California Guv Orders Probe of Water Problems as Death Toll Reaches 11 in Wildfire | Read
California Governor Gavin Newsom announced an investigation into water shortages that occurred as large wildfires ravaged Los Angeles County this week, making the declaration before the disaster’s death toll rose to 11.
The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed that the toll included five fatalities from the Palisades Fire and six from the Eaton Fire. Sheriff Robert Luna stated on Friday morning that the death toll might increase as more searches are conducted.
Newsom extended an invitation to President-elect Donald Trump to visit California, emphasizing that Americans deserve to see collaboration rather than “politicizing a human tragedy and spreading disinformation.” This invitation came after Trump blamed Newsom for the fires and falsely accused him of rejecting a “water restoration declaration,” which Newsom’s office clarified does not exist.
All evacuation warnings related to the Archer Fire in Granada Hills were lifted as the blaze dwindled to about 19 acres. Newsom has directed state water and fire officials to conduct an independent investigation into the causes of water supply and pressure loss in municipal water systems during the fires. He also requested a review of the preparation and response procedures implemented by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, as well as by Los Angeles County officials.
The evacuation order for the Archer Fire was downgraded to an evacuation warning, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. Cal Fire reported that the fire was no longer spreading as of Friday afternoon. Initially covering about 32 acres, the Archer Fire burned in an area of “light to medium brush” with erratic wind conditions. The fire prompted a mandatory evacuation order and several warnings approximately 40 minutes after it was first reported. The Archer Fire is located near the Hurst Fire, which has consumed about 800 acres since Tuesday and is situated northwest of downtown Los Angeles.
President Biden described Los Angeles as a “war zone” and indicated that the death toll from the fires is expected to increase, though the extent remains unclear: “There are still a lot of people who are unaccounted for. We don’t know where they are,” he stated. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass reported that FEMA has pledged to reimburse disaster relief expenses. The Palisades Fire has expanded to more than 20,000 acres, with only about 8% contained, while the Eaton Fire has increased to nearly 14,000 acres, with 3% contained.
Kevin McGowan, director of Los Angeles County’s Office of Emergency Management, apologized during a press conference for an evacuation alert that mistakenly went out to millions of county residents around 4 a.m. local time, saying the error was “not human-driven” but acknowledging the “extreme amount of frustration, fear, and anger” it caused.
Satellite images released by Maxar on Thursday night illustrated the scale of devastation caused by the fires. According to Cal Fire’s latest update, the blazes have destroyed more than 10,000 structures, including homes and businesses. Biden announced that he has approved Newsom’s request for a Major Disaster Declaration, which will allow those impacted by the Southern California wildfires to receive cash assistance for necessities such as groceries and medicine.
The Kenneth Fire has grown to nearly 1,000 acres, while firefighters have managed to contain 35% of the blaze, according to Cal Fire’s latest update. As of early Friday, nearly 100,000 homes and businesses in Los Angeles County, along with around 20,000 in neighbouring Ventura County, remained without power.
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