The wildfires near Los Angeles are on their third day and are spreading, with new fires starting in new areas, but most of them have not been put out. Why has the worst wildfire in history, with damage to 10,000 buildings, spread so far? ■10,000 buildings burned down Damage amount exceeds 20 trillion yen Pacific Palisades is a high-end residential area popular for its warm climate and home to many celebrities. There is no trace of it anywhere, and only traces of partitions between the lots give the impression that there used to be houses there. The flames show no signs of subsiding until everything is burned down. About 10,000 buildings have been destroyed so far, and 10 people have died. The family returned to their home of 16 years... Resident: "This is the living room, and over there is the front door. There are two bedrooms at the back. The main bedroom was at the back, and there was a shower there. The view from here was amazing. We could see the fireworks, and it's a really good memory." Fires continued in five places near Los Angeles on the 10th. In places where the fire has spread to residential areas such as Pacific Palisades, the situation is far from being contained. Firefighting efforts have no end in sight. Some estimates have put the economic loss at over 20 trillion yen. ■Strong winds that refuse to put out the fire Lack of rain and strong dry winds hinder firefighting efforts from the air, expanding the damage. Captain Dave Kelly of the California Fire Department: "There's a lot of turbulence in that area, and the winds are at 30 to 50 miles per hour, making spraying more difficult." (Q. What does the fire look like from the air?) "It's like the apocalypse." Although it weakened for a while, the winds are forecast to strengthen again over the weekend, and the damage is expected to expand further. With the fires of unprecedented scale, there is not enough water to put them out. Janice Quiñones, Director of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power: "Demand on the water system has increased significantly, and we've had four times the normal demand for 15 hours." California experiences many wildfires every year from summer to autumn. It is extremely unusual for wildfires to break out in January and for the damage to spread to residential areas. "Fires of that scale are rare in January," said Lyndon Pronto, director of fire prevention and management at the European Forest Institute. "California's fire season is getting longer and longer." Global warming is also cited as a factor in the expansion of the damage. Last February, California received more than four times the amount of rain as usual. While the rain caused damage such as flooding, it was also a blessing for plants. It promoted their growth. However, after May, the weather changed completely and there was no solid rain. Dry Santa Ana winds also blew, making it easier for fires to break out. And the dry plants turned into "fuel" when fires broke out. Lyndon Pronto, fire management officer at the European Forest Institute, said, "During the Santa Ana winds, vegetation is at its driest, with the moisture content of plants dropping to single digits. This means that there is more fuel for fires, so it is easier for fires to spread quickly." Air pollution warnings have been issued in many areas due to the rising smoke. A resident said, "My eyes were burning, my throat was sore, and I was coughing. My friend said he had a nosebleed." "There is so much smog and harmful substances in the air that even if our houses are safe, we won't be able to return for several months." (C) CABLE NEWS NETWORK 2025 [TV Asahi News] https://news.tv-asahi.co.jp