Saturday, January 11

Firefighters have managed to make some progress on the smaller wildfires in Los Angeles, but the Palisades and Eaton Fires are still raging across the city with low containment rates.

Seven wildfires are currently burning across Los Angeles, the worst of which is the Palisades Fire. The Palisades Fire began the catastrophe earlier this week, with a large area near Malibu being set ablaze due to an unknown cause. The fire quickly spread to the surrounding area, and it has since engulfed some of the most expensive real estate in the United States. The Palisades Fire has already reached a staggering 21,000 acres, and it is only 8% contained.

Meanwhile, the Eaton Fire is burning on the other side of LA, currently moving south into a densely populated area. The Eaton Fire reached 14,000 acres several hours ago, and it is only 3% contained.

The Sunset Fire was burning in the Hollywood Hills on the same mountain as the Hollywood sign before it reached 100% containment by firefighters yesterday-- a rare win amid an extremely tough situation for firefighters.

Farther north, the Lidia Fire began in a remote mountain area, but it has reached 98% containment after reaching 395 acres. The Hurst Fire is currently burning near the town of San Fernando in a nearby area, and it is 70% contained with a total spread of 771 acres.

Unfortunately, high winds in the area have carried embers far and wide, and other fires have been starting up across the city. The Kenneth Fire, a newer fire, surpassed 1,000 acres yesterday after beginning west of Los Angeles, just north of the range of mountains where the Palisades Fire is burning. It is currently 50% contained.

In addition, the Archer Fire also expanded yesterday, and it is now growing in the same area as the Hurst Fire with a 0% containment rate-- it has reached a size of over 20 acres so far.

The causes of all of these fires is unknown, but officials' primary suspicion is blown down power lines that ignited the dry brush amid perfect weather conditions for a raging wildfire.

In total, the wildfires have forced the evacuations of over 150,000 people and burned down over 13,000 buildings, most of which came from the Palisades and Eaton Fires. With more than 5,000 destroyed buildings each, the Palisades and Eaton Fires are already the third and fourth-most destructive wildfires to ever hit California, only behind the massive Camp Fire of 2018 and the Tubbs Fire of 2017. 11 people have been killed in the fires, and over 170,000 people are without power. The total area burned by all of the fires has exceeded 36,000 acres, which is larger than the city of San Francisco, and the fires are spreading at a rapid pace due to the high winds and dry conditions in the area.

Unfortunately, as usual, some locals have tried to take advantage of the disaster by looting homes and businesses-- 18 people have been arrested on charges of looting, identity theft, possession of narcotics and possession of burglary tools.

Many firefighters have struggled to battle the blazes due to water issues, and an investigation has been launched into the issue by California Governor Gavin Newsom. Firefighters have attempted to access fire hydrants over the past few days, but many have found the hydrants to be empty of water.

The Santa Ynez Reservoir, a crucial reservoir in the Palisades, was empty during the fires due to the ongoing repairs on the reservoir's cap, but Newsom has launched an investigation to see why the hydrants were completely dry and they the reservoir repairs had not been finished yet-- they began in February of last year. However, officials have confirmed that due to the large number of wildfires in the area, the fire hydrant water would not have lasted long anyway-- a full reservoir may have increased water pressure and possibly fed the hydrants with enough water to last an additional few hours. A few hours can save dozens of homes, though, and many citizens who lost their homes are extremely angry with California's government for not ensuring the safety of their people amid the severe fire danger.

Some residents are returning to find just blackened, charred remains of their homes, while others are not returning at all out of fear from the flames. Others are simply not able to return home due to the ongoing blazes, which continue to devastate Los Angeles neighborhoods by the minute.

Fact of the Day: Butterflies don't eat-- they only drink. As a caterpillar, they constantly eat, but once they become butterflies, they are only able to drink nectar, juice, and water through their proboscis.

Quote of the Day: We may have all come on different ships, but we’re in the same boat now.

(Martin Luther King Jr.)

Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Untenable (adj, un-TEN-uh-bul) - Something, such as a position, excuse, or situation, that is described as untenable cannot be defended against attack or criticism.

In a Sentence: The scientists considered their colleague's theory to be bold but ultimately untenable.