LA Fire: 5 Dead, Thousands Told To Evacuate As Fire Engulfs 15,000 Acres

Fire in Los Angelesꦚ killed at least five people, reports said, and more than 10,000 acres have been engulfed till now. As per reports, the death toll is expected to rise as the blazes have levelled streets, torching cars and houses in minutes and stretching firefighting resources and water supplies to the limit.

The White House in a statement said that the president has approved a Major Disaster declaration for California, allowing impacted communities and survivors to immediately access funds and resources to jumpstart their recovery. “As the fires continue to devastate communities, President Biden is focused on mobilizing life-saving and life-sustaining resources across the region,” it said. In addition, President Joe Biden has directed the Department of Defense to rapidly provide additional firefighting personnel and capabilities, including air support, to the state of California.

Multiple blazes were burning the Hollywood♒ Hills from the Pacific Coast inland to Pasadena to the famous Rose Parade as thousands of firefighters attacked the flames. The Los Angeles Fire Department has put out a plea for off-duty firefighters to help. The Palisades, a locality which is home to lots of Hollywood celebrities, saw more than 15,000 acres of its area under fire, reports said.

🥃The fire is said to be the most deadly of all in the history of LA.

♔Tens of thousands of residents were ordered to evacuate as the fires marched toward highly populated and affluent neighbourhoods home to California's rich and famous. Hollywood stars, including Mark Hamill, Mandy Moore and James Woods, were among those forced to flee.

♏Officials did not give an estimate of structures damaged or destroyed in the Pacific Palisades wildfire, but they said about 30,000 residents were under evacuation orders and more than 13,000 structures were under threat, AP reported.

Oscar Nominations Postponed

🌳The Oscar nominations are delayed by two days to January 19, as the Film Academy extends the voting window to accommodate members affected by the fires, reports said.

﷽Additionally, Hollywood has postponed its annual Critics Choice Awards gala, news agency AFP reported. The function was scheduled for the coming weekend. Critics Choice Association CEO Joey Berlin, quoted by AFP, said that the ceremony, which honours the year's best in film and television and is attended by dozens of A-list stars, will not occur on Sunday.

🐭The Universal Studios Hollywood theme park is also closed for the day due to smoky and windy conditions.