Newsman: A series of destructive wildfires in the Greater Los Angeles area have killed at least 10 people and forced 180,000 from their homes. The authorities said, as fires destroy entire streets and thousands of structures but true death toll is not known,.
Dry conditions and powerful winds fed at least five blazes, causing unprecedented damage in highly populated areas not known for fires — and strong winds are set to last through today, further complicating firefighting efforts.
The Palisades Fire has burned through almost 20,000 acres — more than 30 square miles — and has destroyed an estimated 5,000 structures. It was 6% contained tonight.
The latest brush fire, the Kenneth Fire, emerged yesterday afternoon in the Woodland Hills area of Los Angeles, near Calabasas, prompting more evacuations. Evacuation orders were later downgraded and forward progress of the fire was stopped, officials said.
An evacuation alert was sent in error to the phones of almost 10 million L.A.-area residents, a mistake likely to have caused panic and fear for many far from the threatened area.
The Eaton Fire in the Pasadena area has burned across 13,690 acres and destroyed at least 4,000 structures. As of last night, it was zero percent contained.
