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Two massive wildfires that engulfed whole neighborhoods and displaced thousands in Los Angeles were totally uncontained on Thursday, authorities said, as shell-shocked residents began to pick through the charred wreckage of their homes. Swaths of the United States’ second-largest city lay eerily deserted due to the fires’ destruction and sweeping evacuation orders, with smoke blanketing the sky and its acrid smell pervading almost every building.A vast firefighting operation continued for a third day, bolstered by water-dropping helicopters thanks to a temporary lull in winds.Amid the chaos, looting broke out, with at least 20 arrests made so far, officials said.The biggest fire, which has ripped through 17,000 acres (6,900 hectares) of the upscale Pacific Palisades neighborhood, is “one of the most destructive natural disasters in the history of Los Angeles,” city fire chief Kristin Crowley told a press conference.Another 10,000-acre fire in Altadena in which at least five people died was also at “zero-percent containment,” although spreading had “significantly stopped” as wind gusts reduced, county fire chief Anthony Marrone said.Kalen Astoor, a 36-year-old paralegal, was among those returning to the scorched remains of residential streets Thursday morning.Her mother’s home had been spared by the inferno’s seemingly random and chaotic destruction. Some neighbors’ houses, often side-by-side with those razed to the ground, had similarly survived.Through the blackened remains of devastated homes, gloomy vistas of the surrounding fire-ravaged mountains could be glimpsed through the smoke.”The view now is of death and destruction,” she told AFP. “I don’t know if anyone can come back for a while.”The same fire flared up again near the summit of Mount Wilson, home to a historic observatory and vital communication towers and equipment.But there was some good news for Hollywood, the historic home of the US movie industry, after evacuation orders prompted by the nearby “Sunset Fire” on Wednesday were lifted.- ‘Critical’ -Fast-moving flames fanned by powerful winds of up to 100 miles (160 kilometers) an hour since Tuesday have leveled more than 2,000 structures across the city, many of them multi-million dollar homes.Aerial views on Thursday showed whole neighborhoods burnt to the ground, in scenes watched in horror by millions in Los Angeles and around the world.Crowley said a preliminary estimate of destroyed structures in Pacific Palisades was “in the thousands.”Nearly 180,000 people across Los Angeles remain under evacuation orders.Officials pledged to crack down on looters hitting areas deserted due to the fires and evacuations.A sunset-to-sunrise curfew has been declared in evacuated areas of the coastal city of Santa Monica.In Altadena, neighbors took turns to patrol and protect homes on their streets.Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said 20 arrests had been made so far, with that number expected to rise. Officials and meteorologists warn that “critical” windy and dry conditions, though abated, are not over.”The winds continue to be of a historic nature… this is absolutely an unprecedented, historic firestorm,” said Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass.A National Weather Service bulletin said “significant fire growth” remained likely “with ongoing or new fires” throughout Thursday and into Friday.- ‘Lost everything’ -Among those who died was 66-year-old Victor Shaw, whose sister said he had ignored pleas to leave as the fire swept through Altadena because he wanted to protect their home.”When I went back in and yelled out his name, he didn’t reply,” Shari Shaw said.”I had to get out because the embers were so big and flying like a firestorm that I had to save myself.”Shaw’s body was found by a friend on the driveway of his razed home, a garden hose in his hand.William Gonzales got out alive, but his Altadena home was gone.”We have lost practically everything; the flames have consumed all our dreams,” he told AFP.President Joe Biden, who canceled a trip to Italy this week over the crisis, is due to give public remarks about the fires later Thursday.His incoming successor Donald Trump blamed California governor Gavin Newsom for the devastation and called on the Democrat to resign. “This is all his fault,” Trump said on his Truth social platform. – Climate crisis -Wildfires are part of life in the western United States and play a vital role in nature.But scientists say human-caused climate change is causing more severe weather patterns.Southern California had two decades of drought that were followed by two exceptionally wet years, sparking furious vegetative growth.That has left the region, which has had no significant rain for eight months, packed with fuel and primed to burn.

