Firefighters across the United States are fighting a desperate battle to bring under control significant wildfires that have taken five lives and forced 130,000 residents to evacuate. The blazes have wreaked havoc on communities stretching from the Pacific Coast to inland areas such as Pasadena.
In a particularly alarming development, a rapidly spreading fire erupted in the hills above Hollywood Boulevard, threatening some of Los Angeles’ most frequented tourist attractions.
Pasadena Fire Chief Chad Augustin pointed to erratic wind gusts as a crucial factor, permitting embers to travel kilometers ahead of the flames. The unstable nature of those winds complicates the efforts for firefighters, as the communities watch in suspense waiting for the further developments of this situation.
