LOS ANGELES: Los Angeles has been devastated by wildfires engulfing many localities forcing residents to flee to safety.
A home reportedly belonging to Hollywood actors Leighton Meester and Adam Brody and another owned by actor Billy Crystal were among more than 1,000 buildings destroyed by wildfires raging across Los Angeles, including a blaze that started on Wednesday in the Hollywood Hills.
Jamie Lee Curtis, Mandy Moore, Maria Shriver and other celebrities were among more than 100,000 people forced to evacuate their homes to escape the out-of-control fires burning in some of Los Angeles’ most desirable areas.
According to a National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) investigation, humans are the greatest cause of wildfires nationally.
Looking at the 10-year average to 2023, 88% of wildfires were caused by humans, it said on its website.
Wildfires that start naturally are usually sparked by lightning strikes.
Arson – deliberately setting fire with the intent of damaging – accounts for more than 20% of human-caused wildland fires, according to the NIFC, and is classified as a felony in California.
Open burning, fireworks, campfires, smoking and power generation are among the accidental human causes of fires breaking out.
Ahead of the fires, the U.S. National Weather Service issued several alerts, warning of fire risk and “critically dry fuels,” meaning the arid landscape of shrubs, palms, grasses and hardwoods.
As California’s average temperature has warmed by roughly 1 degree Celsius (2.5 degrees Fahrenheit) since 1980, the number of days with dry vegetation – vulnerable to fire – has doubled, said fire management expert Lindon Pronto at the European Forest Institute.
Beyond the chaparral and eucalyptus trees, Los Angeles’ densely populated urban landscape also includes flammable material with hanging power cables, wooden telephone poles and homes built with wood in accordance with earthquake codes.
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