Following in the footsteps of electric scooters on land and wakeboards at sea, young entrepreneurs are bringing electric power to snow travel with self-propelled skis and all-terrain skates.Already an experienced surfer and snowboarder, Edouard Aubert took up skateboarding during the pandemic, as he was drawn to the empty roads.”Since I’m an engineer, I quickly put a motor on it,” he said with a grin at the CES technology show in Las Vegas.”But we needed more. Roads weren’t enough for us, and neither was off-roading. We needed sand, snow.”While electric skateboards were abundant, “there was nothing for off-roading,” said Adrien Ladan, Aubert’s former schoolmate and business partner.The two Frenchmen launched SQ-Motors to develop the Sternboard, a three-wheeled board capable of reaching speeds over 60 km/h on a track.Initially focused on sand terrain, they developed a tracked model “for fun” and recently sold six units to a ski resort in the French Pyrenees.The basic configuration costs around 3,000 euros, with snow equipment adding another 1,000.”The snow version isn’t meant for hurtling down slopes or replacing snowboarding,” Aubert explained.”It’s more for walking and cross-country skiing.”The resort will test both winter and summer configurations, using tracks and mini-skis on the front wheels for winter, then removing them for year-round use.Qatari investors have approached the entrepreneurs about the sand version, and Aubert promises mass production this year.So far, they’ve hand-manufactured dozens of units to refine the product and ensure reliability.”The idea is to find new playgrounds,” he said.The classic wheeled version has found unexpected fans: “We’ve had quite a few requests from farmers who ride them on their farms,” Aubert noted. “We’re already on our fifth.”- Just enough exercise -Nicola Colombo brought his E-Skimo to Las Vegas, a ski touring system he likens to an electric bicycle.In ski touring, skiers climb slopes rather than using lifts before skiing down.With E-Skimo, as the skier moves, a motor drives a fabric strip beneath the ski, acting as a conveyor belt that reduces strain on legs and thighs.Using AI, the system gauges the slope and ski positions to calibrate assistance based on the user and pace. The motor stops once the skier completes their forward stride. At the summit, users can remove the fabric band, motor, and battery to descend on what amount to conventional skis.”The idea came after taking friends ski touring,” Colombo recalled.”They weren’t enjoying themselves because it was too physically demanding.”Ski touring typically requires more exertion than downhill skiing.”We want to make it accessible to people with lower fitness levels,” said Colombo, whose Swiss company E-Outdoor seeks partnerships with ski manufacturers.Though production hasn’t begun, he estimates a price of around 1,500 dollars, roughly double standard touring skis.While the e-skis can move on flat surfaces without leg power, as Colombo demonstrated on a Las Vegas ice rink, he emphasized that wasn’t their purpose: “We want to maintain exercise.”

Shell-shocked Los Angeles residents on Thursday surveyed the devastation from fast-moving fires that have claimed at least five lives, as officials warned the largest blazes remained totally uncontained.Swathes of the city lay eerily deserted due to the fires’ destruction and sweeping evacuation orders, with acrid smoke blanketing the sky.A vast firefighting operation continued for a third day, bolstered by extra water-dropping helicopters thanks to a temporary lull in winds.Amid the chaos, looting has broken out, with at least 20 arrests made so far, officials said.The biggest fire, which has ripped through 17,000 acres (6,900 hectares) of the upscale Pacific Palisades neighborhood, is “one of the most destructive natural disasters in the history of Los Angeles,” city fire chief Kristin Crowley told a press conference.Another 10,000-acre fire in Altadena was also at “zero percent containment,” although spreading had “significantly stopped” as wind gust reduced, county fire chief Anthony Marrone said.Judy Chu, the US congresswoman representing the region, visited an evacuation center where 1,000 displaced residents sought shelter, and said Altadena was “just devastated.””They are numb. They don’t know what they will return to once this fire is contained,” she told local news KTLA.Nearly 180,000 people were under evacuation orders, as officials and meteorologists warned that “critical” windy and dry conditions, though abated, were not over.”The winds continue to be of a historic nature… this is absolutely an unprecedented, historic firestorm,” said Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass.A National Weather Service bulletin said “significant fire growth” remained likely “with ongoing or new fires” throughout Thursday and into Friday.But there was some good news for Hollywood, the historic home of the movie industry, after evacuation orders prompted by the nearby “Sunset Fire” on Wednesday were lifted.