Los Angeles: Californians on Friday demanded to know who was to blame for the widespread destruction caused by the Los Angeles wildfires, as a strict curfew was imposed to prevent looting and lawlessness.
At least 11 people died as flames tore through neighborhoods and destroyed thousands of homes in a devastation that US President Joe Biden likened to a “war scene”.
As Angelenos grapple with the heartbreaking devastation, anger has grown over officials’ preparedness and response, particularly after a series of false evacuation alarms and hydrants running dry as firefighters battled the initial blaze.
Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday ordered a “full independent review” of the city’s utilities, describing the lack of water supply during the initial fire as “deeply troubling.”
“We need answers about how this happened,” he wrote in an open letter.
Residents like Nicole Perry, whose home burned in upscale Pacific Palisades, said. AFP that officials “completely let us down.”
“They let us, the common people, burn,” Nicholas Norman added across town in Altadena.
Meanwhile, a sunset-to-sunrise curfew was imposed in the evacuated areas as fears of looting grew.
About two dozen arrests have already been made in Los Angeles, where some residents have organized street patrols and armed guards at their homes.
Los Angeles Police Department Chief Jim McDonnell said if we see you in those areas, you will be arrested.
Violators face up to six months in jail or a $1,000 fine, he said.
The National Guard has been deployed to reinforce law enforcement agencies.
‘destructive’
The California Fire Agency reports that five separate fires have so far burned more than 37,000 acres (15,000 hectares), destroying nearly 10,000 buildings.
The Los Angeles County medical examiner’s office confirmed an additional death Friday, bringing the total to 11 so far.
“It reminded me more of a war scene, where you have some targets that have been bombed,” Biden said while receiving a briefing on the White House fire.
Winds calmed Friday, if for the fourth straight day, giving firefighters a much-needed window of opportunity to battle the blaze around the clock.
On the largest blaze in Pacific Palisades and Malibu, firefighters said they were beginning to contain the blaze, eight percent contained.
“Braveheart” actor Mel Gibson was the latest celebrity to reveal that his Malibu home had burned down, telling News Nation The loss was “devastating.”
Meanwhile, the Eaton fire in the Altadena area is three percent contained, with Fire Chief Jason Schillinger reporting “significant progress” in containing the blaze.
A third fire that broke out Thursday afternoon near the affluent Hidden Hills enclave, home to celebrities like Kim Kardashian, was 50 percent contained.
But emergency chiefs warned the situation was “still very dangerous” and braced for strong winds that would not last as the embers spread.
“The winds have died down today, but … are going to pick up again in the coming days,” said Dan Criswell, administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
‘demagogues’
Officials say it is too early to know the cause of the fire.
Biden took a dig at incoming President Donald Trump, who has spread misinformation about the wildfires on social media.
“You’re going to have a lot of demagogues trying to capitalize on that,” Biden said of the fire.
Governor Newsom, whom the president-elect has blamed for the disaster, invited Trump to visit Los Angeles and review the disaster with him.
“In the spirit of this great country, we must not politicize human tragedy or spread misinformation from the sidelines,” Newsom said.
Wildfires occur naturally, but scientists say human-caused climate change is altering the weather and altering fire dynamics.
Two wet years in Southern California have given way to a very dry year, leaving plenty of fuel on the ground ready to burn.
Emergency managers apologized Friday after false evacuation alerts were sent to millions of cellphones, sparking panic.
“I can’t express how sorry I am,” said Kevin McGowan, director of the Los Angeles County Office of Emergency Management.
Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristen Crowley recently blamed the funding cuts Fox News Affiliation KTV His department was chronically “understaffed” and “under-resourced”.