the fire in check because they had hit 'hard and fast'. Mother Nature was
a little nice.
A day earlier the hurricane force wind blew ember through the air, igniting block after block in coastal areas of Palisades and Altadena. When aircrafts were put in service, these had to be grounded quickly because of high speed winds hampering firefighting efforts. Another 1,30,000 people were put under evacuation orders as fires had consumed swaths, nearly the size of San Fransisco city.
Most Destructive Fire
Palisades Fire has been considered most
destructive in the history of L.A. Further, in Pasadena Fire, the city's water
system was stretched beyond capacity. Same was further hampered by power
outages but even without those issues, fire fighters would not have been able
to contain the fire owing to intense winds fanning the flames. Mandy Moore, Cary
Elwes, Paris Hilton and Billy Crystal
were among the stars who lost their homes.
Dramatic level of destruction was very much apparent when fires were compared with satellite imagery. According to sources, a swath of about 250 homes in Altadena which had been dotted with green canopies and aquamarine swimming pools were reduced to rubble. Barely a few homes were intact, while others looked still in flames in images from a private agency. In addition, along a stretch of about 70 wall to wall homes overlooking Pacific Ocean in Malibu , fewer than ten appeared to be alright.
Ornate iron railing wrapped around smoldering frame of a swimming pool were found blackened with soot and several sports cars simply slumped on melted tyres. Also more than half a dozen schools in the area were either damaged or destroyed completely. The ULCA too had to cancel classes for one week.
Sylmar Fire
Middle and working class area of Sylmar
situated on northern ridge of San Fernando valley was a pathetic site of many
devastating blazes. The main fires grew rapidly in distinctively different
areas which mostly had two things in common :
Densely packed streets of homes in places that
were choked with vegetation and primed to burn when dry conditions prevailed.
Flames would move so quickly that many persons
barely had time to escape. Even Police had to seek shelter, at times , inside
their Patrol cars and residents of a senior living centre were pushed into
chairs and hospital beds down a street for safety reasons. In the race to get
away in Pacific Palisades, roadways became impassable when scores of people
were compelled to abandon their vehicles and begin moving on foot.
Concluding Remarks
Forest fires in USA and elsewhere are not new. These
happen every year. In India, we instantly blame the Government for shortfalls
but in US and other countries, outlook is different.
As regards USA, major fires in L.A.,
California, Hollywood, Palisades, Eton, Ohio, Kentucky, Sylmar, Indiana etc.
and their impact during the period 5th to 14th January were taken into account.
Causes culled out were: Lightening, power lines touching high winds, arson,
burning of debris, fireworks, accidents and manmade causes. Noticeable impact
was seen in places indicated already.
Whole holocaust was such that amalgamation of
local resources won't suffice. Support from aircrafts, Canada and Mexico was
also obtained. At the end, there were only 24 casualties but charring of large
areas did happen. The film industry suffered badly but nothing was found
wanting as regards evacuation and relief initiatives.