- Multi-million dollar homes -Fast-moving flames fanned by powerful winds have leveled more than 2,000 structures, many of them multi-million dollar homes, with aerial views on Thursday showing whole neighborhoods burnt to the ground.Millions of Angelenos have watched in horror as blazes have erupted around America’s second biggest city, sparking panic and fear.Winds with gusts up to 100 miles (160 kilometers) an hour spread the fire around the ritzy Pacific Palisades neighborhood with lightning speed.Crowley said a preliminary estimate of destroyed structures was “in the thousands.”Around a thousand more buildings have been destroyed in Altadena, north of the city, where flames tore through suburban streets.Officials pledged to crack down on looters hitting areas deserted due to the fires and evacuations.A sunset-to-sunrise curfew has been declared in evacuated areas of the coastal city of Santa Monica.Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said 20 arrests had been made so far, with that number expected to rise. “It’s absolutely unacceptable,” he said.- Lost everything -Among those who died was 66-year-old Victor Shaw, whose sister said he had ignored pleas to leave as the fire swept through Altadena because he wanted to protect their home.”When I went back in and yelled out his name, he didn’t reply back,” Shari Shaw said.”I had to get out because the embers were so big and flying like a firestorm that I had to save myself.”Shaw’s body was found by a friend on the driveway of his razed home, a garden hose in his hand.William Gonzales got out alive, but his Altadena home was gone.”We have lost practically everything; the flames have consumed all our dreams,” he told AFP.President Joe Biden, who canceled a trip to Italy this week over the crisis, is due to give public remarks about the fires later Thursday.His incoming successor Donald Trump meanwhile blamed California governor Gavin Newsom for the devastation and calling on the Democrat to resign. “This is all his fault,” Trump said on his Truth social platform. – Climate crisis -Wildfires are part of life in the US West and play a vital role in nature.But scientists say human-caused climate change is causing more severe weather patterns.Southern California had two decades of drought that were followed by two exceptionally wet years, sparking furious vegetative growth.That has left the region, which has had no significant rain for eight months, packed with fuel and primed to burn.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday said Donald Trump’s return to the White House would open “a new chapter” and reiterated a call for Western allies to send troops to help “force Russia to peace”.Zelensky spoke at a meeting of about 50 allies at the US air base Ramstein in Germany, the last such gathering before Trump takes office on January 20, casting doubt on future American support for Kyiv.”It’s clear that a new chapter starts for Europe and the entire world — just 11 days from now, a time when we have to cooperate even more, rely on one another even more, and achieve even greater results together,” said Zelensky.”I see this as a time of opportunities,” he added at the 25th meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group.As the grinding war nears the three-year mark, Zelensky repeated a call for Western allies to send troops to help Ukraine.”Our goal is to find as many instruments as possible to force Russia into peace,” he told the meeting. “I believe that such deployment of partners’ contingents is one of the best instruments.”The United States under President Joe Biden has been Ukraine’s biggest wartime backer, providing military aid worth more than $65 billion since February 2022.