‘Not enough firefighters’: Historic wildfires rage unabated in Southern California

Two people have died and more than 1,000 structures have been destroyed in wildfires raging in the Los Angeles area, according to Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone. Approximately 80,000 people have been ordered to evacuate, and thousands of structures are at risk.

The Palisades Fire has burned over 11,800 acres in the upscale Pacific Palisades neighborhood and is continuing to grow, with zero percent containment. The Eaton Fire, burning in the Angeles National Forest and in Pasadena, is now over 10,000 acres and continuing to grow, with zero percent containment. The Hurst and Woodley fires have burned over 500 and 30 acres, respectively.

Although the hurricane-force winds (which reached up to 100 mph) were expected to die down by midday, even the moderately high winds expected to continue through Wednesday evening will continue to make containment a challenge.

In a press conference Wednesday morning, Los Angeles Fire Chief Marrone bluntly stated that the region’s firefighting forces were not prepared for numerous wildfires of this magnitude: “No, L.A. County and all 29 fire departments in our county, are not prepared for this kind of widespread disaster. There are not enough firefighters in L.A. County to address four separate fires of this magnitude. The L.A. County fire department was prepared for one or two major brush fires, but not four, especially given these sustained winds and low humidities.”

Other area officials stressed how unusual and destructive these wildfires are:

“Last night was one of the most devastating and terrifying nights that we’ve seen in any part of our city at any part of our history,” Los Angeles City Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson said.

“These are, as I mentioned, unprecedented conditions but also unpredictable,” L.A. Police Chief Jim McDonnell said. “As the fire continues to spread and pop up in different locations, none of us know where the next one is going to be.”

“We’re facing a historic natural disaster, and I think that can’t be stated strong enough,” L.A. County Office of Emergency Management director Kevin McGowan said. “This is not a normal red flag.”

The disaster is pushing the city’s systems to their breaking point. Hundreds of thousands of California residents were without power this morning. Around 3 a.m. last night, all of the fire hydrants in the Pacific Palisades ran dry, as water demand far exceeded supply and the city’s ability to refill water supply tanks. Some residents have been issued boil water notices, as ash and other debris and pollution infiltrate the water supply.

Some of the photos coming out of the region capture the violence of the Santa Ana winds helping spread the wildfires; countless others hint at the devastation and losses to come—of homes, and workplaces, and schools, hospitals, and parks lost to the flames.

In December, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire, transitioned to “Winter Preparedness staffing levels statewide.” That essentially means fewer staff members. Why? “This adjustment aligns with a seasonal decrease in fire activity and aims to strategically optimize resources as fire risks lessen during the cooler months.”

In short, winter is supposed to bring rain to California, which dampens vegetation and limits the threat and extent of wildfires. But that’s when weather is behaving as usual—not in dangerous and unpredictable ways due to climate change, as the wildfires raging in Southern California make all too clear.