“The prices are going up, it’s obscene,” the 50-year-old stylist told AFP. “I can’t find anywhere for us to go.”
The massive fire that has been raging in Los Angeles since Tuesday has leveled entire neighborhoods, leaving many parts of the city in ashes. More than 105,000 people have been ordered to leave their homes, while another 87,000 have been given additional evacuation warnings, as authorities try to reduce the death toll that has already reached 16. On Sunday, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said law enforcement agencies have also tried to reduce their numbers. There have been 16 reports of missing persons since the fire broke out last week, he said, adding that the number is expected to rise.
A fire destroyed Pacific Palisades, an upmarket enclave that was home to celebrities such as Billy Crystal and Kate Beckinsale, which was — until this week — the most sought-after real estate in the United States.
With the area now under a mandatory evacuation order, even those whose homes survived the fire need to move elsewhere for the foreseeable future.
The higher-than-average incomes of those forced to leave their homes there appear to tempt opportunists, who see the opportunity to make money off the suffering of others. Let’s see.
“We put an application in on a house … that was listed at $17,000 a month, and they told us if we didn’t pay $30,000, we wouldn’t get it,” Lieberman said. “They told me they had people willing to make more offers and pay cash. It’s just crazy.”
California Attorney General Rob Bonta Warned against inflationlooting and other scamming attempts at a news conference on Saturday, vowing to hold accountable anyone trying to take advantage of wildfire victims. Bad actors were already trying to take advantage of the shock and chaos created by the fire, he said.
“We’ve seen businesses and landlords … raise prices,” Bonta said at the briefing. “It’s called price gouging. It’s illegal. You can’t do it. It’s a crime punishable by up to a year in prison and a fine.”