- ‘Success story’ -US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin — who launched the Ramstein format shortly after the war started — announced new military aid worth $500 million for Kyiv.”The coalition to support Ukraine must not flinch. It must not falter. And it must not fail,” Austin said. “Ukraine’s survival is on the line. But so is all of our security.”Austin looked back over recent years and how, since the days when “Ukrainian citizens were making Molotov cocktails to defend their homes,” the multinational group had supplied the country with an arsenal of high-tech weapons.This had helped “turn Ukraine’s struggle into one of the great military success stories of our times,” Austin said, adding that Russia had suffered more than 700,000 dead or wounded and had become “more isolated” on the world stage.Austin said “this coalition must continue to stand foursquare with Ukraine -— and to strengthen its hand for the negotiations that will someday bring Putin’s monstrous war to a close”.But, pressed on whether he wanted the Trump administration to push on with the effort, Austin said that “it’s up to the future administration to make their own decisions”.Trump, who has criticised the large amount of US military aid for Kyiv, has promised to bring a swift end to the war, but without making any concrete proposals for a ceasefire or peace deal.EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said she hoped the United States would keep supporting Ukraine but added that “the European Union is also ready to take over this leadership if the United States is not willing to do so”.German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius called for the continuation of the Ramstein format, saying its results so far “must now inspire us to make every effort for what is still to come”.- ‘World is watching’ -Russian and Ukrainian forces are now engaged in fierce fighting, looking to secure their battlefield positions before Trump’s inauguration.Trump has criticised NATO allies for spending too little on shared defence. This week, he sparked further alarm by refusing to rule out military action to take Greenland, an autonomous territory of EU and NATO member Denmark.Austin stressed that “the United States of America has always been a reliable partner. We will always be a reliable partner in the future”.NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said allies needed to help Ukraine reach a position of strength ahead of any eventual ceasefire or peace talks.”We have to bring Ukraine into the best possible position that one day, when talks would start at the initiative of Ukraine on how to solve this conflict, that they are in the best possible position to do that,” he said. “And then when these talks end, it will be looked at, in a sense, whether it is a good deal or not.”And if it is not a good deal, it will be watched by the Chinese, the North Koreans, Iran, obviously, Russia. The whole world is watching.”burs-wd/fz/sea/yad

Video game play met romantic intimacy in a corner of the Consumer Electronics Show (CES)  on Thursday — but it hasn’t always been smooth sailing for sex toys at the Las Vegas gadget extravaganza. In 2019, CES was marred in controversy after stripping an award from a sex toy called the Ose personal massager for being “immoral,” “obscene” and “profane.”After an uproar, the award was restored and a year later, sex technology was on full display.This year, US-based Motorbunny unveiled a “Fluffer” app designed to help video game fanatics and their romantic partners get satisfaction.The software wirelessly syncs video game play with the controls of any Bluetooth-enabled sex toy — on the CES show floor, that was a saddle-style vibrator — so both the player and partner can have fun.”There’s a multitasking generation and you want to accomplish as much personal pleasure however you can,” said Craig Mewbourne of Motorbunny.”There’s a big Venn diagram between the serotonin, dopamine and endorphins that happen in gaming and when you are engaging in intimacy.”Motorbunny social media master Katie Whitt played a car racing game on a PlayStation 5 console at the company’s booth, the rumbling of an adjacent saddle accelerating or decelerating, keeping up with the on-screen action.”My boyfriend’s a gamer; I’m more of a rider,” Whitt said with a smile.”We’ve had many fights about him being on the PlayStation till five in the morning; this definitely could have saved us a few arguments.”Whitt quipped that she might start encouraging her boyfriend to push on to more challenging video game levels.Fluffer is a universal app for syncing game controllers with Bluetooth-enabled toys, whether small or saddle-sized, according to Mewbourne.”There are pretty strong implications for Twitch streamers,” Mewbourne said, referring to a popular online venue for streaming live video game play.”Your audience can be a lot more connected to the gaming experience.”It took Motorbunny a couple of years of petitioning to get onto the CES show floor, and limits were set when it came to displaying saddle attachments, according to the company.”The reception by attendees has been amazing,” Mewbourne said.”People here are serious about understanding the technology behind it and not walking around to gawk.”

