Los Angeles in fiamme

Salgono a 5 le vittime degli incendi che hanno colpito la metropoli californiana e a 150.000 le persone evacuate, mentre i vigili del fuoco non sono ancora riusciti a contenerli

epa11814098 People evacuate with luggage from the Palisades wildfire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA, 08 January 2025. According to data from California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) multiple wildfires are burning across thousands of acres and forcing thousands of evacuations and destroying hundreds of homes in the Los Angeles area. EPA/ALLISON DINNER

epaselect epa11813904 The sun shines through smoke above ruins of homes from the Palisades wildfire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA, 08 January 2025. According to data from California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE), multiple wildfires are burning across thousands of acres and forced tens of thousands of evacuations in the Los Angeles area. EPA/ALLISON DINNER

epa11813907 A fire hydrant drips empty of water during the Palisades wildfire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA, 08 January 2025. According to data from California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE), multiple wildfires are burning across thousands of acres and forced tens of thousands of evacuations in the Los Angeles area. EPA/ALLISON DINNER

epa11813901 Trees are covered in ash from the Palisades wildfire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA, 08 January 2025. According to data from California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE), multiple wildfires are burning across thousands of acres and forced tens of thousands of evacuations in the Los Angeles area. EPA/ALLISON DINNER

epa11813906 A church burnt from the Palisades wildfire lies in ruins in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA, 08 January 2025. According to data from California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE), multiple wildfires are burning across thousands of acres and forced tens of thousands of evacuations in the Los Angeles area. EPA/ALLISON DINNER

epa11813905 A church burns during the Palisades wildfire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA, 08 January 2025. According to data from California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE), multiple wildfires are burning across thousands of acres and forced tens of thousands of evacuations in the Los Angeles area. EPA/ALLISON DINNER

epa11813902 Firefighters battle a blaze engulfing a home, from the Palisades wildfire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA, 08 January 2025. According to data from California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE), multiple wildfires are burning across thousands of acres and forced tens of thousands of evacuations in the Los Angeles area. EPA/ALLISON DINNER

epa11813903 Firefighters battle a blaze engulfing a home, from the Palisades wildfire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA, 08 January 2025. According to data from California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE), multiple wildfires are burning across thousands of acres and forced tens of thousands of evacuations in the Los Angeles area. EPA/ALLISON DINNER

epa11813933 The sun sets through smoke from the Palisades wildfire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA, 08 January 2025. According to data from California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE), multiple wildfires are burning across thousands of acres and forced tens of thousands of evacuations in the Los Angeles area. EPA/ALLISON DINNER

epa11813932 A firefighter battles the Palisades wildfire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA, 08 January 2025. According to data from California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE), multiple wildfires are burning across thousands of acres and forced tens of thousands of evacuations in the Los Angeles area. EPA/ALLISON DINNER

epa11813930 The sun sets through smoke from the Palisades wildfire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA, 08 January 2025. According to data from California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE), multiple wildfires are burning across thousands of acres and forced tens of thousands of evacuations in the Los Angeles area. EPA/ALLISON DINNER

epa11814097 The sun sets through smoke from the Palisades wildfire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA, 08 January 2025. According to data from California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) multiple wildfires are burning across thousands of acres and forcing thousands of evacuations and destroying hundreds of homes in the Los Angeles area. EPA/ALLISON DINNER

Gli incendi, nei secchi e ventosi inverni californiani, non sono una novità; ma la novità è il fatto che una metropoli come Los Angeles – che conta circa 4 milioni di abitanti nella cosiddetta “dowtown” (la città propriamente detta), quasi 13 considerando l’area metropolitana, per una superficie di quasi 1300 km quadrati – sia stata colpita a questo modo, tanto che tutta la popolazione è stata definita a rischio. Sono almeno 6 gli incendi che si sono sviluppati in altrettante zone della metropoli, causando ad ora 5 morti e 2000 edifici distrutti.

Le autorità locali hanno emesso ordini di evacuazione per 150.000 persone (ma il numero è destinato a salire), tra cui i residenti nelle celebri zone di Hollywood, Santa Monica e Malibu, con le loro residenze dei divi del cinema.

Dati i forti venti e la scarsità d’acqua, i vigili del fuoco non sono ancora riusciti a contenere le fiamme, che stanno interessando una superficie via via maggiore: gli ultimi dati parlano di 6000 ettari sulla costa di Pacific Palisades e 4300 nell’entroterra di Altadena nel giro di 24 ore.

Le cause degli incendi sono ancora in corso di accertamento: la priorità per ora, si afferma, è mettere al sicuro la popolazione ed assicurare un’evacuazione ordinata, dato il gran numero di persone coinvolte.

Scuole e uffici rimarranno chiusi, oggi 9 gennaio; soltanto le mense scolastiche funzioneranno da punto di distribuzione pasti e sostegno psicologico. Anche Hollywood si è fermata, cancellando diverse prime di film previste in questi giorni, e posticipando al 19 gennaio la cerimonia di annuncio delle nomination agli Oscar.