California: At least 25 dead as strong, warm winds spark new fire threats

Strong winds continue to threaten to rekindle and intensify the large fires that have ravaged the hills and suburbs of Los Angeles with a toll of at least 25 dead and serious damage to the nation's second-largest city.

According to local media such as Los Angeles Times, the National Weather Service office in Oxnard said gusts of up to 65 mph were possible in the windiest places. In addition, it was learned that widespread wind gusts of 40 mph to 55 mph could also be possible along the Malibu coast, the valleys of northern and western Los Angeles County, the mountains of Los Angeles County and across much of Ventura County.

The alert, AFP recalled, comes after 9,700 hectares of the upscale town of Pacific Palisades and nearly 5,700 hectares of the city of Altadena were charred. There are more than 90,000 evacuees distressed by the uncertainty of the fate of their homes.

In addition, wildfires in Southern California have caused 70,250 customers to be without power. To protect communities, Southern California Edison activated its public safety power shutdown protocol (PSPS) in specific areas, according to NBC.

Meanwhile, AccuWeather increased its assessment of the total cost of the tragedy to between $250 billion and $275 billion, a figure that would make it one of the costliest in the nation's history.

For its part, the White House announced that people affected by these fires will receive a one-time payment of $770.

"So they can quickly purchase things like water, baby formula, and prescriptions. So far, nearly 6,000 survivors have registered to do just that and $5.1 million has gone out," the Biden administration highlighted.

Criticism of crisis management

As Californians move forward in dealing with the crisis, details and criticisms have emerged about the handling of the situation. In that regard, Los Angeles Times reported Wednesday that "Los Angeles Fire Department officials chose not to order 1,000 available firefighters to remain on duty for a second shift last Tuesday in the Palisades to aid in battling wildfires, according to records."

It also emerged over the weekend that California Gov. Gavin Newsom ordered an independent investigation into the loss of water pressure at local hydrants and the unavailability of water supplies from the Santa Ynez Reservoir.

He explained that this is a "deeply troubling" development as wildfires continue to ravage the Los Angeles area.

In addition, Newsom announced that he signed an executive order for rebuilding areas devastated by the Southern California fires that include suspending several of the woke environmental regulation he so fiercely advocates.

On Sunday, the Golden State's massively criticized governor signaled that he will "temporarily" halt enforcement of the Environmental Quality Act and the California Coastal Act.