It is the world’s most exclusive society and meetings are limited to infrequent state occasions, but the so-called American Presidents Club was in session Thursday to see off departed comrade Jimmy Carter.The five living men who have occupied the White House — Joe Biden and his predecessors Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama and Donald Trump — came together at Washington’s National Cathedral for their first encounter since the 2018 funeral of another former president, George H.W. Bush.The political establishment turned out in force for Thursday’s ceremony, with former vice presidents Mike Pence, Al Gore and Dan Quayle chatting amiably as the elite leaders group was seated nearby.It might have been an awkward affair, as Trump has denigrated most of the group in disputes of varying degrees of seriousness — and found himself sitting next to longtime sparring partner Obama.Trump launched his political career by pushing the racist and false “birther” conspiracy theory that his Democratic predecessor — the first and only Black president — was lying about being a natural born American.But the pair appeared able to put their differences on hold as television images showed them exchanging cordial small talk, with Obama smiling and laughing.It was also the first time since the election that Trump had been in the same room as his opponent Kamala Harris — whom he repeatedly accused of being mentally ill — and his first time in four years in close proximity to his estranged vice president, Mike Pence. Pence refused to endorse his former boss in the 2024 election after a mob that Trump sent marching on the Capitol to halt the certification of the 2020 election stormed the building chanting, “Hang Mike Pence!”Biden, who gave the eulogy, sat with First Lady Jill Biden beside Vice President Harris and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff.Clinton and his wife Hillary Clinton — whom Trump defeated in 2016 to claim his first term — took their places next to Bush and his wife Laura.As the TV audience studied the presidents’ interactions, US media remarked on the added awkwardness of the leaders of Canada and Panama, two nations threatened recently by Trump, being sat less than 30 feet (10 meters) from the president-elect.Carter, who died on December 29, lay in repose in his home state of Georgia and then at the US Capitol, where the public paid their respects from Tuesday through early Thursday.After the funeral, Carter’s family will return to the Peach State for a private ceremony and a procession before he is buried next to his late wife, Rosalynn, who died in 2023. 

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg urged the US Supreme Court on Thursday to reject President-elect Donald Trump’s request to block sentencing in his hush money case.Trump is to be sentenced on Friday after being convicted by a New York jury in May of 34 counts of falsifying business records to cover up a hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels.Trump, 78, who is to be sworn in as president on January 20, filed an emergency application with the Supreme Court on Wednesday seeking to halt his sentencing after a New York state appeals court dismissed his bid to have the hearing delayed.Trump’s lawyers have made several legal maneuvers in an effort to fend off the sentencing, which the judge in the case, Juan Merchan, has already indicated will not result in jail time.”This court should enter an immediate stay of further proceedings in the New York trial court to prevent grave injustice and harm to the institution of the presidency and the operations of the federal government,” they wrote in their application to the Supreme Court.Trump’s lawyers have claimed that the immunity from prosecution granted to a sitting president should be extended to a president-elect.Bragg rejected their arguments in his response, saying that Trump was a private citizen when he was “charged, tried, and convicted for conduct that he concedes is wholly unofficial.””Defendant makes the unprecedented claim that the temporary presidential immunity he will possess in the future fully immunizes him now, weeks before he even takes the oath of office, from all state-court criminal process,” he said.- ‘No basis’ -Bragg also said the Supreme Court “lacks jurisdiction over a state court’s management of an ongoing criminal trial” and preventing sentencing would be an “extraordinary step” by the top court.”There is no basis for such intervention,” Bragg said. “The emergency application should be denied.”In their filing to the New York appeals court, Trump’s legal team had argued that sentencing should be postponed while the former president appeals his conviction, but associate justice Ellen Gesmer rejected that on Tuesday.Merchan said in a filing last week he was leaning towards giving Trump an unconditional discharge that would not carry jail time or probation.The sentence would nevertheless see Trump entering the White House as the first convicted felon to serve as US president. Trump potentially faced up to four years in prison, but legal experts — even before he won the November presidential election — did not expect Merchan to incarcerate him.Trump was certified as the winner of the 2024 presidential election on Monday, four years after his supporters rioted at the US Capitol as he sought to overturn his 2020 defeat.

