Featured Image Credit: YouTube/John Hicks
Topics: Los Angeles, Wildfires, US News, Weather
Gerrard Kaonga
Topics: Los Angeles, Wildfires, US News, Weather
People have praised a man who risked his life to get POV footage of the homes decimated by the wildfires ravaging Los Angeles.
Due to firefighters struggling to get the wildfires under control in the southern Californian city, almost 200,000 people have had to be evacuated from the impacted areas in the past week.
So far, authorities have confirmed at least 24 people have lost their lives as a result of the fires, and over 12,000 homes have been burned to the ground in Los Angeles.
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While news coverage has been constant since the fires started last week, one YouTuber has been giving a heaping of praise for risking his life to get more footage from the disaster zones.
YouTuber John Hicks shot extensive video footage of the devastation and explained he was filming on January 8, unaware of the fires would continue to rage on almost a week later.
Before jumping on his electric motorcycle, he said: “Right now we are in Pasadena, California at the southern edge of the Eaton Canyon fire. It is very hard to breathe out here, it is a very apocalyptic scene, the sky is orange, there is ash floating through the air.
"I have got to wear a mask today because you can literally barely breathe standing here regularly. To be quite honest it kind of feels like business as usual around here.
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"People are driving around, people walking around. About 5 minutes north, everything is sealed off so I honestly don’t know how much we’ll see but we are going to try and do our best."
Due to all of the footage, many people on social media commended Wick’s for his efforts and explained it helped create a clear image of the destruction occurring.
One person said: "John Hicks is World Famous now - he reported live in the LA Fire, you have very good commentary - good job!"
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Another said: "I started watching as I visit LA regularly and wanted to understand a bit more about the city. This video is an incredible documentary of what is really happening in LA county, what it feels like, what it sounds like and what it looks like."
A third commented: "This video is so important. Thank you for going out in all that to show us what’s really happening out there. Please stay safe."
While another said: "Losing your home to a fire is probably one of the hardest things you could face, let alone your entire town getting wiped from the face of the earth by fire. That’s pure trauma man."
The US' National Weather Service issued a warning of potential strong Santa Ana winds and extreme fire conditions five days before the first wildfire broke out.
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In the following days, a Fire Weather Watch warning was issued, as well as state and local officials giving warnings to the Los Angeles area.
The Palisade's Fire ignites, triggering an emergency call to be sent to LA residents advising people near the fire to get set for 'a potential evacuation'.
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Later that day, however, the City of Santa Monica issued an Evacuation Order for all areas of the city north of San Vicente: "Evacuation Order: Immediate threat to life. This is a lawful order to LEAVE NOW."
Just hours after the first wildfire ignites, the second - named the Eaton Fire - breaks out in the Altadena area of LA.
And following this, the Hurst Fire ignites in LA's Sylmar area as the National Weather Service report gusts of 99mph. A new evacuation order goes out to those in the affected areas as the blazes rapidly spread, scorching and destroying thousands of acres that contain homes and businesses.
Hundreds of incarcerated men and women were deployed to help fight the growing wildfires, with the number of inmates at the frontline standing at 939, the BBC reports.
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This practice isn't uncommon in California, as it is one of 14 US states that uses inmates to help fight fires. Inmates aren't forced to take part and do so on their own accord, with it being reported they are being paid between $5.80 and $10.24 per day.
However, inmates with certain convictions - such as arson and sexual offences - aren't eligible to volunteer.
Three days on from the first fire igniting, the LAPD make an arrest after local residents claim that a man on a bike carrying a large blow torch had been trying to set bins and old Christmas trees on fire.
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Authorities believe the Kenneth Fire was started intentionally, with the man believed to be responsible being held in custody.
Southern California Edison, a subsidiary of energy giant Edison International, admitted that its grid experienced a short circuit issue on 7th January, the evening the first fires broke out.
"On January 10, Southern California Edison (SCE) filed an Electric Safety Incident Report (ESIR) related to the Hurst Fire once SCE learned fire agencies are investigating whether SCE equipment was involved in the ignition, which is a triggering event for reporting," Edison International said in a press release.
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"SCE noted that the fire was reported at approximately 10:10pm on 7 January, and preliminary information reflects the Eagle Rock - Sylmar 220 kV circuit experienced a relay at 10:11pm. A downed powerline was discovered at a tower associated with the Eagle Rock - Sylmar 220 kV circuit. SCE does not know whether the damage observed occurred before or after the start of the fire."
A number of celebrities have been forced to evacuate their homes, many of which have been destroyed. This includes the likes of Paris Hilton, Miles Teller, Anna Faris, Billy Crystal and Eugene Levy.
According to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, more than 40,000 acres have been burned in the Eaton, Palisades, Kenneth and Hurst fires.
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Homes and businesses are among the more than 12,000 structures that have been destroyed
Almost a week on from the first fire starting, 24 people have been confirmed by the LA County medical examiner to have died as a result of the blazes.
Officials also confirmed that at least another 16 people remain missing.