Every year, many people around the world come together and celebrate for a good start to the new year. This year, unfortunately, would start by being disastrous for more than 180,000 people. With four major fires burning–Eaton, Palisades, Kenneth, and Hurst–many civilians in the surrounding Los Angeles County area wonder what it would mean for them and their families.
Kalong Juan, a senior at Mark Keppel, said, “I feel a lot of empathy towards those who lost their homes in the fire. I think this will bring us closer in a way because [we’ll] band together to help each other out.”
On Tuesday, January 7, the Palisades Fire erupted near Malibu, California. What started as a brush fire turned into 24,654 acres by Saturday, January 11, according to NBC News. The fire was 11 percent contained.
The Eaton Fire also started on Tuesday night in Altadena. It was at 14,117 acres by Saturday and was 15 percent contained. More than about 7,800 structures were damaged.
The Hurst Fire started on Tuesday night in Sylmar, a city neighboring north of San Fernando Valley, as a brush fire. By Friday, it was at 779 acres and was 76 percent contained. On the bright side, only two structures were damaged by this fire.
Last, but most certainly not least, is the Kenneth Fire. It ignited on Thursday near Calabasas and was over 1,000 acres. It was at 90 percent contained by Friday night.
“I feel like [the fires are] very bad and I’m very… it makes me scared for my family that lives out there and I just want to make sure everyone is safe and that the firefighters put [the fires] out,” senior Emiko Hernandez shared. “I think [moving forward] we’ll be very careful and more cautious about what we do in the community, and we’ll probably come together more and supporting everyone whose lost their homes in the fires.”
Many public facilities near these fires are temporarily closed due to the air quality, and around 116 were injured along with at least 16 casualties. Insured losses are estimated to be up to $8 billion. However, many different communities have assisted by handing out clothes, food, and other necessities to those who have lost their homes in the fires. While many people suspect the acts of arson to have caused these fires, the real start of the fires is unknown.
Senior Riley Lane, also said, “I feel like the fires are very devastating. I feel like they could’ve been avoided with the right leadership in our community and the right decision making. There’s a lot of dumb decision making in [with] the higher-ups in our local government. Yeah, I feel like it could’ve been avoided a lot easier.”
As Los Angeles comes together in times of crisis, so does the continent. Firefighters from both Mexico and Canada have crossed the borders to help put out the fires in LA. According to ABC7, more than 70 firefighters arrived from Mexico, while Canada’s team will arrive on Monday.
