Raging wildfires engulfed areas around Los Angeles on Wednesday (Jan 8), claiming at least five lives, destroying hundreds of homes and stretching firefighting resources and water supplies to the limit, as more than 100,000 people were ordered to evacuate.
Malaysia’s Foreign Ministry, through its Consulate General in Los Angeles, is actively monitoring the situation.
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Malaysia’s Foreign Ministry, through its Consulate General in Los Angeles, is actively monitoring the situation.
Read more at https://tinyurl.com/4jz6kw7d
WATCH MORE: https://thestartv.com/c/news
SUBSCRIBE: https://cutt.ly/TheStar
LIKE: https://fb.com/TheStarOnline
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NewsTranscript
00:00Wildfires surrounding Los Angeles spread into the Hollywood Hills on Wednesday following five earlier blazes that have claimed at least five lives, destroyed hundreds of homes, and severely strained firefighting resources and water supplies.
00:17The fire has been mapped this afternoon at 10,600 acres and it is still growing. We have 0% containment. We have over 750 firefighting personnel assigned on the line and mutual aid resources from out of state, including Arizona, have arrived to assist us with this firefight.
00:42Unfortunately, we have five reported civilian fatalities, a number of injuries, and over 1,000 structures damaged or destroyed.
00:54More than 100,000 residents have been ordered to evacuate as hurricane force winds, coupled with extreme drought, fuel the flames and hinder firefighting operations.
01:05This firestorm is the big one in magnitude. Hurricane force winds are usually accompanied by rainstorms, but these are hurricane force winds that are combined with extremely dry drought conditions.
01:23To provide context, at 10, 20 p.m. a.m. yesterday, the Palisades fire was at 10 acres. Twelve minutes later, it was at 200 acres.
01:35On Wednesday evening, a new fire broke out in the Hollywood Hills, prompting additional evacuations.
01:42Fire Chief Kristen Crowley confirmed it was the sixth wildfire currently raging across Los Angeles County.
01:48To the west, the Palisades fire has consumed over 6,400 hectares and 1,000 structures, racing down Topanga Canyon and reaching the Pacific Ocean on Tuesday, marking it as one of Los Angeles' most destructive wildfires.
02:04To the east, the Eaton fire has burned nearly 4,300 hectares and 1,000 structures in the San Gabriel Mountains foothills, claiming at least five lives.
02:15An Eaton fire evacuee described gas canisters at his neighbor's homes that began exploding under the heat of the flames.
02:22The wind whipped up. The flames were up about 30, 40 feet high, and you hear pop, pop, pop. It sounded like a war zone.
02:29In fact, there were two big explosions that actually shook the ground, and so I knew it was time to get out.
02:35There's time to be brave, and there's a time to use some common sense, and common sense told me it's time to go.
02:42Nearly one million homes and businesses lost power in Los Angeles County, according to PowerOutage.us.
02:50Superintendent Alberto Carvalho announced school closures across the county through at least Thursday.
02:56President Joe Biden, grounded in Los Angeles due to high winds, joined California Governor Gavin Newsom at a Santa Monica fire station to receive a briefing on firefighting efforts.
03:07Biden declared a major disaster for California, pledging federal assistance in his remaining days before President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration on January 20.
03:18Meanwhile, Malaysia's foreign ministry, through its consulate general in Los Angeles, is closely monitoring the situation.
03:26Malaysians in affected areas are urged to exercise caution, adhere to evacuation orders, and stay informed through official updates.
03:35The ministry also encouraged Malaysians in Los Angeles to register via the e-consular system and maintain close contact with the consulate general.
03:45For consular assistance, Malaysians can contact the consulate general of Malaysia in Los Angeles.