As wind-driven wildfires rage out of control in the Los Angeles area, creating a perilous situation for California homeowners, two people living in the region shared with the Global Times how the wildfires have affected their lives and caused them inconvenience.
The fires, described as some of the worst in the region’s history, have killed at least 11 people, according to NBC News on Saturday. The true death toll is not known, authorities said, as fires destroyed entire streets and more than 12,000 structures, NBC News reported.
Renee Inman, a resident of Los Angeles, told the Global Times that another fire broke out near her home on Thursday night local time, making it a rough night for her. She stayed up until 5 am and said, “This whole experience has been challenging, to say the least.”
Inman mentioned that the internet connection is weak; she tried to send photos via email, but it isn’t working. She is currently in Encino, while her house is near Topanga, a name that everyone is becoming familiar with now due to its heavy impact from the ongoing LA wildfires.
“We are preparing to evacuate from Encino. If I have to leave here, I will be going to San Diego County. The situation here is ever-changing,” she said.
A graduate student from the University of Southern California, Li Xia (alias), told the Global Times on Saturday that she received an emergency message from the Los Angeles County Fire Department at 4 am on Friday, which included an evacuation warning.
The message advised people to remain vigilant for any threats and be prepared to evacuate. “Gather loved ones, pets, and supplies,” read the message, according to Li.
She visited the Getty Center in Los Angeles on Tuesday, where she noticed smoke in the air upon her arrival. As she was about to leave, she spotted a fire in the distance. Flames were visible on a nearby mountain, and the smoke was thick and intense, she said.
“Because I had left the window open when I went out in the afternoon, when I came back to my apartment near the university that day, everything was covered in a layer of ash,” she said. “My computer felt grimy to the touch, and even the items I had left on the desk were coated in black soot.”
She tried playing some games through the night with the window still open, but she kept wiping away the ash. The smell of smoke was constant, and eventually she had to close the window to sleep, she added.
Li and her friend also headed south on Friday, and the entire drive was shrouded in a yellowish haze until they reached the area near Long Beach, where their phones received a public safety alert saying that “air quality has reached potentially unhealthy levels in certain parts of Long Beach due to smoke from LA County wildfires.”
Since the outbreak of the wildfires in Los Angeles, controversies surrounding the local authorities’ inadequate disaster response have continued to arise. President Joe Biden announced the birth of his great grandchild on Wednesday during a meeting with California Governor Gavin Newsom on the state’s ongoing wildfires, according to Fox News.
Governor of California Gavin Newsom has also ordered an investigation into the causes behind water supply problems that left fire hydrants dry and hampered firefighting efforts during the devastating fires in Southern California, as reported by the Los Angeles Times.
Newsom’s demand for answers came amid criticism of city officials in Los Angeles over their handling of the disaster and questions about whether local water-related decisions and planning played a role in depriving firefighters of water during the most destructive fires in Los Angeles History, according to Los Angeles Times.
GT
