LA Wildfires Collectively Burn Over 26,000 Acres Of Land

Los Angeles is currently battling some of the worst wildfires the area has ever encountered, with the Palisades, Eaton, and Hurst areas suffering the most. At least 5 people are confirmed dead, numerous other people injured and around 70,000 people have been evacuated from their respective areas.

Multiple iconic homes have been destroyed and it is reported that Sunset Boulevard is currently suffering from wildfires. The fires have resulted in power outages for 1.6 million households, and will continue to affect more.

The biggest problem right now for the firefighters, besides the fires themselves, is the extremely strong winds. California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection Battalion Chief Brent Pascua is quoted saying "It does seem to die down, and then all of a sudden you get hit with these 60, 70-mile-per-hour (96km-112km per hour) gusts, it changes everything again." With rapid gusts continuing to effect the area, there's no saying when firefighters will be able to overcome these blazes.

Amongst all this, the air quality in Los Angeles and surrounding areas has suffered greatly, and is now sitting at hazardous levels. The smoke content in the air is making breathing without a mask nearly impossible. Another worrying aspect of this crisis is the fact that hospitals are becoming overpopulated, as people with asthma and other respiratory issues are showing up to emergency rooms. Dr Puneet Gupta, assistant medical director for the Los Angeles County Fire Department, was quoted saying "We have a number of hospitals threatened, and if they have to be evacuated, it could become a crisis."

The latest update states that at least 21 people have been treated for fire related injuries, with one person being left in a critical condition. Multiple health care clinics have had to close due to fire risk, making assistance difficult to find. More to come.