The incredible devastation brought about by the raging fire many people are in shock over the California fires, which started on Tuesday. The magnitude of the tragedy is still astounding as firemen fight the flames and the high winds continue.
More than 12,000 homes and buildings have already been destroyed by the fires in a heavily populated 25-mile (40-kilometer) area north of downtown Los Angeles. At least 11 people have been killed, and as rescue efforts get more intense, there are concerns that the number will increase.
Residents are returning to whatever is left of their neighborhoods, which are still burning from the destructive fires, four days after flames broke through the districts surrounding Los Angeles.
In order to determine the extent of the damage, corpse dogs are searching communities that have been turned to ashes. The impacted area is larger than San Francisco itself.
About 56 square miles (145 square kilometers) have been burned by the flames, and about 150,000 households are still under evacuation orders. Even though the area hasn’t seen rain in almost eight months, Friday’s strong winds let firefighters start controlling the fires.
Everyone is impacted by the flames, from waiters to famous people in Hollywood. Although it’s yet unclear how much damage has been done, estimates put the cost in the tens of billions of dollars.
Governor Gavin Newsom ordered an investigation into the loss of water pressure after hydrants in several communities ran dry and the local water systems crumbled under pressure.
The extensive destruction has been documented in aerial and drone footage. Pictures depict entire neighborhoods turned to ashes, with dream homes and palaces on the seaside destroyed in a split second.
The Eaton Fire, one of the biggest fires, started Tuesday night north of Pasadena and destroyed more than 7,000 buildings, including residences, businesses, and automobiles.
To the west, more than 5,300 buildings have already been destroyed by the Pacific Palisades fire, which is currently the most devastating in Los Angeles history. Parts of the neighborhood have been rendered unrecognizable due to the severe damage.