Jimmy Carter brought a brief moment of national unity to a divided America Thursday as five US presidents gathered for the solemn state funeral of the 39th commander-in-chief in Washington’s National Cathedral.In historic scenes just 11 days before the inauguration of Donald Trump for what promises to be a turbulent second term, the incoming president and outgoing President Joe Biden set aside their bitter rivalry to mourn Carter together.Former presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton also sat with them for the somber ceremony to honor Carter, who died on December 29 at the age of 100 in his home state of Georgia.Democrat Carter was widely perceived as naive and weak during his single term from 1977 to 1981, but a more nuanced view has emerged as the years passed, focusing on his decency and foreign policy achievements.Carter’s flag-draped coffin was transported from the US Capitol, where it had been lying in state, and brought into the immense cathedral by an honor guard of service members in ceremonial uniforms.His grandson Joshua Carter gave the first homily to the last president of the “Greatest Generation.”- ‘Decent man’ -President Joe Biden will deliver the eulogy for his fellow Democrat at the neo-Gothic cathedral, a traditional venue for send-offs of US presidents, from Dwight Eisenhower and Ronald Reagan to George H.W. Bush.Biden, who leaves the White House on January 20 after his own single term in office, has said that Carter asked him to do so when the pair — long-standing friends — met for the last time four years ago.”Carter was a decent man. I think Carter looked at the world not from here but from here, where everybody else lives,” Biden said as he gestured from above his head towards his heart.The funeral comes just days before another moment of profound change for the United States, with the return of Trump to the Oval Office.Obama shook hands and chatted with the billionaire Republican. There was also a brief moment of reconciliation for Trump and his former vice president Mike Pence, as they met and shook hands for what is believed to be the first time since the 2021 US Capitol riots when Pence refused to back Trump’s false claims to have won the 2020 election.The five presidents joined around 3,000 mourners at the service, and Thursday has been designated a national day of mourning, with federal offices closed.Carter, who served a single term before a crushing election loss to Reagan in 1980, suffered in the dog-eat-dog world of Washington politics and a hostage crisis involving Americans held in Tehran after Iran’s Islamic revolution finally sealed his fate.But history has led to a reassessment, focusing on his brokering of a peace deal between Israel and Egypt. He also received high praise for his post-presidential humanitarian efforts, and a Nobel Peace Prize in 2002.- ‘Thirst for justice’ -The first president to reach triple digits, he had been in hospice care since February 2023 in his hometown of Plains, Georgia, where he died and will be buried next to his late wife, former first lady Rosalynn Carter.Mourners began paying their respects on Saturday, as the carefully choreographed six-day farewell got underway with US flags flying at half-staff around the country.A black hearse bearing Carter’s remains paused at his boyhood family peanut farm in Plains, where a bell was rung 39 times and staff stood in silent tribute.Crowds gathered along the roadside to say their goodbyes, snap photographs or salute as the motorcade rolled slowly past.Carter’s casket arrived at Washington’s snow-covered US Capitol on Tuesday atop a gun carriage.It was accompanied by hundreds of service members, with military pallbearers carrying Carter to the Rotunda to lie in state ahead of Thursday’s ceremony — the first presidential funeral since Bush Senior died in 2018.Chuck Schumer, the leader of the Democrats in the Senate, described Carter as “one of the most decent and humble public servants we have ever seen.” “President Carter was a living embodiment of leadership through service, compassion, and a thirst for justice for all,” he said.

Shell-shocked Los Angeles residents on Thursday surveyed the devastation from wind-whipped fires that have engulfed entire neighborhoods and claimed at least five lives, as forecasters warned of further dangerous conditions.Several blazes were still burning out of control, with zero percent containment of fires in upscale Pacific Palisade and the northern suburb of Altadena — which have both been incinerated.”Altadena is just devastated,” said Judy Chu, the US congresswoman representing the region, who visited an evacuation center where 1,000 displaced residents sought shelter.”They are numb. They don’t know what they will return to once this fire is contained,” she told local news KTLA.Over 130,000 people across the western US metropolis remained under evacuation orders as meteorologists warned that “critical” windy and dry conditions, though abated, were not over.”Significant fire growth remains likely with ongoing or new fires” throughout Thursday and into Friday, said a National Weather Service bulletin.But there was some good news for Hollywood, the historic home of the movie industry.Residents were sent scrambling Wednesday night when a fire broke out in the adjacent hills.But evacuation orders were lifted Thursday morning, after emergency workers succeeded in dousing the so-called Sunset Fire.”Fortunately, the Sunset Fire is under control,” said Margaret Stewart, a spokeswoman for the Los Angeles City Fire Department.”We had multiple helicopters continuously dropping (water). And within an hour, a bulk of the fire had been knocked down,” she said.