California: Five dead in Los Angeles wildfires – as new blaze starts near Hollywood Hills
At least five people have died in a wildfire in Los Angeles, officials have said, with firefighters now facing new blazes, including one in the city’s famous Hollywood Hills.
With firefighters struggling to bring the blazes under control due to strong winds and dry conditions, more than 130,000 people across the wider Los Angeles area are now under evacuation orders.
The new evacuation areas include parts of the Hollywood Hills, where a new fire, dubbed the Sunset Fire, broke out on Wednesday, as well as parts of Santa Monica – famous for its pier.
Los Angeles Fire Department chief Kristin Crowley said on Wednesday that the largest of the fires, the Pacific Palisades blaze to the west of downtown Los Angeles, was now over 15,800 acres “and growing”.
Follow live: Firefighters battling wildfires
Pic: APTN
Pic: NBC
A helicopter drops water on to the fire raging in the Hollywood Hills Pic: NBC
Meanwhile, firefighters continue to battle the Hurst Fire, to the north, now at 700 acres, while firefighters from the Los Angeles County continue to battle the Eaton Fire, near to the city of Pasadena, as well as a new blaze near Acton.
Los Angeles County fire chief Anthony Marrone said the five people who were killed all died in the Eaton fire.
At a news conference, Los Angeles’ chief of police James McDonnell told reporters: “This is a tragic time in our history here in Los Angeles, but a time where we’re really tested and see who we really are.
“It’s critical that at these times we be patient, that we come together, that we focus on saving lives and to be able to the very best job we can.”
He then urged those under evacuation orders to take them “very seriously”, saying they make “the difference between living and not”.
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The fires have torn across significant swathes of the city, fanned by high winds.
The aftermath of a fire in Altadena, Los Angeles County
A statue and other structures are burned in the Palisades Fire. Pic: AP
A vehicle and other structures are burned in the Palisades fire. Pic: AP
Los Angeles mayor, Karen Bass, said on Wednesday: “As we head into tonight, we are still facing strong and erratic winds.
“In Palisades and Sylmar (Hurst), we are very much in an active firefight.”
However, she said that the Woodley Fire in the Sepulveda Basin was now under control.
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Among the areas affected by the fires are neighbourhoods known to be popular with celebrities and wealthy residents.
A number of celebrities are reported to have lost their homes in the fires, including socialite Paris Hilton, who shared the news on the X social media platform.
She wrote: “Sitting with my family, watching the news, and seeing our home in Malibu burn to the ground on live TV is something no one should ever have to experience.
“This home was where we built so many precious memories. It’s where Phoenix [her son] took his first steps and where we dreamed of building a lifetime of memories with London [her daughter].”
“While the loss is overwhelming, I’m holding onto gratitude that my family is safe. My heart and prayers are going out to every family affected by these fires.”
Wall Street giant JP Morgan has also said preliminary estimates suggest insured losses from the wildfires could approach $10bn (around £8bn).
Meanwhile, officials said on Wednesday that three people had been arrested for allegedly looting within the evacuation areas.
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California Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency on Tuesday.
He faced criticism, including from president-elect Donald Trump, over claims that firefighters did not have enough water in their fire hydrants.
Sky News’s US correspondent Martha Kelner attempted to quiz Mr Newsom on the claims but did not receive a response, while correspondent David Blevins also attempted to put the question to mayor, Ms Bass, but received no response.
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Sky correspondent challenges governor over empty hydrants
Meanwhile, President Joe Biden has been briefed on the fires while in the state to announce the creation of two new national monuments.
He will miss his trip to the Vatican to meet The Pope in order to remain in Washington to help coordinate the White House’s response to the fires.
Charlie Kirk has been posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by Donald Trump.
The USA’s highest civilian honour was received by the conservative activist’s widow, Erika, at the White House.
Mr Kirk, 31, was fatally shot on 10 September while speaking at an event at Utah Valley University.
He founded Turning Point USA and toured American university campuses, debating students about current affairs.
Erika Kirk at the White House. Pic: Reuters
Erika Kirk and Donald Trump. Pic: Reuters
Addressing those attending the ceremony in the White House rose garden, the US president said they were there to “honour and remember a fearless warrior for liberty” and a “beloved leader who galvanised the next generation”.
He said Mr Kirk’s name was being entered “forever into the eternal roster of true American heroes”.
Mr Trump described Charlie Kirk as an “American patriot of the deepest conviction, the finest quality and the highest calibre”.
He said his nation had been “robbed” of an “extraordinary champion”.
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Has Charlie Kirk become a MAGA ‘martyr’?
And Mr Trump said Mr Kirk was assassinated in the “prime of his life for boldly speaking the truth, for living his faith, and relentlessly fighting for a better and stronger America”.
The ceremony coincided with what would have been Mr Kirk’s 32nd birthday.
Mr Trump described Erika Kirk, now head of Turning Point USA, as someone who had “endured unspeakable hardship with unbelievable strength”.
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Charlie Kirk. File pic: AP
A 22-year-old man, Tyler Robinson, from the city of Washington in Utah has been charged with Mr Kirk’s murder. Prosecutors said they would seek the death penalty.
At a memorial event held at a stadium in Arizona, Erika Kirk told an enormous crowd she forgave her husband’s killer.
“The answer to hate is not hate,” she said.
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