Los Angeles, U.S.A – The Hollywood Hills were hit by raging wildfires on Wednesday after other fires in the region damaged hundreds of houses, killed at least five people, and depleted water supplies and firefighting personnel.
As dry, hurricane-force winds hampered firefighting efforts and fueled the spread of the flames, which have burnt thousands of hectares since they started Tuesday, more than 100,000 people were urged to flee.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass abruptly ended an official vacation to Ghana and hurried back to the city, telling a press conference that this firestorm is the big one.
According to Fire Chief Kristin Crowley, a new fire started in the arid Hollywood Hills on Wednesday night, causing additional evacuations and increasing the total number of flames raging in Los Angeles County to at least six.
State officials said that four of them were completely uncontained, including two significant fires on the city’s eastern and western sides that grew larger as night fell on Wednesday.
People in the vicinity of Hollywood Boulevard to the south, Mulholland Drive to the north, the 101 Freeway to the east, and Laurel Canyon Boulevard to the west, all well-known locations for the entertainment sector, were ordered to evacuate by the L.A. Fire Department.