- Multi-million dollar homes -Fast-moving flames fanned by powerful winds have leveled more than 2,000 structures, many of them multi-million dollar homes in a tragedy that the US media describe as the worst in the city’s history.Millions of Angelenos have watched in horror as blazes have erupted around America’s second biggest city, sparking panic and fear.Winds with gusts up to 100 miles (160 kilometers) an hour spread the fire around the ritzy Pacific Palisades neighborhood with lightning speed.At least 17,000 acres (6,900 hectares) burned there, with 1,000 homes and businesses razed.A separate 10,600-acre (4,300-hectare) fire was burning around Altadena, north of the city, where flames tore through suburban streets.Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said five people were known to have perished, with more deaths feared.- Lost everything -Among those who died was 66-year-old Victor Shaw, whose sister said he had ignored pleas to leave as the fire swept through Altendena because he wanted to protect their home.”When I went back in and yelled out his name, he didn’t reply back,” Shari Shaw said.”I had to get out because the embers were so big and flying like a firestorm that I had to save myself.”Shaw’s body was found by a friend on the driveway of his razed home, a garden hose in his hand.William Gonzales got out alive, but his Altadena home was gone.”We have lost practically everything; the flames have consumed all our dreams,” he told AFP.Ride-hailing companies Uber and Lyft are offering evacuating residents free rides to shelter locations.Pasadena fire chief Chad Augustin hailed the bravery of first responders.”Our death count today would be significantly higher without their heroic actions,” Augustin told reporters.President Joe Biden canceled a trip to Italy this week to focus on the federal response to the fires, and is due to address the nation later Thursday.His incoming successor Donald Trump blamed the California governor Gavin Newsom for the devastation, calling on him to resign. “This is all his fault,” Trump said on his Truth social platform. – Climate crisis -Wildfires are part of life in the US West and play a vital role in nature.But scientists say human-caused climate change is altering weather patterns.Southern California had two decades of drought that were followed by two exceptionally wet years, which sparked furious vegetative growth — leaving the region packed with fuel and primed to burn — and then has had no significant rain for eight months.

Wildfires across Los Angeles have claimed at least five lives and forced tens of thousands to flee their homes. Some blazes are threatening to engulf parts of Hollywood.Here is what we know about the disaster.- Record damage -The two main outbreaks, Palisades and Eaton, have already destroyed 1,000 buildings each.That makes them the two most destructive in the history of Los Angeles County, according to data from the California Fire Department.- Causes of the fires -Last year’s El Nino weather system brought heavy rains that fuelled excessive vegetation growth in the first half of 2024. Then in the second half of the year there was drought across southern California, with only 4 mm (0.15 inches) of rain in central LA.Those dry conditions combined with strong winds, which fanned the five outbreaks ravaging Los Angeles.In addition, the temperature — around 20 degrees Celsius (68 Fahrenheit) in the Californian megacity in the middle of the day — is high for the start of winter. “We see these fires spread when it is hot and dry and windy, and right now all of those conditions are in place in southern California,” Kristina Dahl, vice president for science at Climate Central, told AFP.- The toll so far -The fires have killed five people, but the city authorities fear they will find more bodies in the charred debris. Compared to other fires that have ravaged California in recent years, which sometimes extended over several thousand square kilometres, the current outbreaks are small: nearly 120 square kilometres (close to 30 acres). What sets them apart from previous wildfires is how destructive they have been, despite being located in residential areas.They have around 2,000 houses or buildings since Tuesday, forcing the evacuation of more than 100,000 Los Angeles residents, including in the historic Hollywood district, whose famous Boulevard is threatened by flames. The flames have destroyed a hundred luxury residences costing millions of dollars, which means it the fire could be the costliest ever recorded: damage was estimated at $57 billion (55 billion euros) by AccuWeather.- Disruption -On Tuesday, US President Joe Biden was in Los Angeles, where he had been expected to announce the creation of two new national monuments.Strong winds forced the cancellation of that announcement, and several other scheduled events were either cancelled or postponed due to the wildfires.These included the annual Critics Choice Awards gala, a televised Hollywood ceremony that had been set for the weekend normally attended by many A-list stars.Next week’s unveiling of the Oscar nominations was also pushed back, to January 19.Filming of LA-based shows such as “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Hacks” and “Jimmy Kimmel Live” has also been paused, and the Universal Studios theme park has closed.Biden cancelled his upcoming trip to Italy, which would probably have been his final overseas trip as president, to focus instead on the federal response to the fires.