ISLAMABAD/LOS ANGELES: The National Assembly of Pakistan on Monday passed a resolution expressing heartfelt condolences to the victims of the Los Angeles fire as the death toll from the forest fire rose to 24.
The resolution expressed heartfelt sympathy to all those affected by the devastating fire while emphasizing solidarity with the victims at this difficult time.
People’s Party lawmaker Naveed Amir Jeeva, introducing the resolution in the lower house of parliament, said: “We stand in solidarity with the people of Los Angeles.”
“[…] We, as a global community, recognize that in times of tragedy, it is our common humanity that binds us together and that it is our collective responsibility to help the affected people of Los Angeles and overcome the hardships. At this point, I stand with them.”
The resolution calls on international and local organizations as well as individuals to come together in the spirit of humanity to help restore, rebuild and heal Los Angeles, ensuring that in this hour of crisis Let no one be left behind.
Firefighters are battling a massive wildfire that has burned a large area of Los Angeles, with officials warning of dangerous winds that could fan the blaze.
The United States’ second-largest city was engulfed in flames for a seventh day, burning whole communities to rubble and leaving thousands homeless.
Massive firefighting efforts have halted the spread of the Palisades Fire, which was moving toward upstate Brentwood and the densely populated San Fernando Valley.
But conditions are set to deteriorate dramatically in the coming days, with “extreme fire behavior and life-threatening conditions”.
National Weather Service meteorologist Rose Schoenfeld said winds of 70 miles (110 km) per hour meant a “particularly hazardous situation” would be declared early Tuesday.
Firefighters warned that the gusts could fan flames and carry embers from existing burn zones to new areas.
Los Angeles County Fire Department Chief Anthony Marvin said his department received resources, including dozens of new water trucks and firefighters from far away, and faced a new threat.
Asked if hydrants could run dry again, as they did during the initial outbreak of the fire last week, Mayor Karen Bass replied: “I believe the city is ready.”
There was disappointment for evacuees who were told they would not be able to return home until at least Thursday when the winds eased.
Some people have been queuing for hours hoping to return to homes they ran to get medicine or a change of clothes.
Search for dead bodies
But Sheriff Robert Luna said escorts were halted in those areas Sunday because of the dangerous conditions amid the winds and debris, as well as the need to recover the victims’ bodies.
Teams with stray dogs were scouring the grid in the dire expectation that the number of confirmed casualties would rise.
Several more arrests were made of looters, including a burglar who stole from homes dressed as a firefighter.
Nighttime curfews have been extended in the evacuated areas and additional National Guard resources have been requested.
Henry Levenson was trying to get to his home in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood.
“I wanted to collect the ashes of my father, who we had to leave behind, as well as the ashes of my grandmother, who we also had to leave behind,” Levenson, an editor, told AFP on Sunday.
Fire Tornado
The Palisades Fire has consumed 23,700 acres (9,500 hectares) and was only 13 percent contained.
Video footage shows “fire tornadoes,” the red-hot spirals that occur when a fire is so intense that it forms its own weather system.
But control of the 14,000-acre Eaton fire in Altadena has improved, with data showing that it is 27 percent contained.
The County of Los Angeles Medical Examiner released a list of the fatalities without releasing any identifying details. Eight of the dead were found in the Palisades fire zone and 16 in the Eaton fire zone, the document said.
The total number of residents under evacuation orders dropped from a peak of about 180,000 to around 100,000.
‘Worst Disaster’
President-elect Donald Trump has accused California officials of incompetence, even though a valiant firefighting operation has been going on 24/7 since the first fire broke out.
The effort was bolstered Sunday with the arrival of crews from Mexico.
They join teams from across California and across the western United States who have come to help.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi also offered to send 150 personnel from his war-torn country to California on Sunday.
“The situation there is extremely difficult, and Ukrainians can help save American lives,” he wrote on social media.
A major investigation is underway by federal and local authorities to determine the cause of the fire.
Although wildfires can be started intentionally, they are often natural and are an important part of the ecosystem’s life cycle.
But urban sprawl puts people in harm’s way more often, and a changing climate—charged more by humanity’s unchecked use of fossil fuels—is exacerbating conditions that are catastrophic. Give birth to flames.