LOS ANGELES residents living near to the devastating Palisades fire are being urged to avoid drinking the water over fears of parasites.
Officials are battling against the terrifying wildfires which are continuing to spread through parts of California with another 1,000 troops being dispatched to tackle the blazes.
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Around 2,500 California National Guard members will soon be helping to extinguish the three remaining fires after governor Gavin Newsom announced the latest deployments on Sunday.
Over the past few days, more than 15,000 firefighters, highway officers and transportation teams have been supporting the firefight.
Many have helped on foot where as others have been tasked with using over 1,350 fire engines and 80 aircraft to pour water and fire retardant over the towering infernos.
But after days of fighting the major Palisades Fire is only 11 per cent contained, and the Eaton only 27 per cent.
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Meanwhile experts warned on Sunday that “explosive fire growth” could hit the region in the coming days as winds pick up and stoke the existing flames.
And celeb hubs Brentwood and the San Fernando Valley could soon be hit by the raging infernos.
Governor Newsom said yesterday: “The men and women of the California National Guard have been on the ground since day one.
“Not only fighting fires, but also assisting with public safety efforts in communities devastated by these fires.”
Several serious warnings are in place across neighborhoods in LA including evacuation notices.
The latest urged civilians to avoid drinking any tap water from their homes.
The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power issued a “do not drink” notices for two postcodes near the Palisades fire, NBC News reports.
Fire-related contaminants, including benzene and other volatile organic compounds could have found its way into the water systems which connect to the houses.
The department made a statement saying: “It is possible that disease-causing organisms or other contaminants could be present.
“These organisms include bacteria, viruses, and parasites that can cause symptoms such as nausea, cramps, diarrhoea, and associated headaches.”
On Sunday night Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky offered to send 150 firefighters to help combat the California wildfires.
He said: “The situation there is extremely challenging, and Ukrainians can help Americans protect lives.”
It comes as 24 people have been killed so far in the horror fires.
Another 16 are still missing with officials fearing the death toll could soon rise again.
LA county sheriff Robert Luna described some parts of the county as looking “like warzones” as he gave an update in a daily briefing.
He said the wildfires are likely to be the worst natural disaster in US history in terms of “cost… scale and scope”.
The largest two fires remain the Palisades and Eaton.
LA’s National Weather Service issued a rare Red Flag warning on Sunday – highlighting three “particularly dangerous situation” (PDS) areas.
They covered huge swathes of a California map – including the San Fernando Valley and the Western Santa Monicas – just a stones throw from Brentwood.
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They cover a combined 38,000 acres with over 105,000 residents told to evacuate from the two regions on Sunday, Luna added.
LA is now preparing to battle dangerous at least 50mph winds that could fan the out-of-control flames to spark new deadly blazes.
The lethal weather was set to hit on Sunday night and could last for over 48 hours – making it the “biggest challenge” for firefighters yet.
Strong gusts pose a threat because they fan the flames, shift the direction of the blaze or even create new fires because of flying embers.
The Palisade flare-up is looking particularly worrying with the fire now inching closer to the Interstate 405 freeway – one of the busy exit passes being used in the evacuation process.
The 50mph winds are expected to affect most of the coastal areas in the line of the fires but they could even reach up to 70mph in the mountains of Los Angeles and Ventura counties.
LA’s fire chief Kristin Crowley said last night she saw a “significant flare up” in parts of Palisades.
The chief added that “we will be facing another critical weather event” when the wind blows in.
Deanne Criswell, head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), told CNN: “The winds are potentially getting dangerous and strong again.
“The biggest thing that people need to know is that this is still dangerous.”
Firefighters were seen bombarding bright pink-colored fire retardants over the Palisades Fire in a bid to stop it from spreading.
The foamy chemical – which acts as a fire blanket – is made up of salts and fertilizers which can help to slow down the spread of a fire.
A DC-10 air tanker was flying over the Palisades fire as it dropped around 10,000 gallons of the chemical to prevent fire from reaching Brentwood – a place many high-profile celebs call home.
Incredible pictures show affluent neighborhoods covered with the pink chemical in what looks like an apocalyptic movie.
One picture shows a backyard with a pool covered in hues of pink after tanker planes dropped chemicals all over the area.
Others show empty streets with mailboxes and cars covered with the chemical.
Meanwhile, satellite pictures have revealed whole blocks of homes in Los Angeles have been burned to rubble by the wildfires.
The snaps show before, during, and after the uncontrolled blazes have burned through LA homes and celebrity enclaves and caused thousands to flee.
Some of those homes belong to celebrities, with Paris Hilton, Billy Crystal, Miles Teller, and Anthony Hopkins among those to lose their abodes.
The wind-fuelled flames haven’t spared the homes of the rich and famous with Hollywood A-listers tragically seeing their houses turned to smouldering rubble.
This includes supermodel Bella Hadid, Spencer Pratt and Oscar winner Mel Gibson.
A former Aussie child actor was tragically killed in the devastating wildfires after his mum failed to save him due to water shortage.
Brit-born Rory Callum Sykes, 32, was left trapped inside a self-contained cottage in Malibu after it caught fire from flying embers.
Mum Shelley said she tried to put out the embers that landed on the roof of the 17-acre property with a hose but the water supply was turned off.
Meanwhile, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle made a surprise appearance in Los Angeles to meet the victims of the devasting wildfires.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex also served food and donated toys and essential supplies to the victims outside the World Central Kitchen in Pasadena.
‘War zone’ LA feels ‘broken’ as fires still ravage the city – but we will rebuild
The U.S. Sun’s Assistant Editor for Exclusives Katy Forrester is an LA resident and she witnessed first-hand the horror as flames engulfed the city. She said the city feels like a “war zone”.
EVERY year Los Angeles braces itself for wildfires. It is not uncommon to see flames torching the hills and even houses burning to the ground.
But many residents have never witnessed anything as devastating as this week. And it’s nowhere near over.
I spent time near Pacific Palisades, where thick smoke filled the air, and saw desperate families fleeing the city while others begged police to give them access to their properties as roads were blocked off.
“Everything is gone” was heard many times, as thousands of people were left homeless and with few possessions.
I was lucky to only have the power go out in my home, but I’ll never forget what I witnessed traveling throughout the city.
It was like a war zone.
During a visit to a shelter, I spoke with a resident who has lived in his home for almost 30 years and is battling cancer. He stayed long after he was told to pack up and go.
It was only when flames began leaping around his building that he finally gathered his belongings and ran out.
I reported from Altadena, where buildings were still engulfed in flames, and few fire trucks were in sight as emergency services were overwhelmed.
Cars and school buses were completely torched, and heartbroken families stood around in shock, not being able to process what had happened.
As the sun went down, I drove back home towards the city center, which I felt was safe, until I saw orange flames leaping behind buildings just minutes from my house.
I felt sick. I’ve never known wildfires so close to Hollywood, and suddenly, phones were blaring with emergency notifications to evacuate the area.
Traffic lights and street lamps were out, and areas filled with fallen trees from the strong winds became gridlocked.
I feel extremely lucky I live minutes outside of the evacuation zone, but friends panicked and fled their homes.
Although many worldwide will merely shrug when they hear wealthy people have lost their homes, the reality is very different.
The city as a whole feels broken, everyone from single mothers to elderly people have been through hell.
And people are angry.
Dozens have spoken of their insurance policies being canceled just months before the fires, while others are reeling over alleged corruption and mismanagement.
They may be angry. But they are also hopeful. The people of Los Angeles are made of strong stuff.
We will get through this. And we will rebuild.
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