LA wildfires: What’s the latest update and how did they start?
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00:00At least 24 people have died in the Los Angeles fire
00:03as two major blazes continue to burn across the city.
00:06The L.A. County Coroner's Office said eight of the deaths
00:09were attributed to the Palisades fire
00:11and 16 from the Eaton fire.
00:13At least 16 people were missing
00:15and authorities said that number was expected to rise.
00:18Strong winds are forecasted in the coming days,
00:20which threaten to push flames
00:21towards the city's major cultural landmarks.
00:24Fire threat warnings remain very high
00:26until 6 p.m. on Wednesday.
00:28And according to experts,
00:30Tuesday will be the most dangerous day.
00:32The cause of the fires is not yet known
00:34and an investigation is underway.
00:36Lightning, the most common source of fires in the U.S.,
00:39has been ruled out as a cause
00:40for the Palisades and Eaton fires.
00:42Arson or utility lines, the next most common causes,
00:45have also been ruled out.
00:47California experienced a lot of rain in 2022 and 2023,
00:51meaning a huge amount of vegetation grew.
00:53This then dried out in the drought of last year,
00:56creating the perfect kindling.
00:58This, plus powerful offshore winds,
01:00created ripe conditions for wildfires.
01:02Donald Trump has heavily criticized
01:04Californian politicians' handling of the fires,
01:06calling them incompetent.
01:08Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom
01:10responded by inviting the president-elect
01:12to witness the damage in person,
01:13but said he's received no response from Trump so far.
01:16L.A. County remains under a health emergency
01:19and smoke advisory.
01:20People are being directed to stay inside
01:22in order to avoid air pollution.
01:28For more UN videos visit www.un.org