Californians on Friday demanded to know who is at fault for the vast devastation caused by the raging Los Angeles wildfires, as a strict curfew went into force to prevent looting and lawlessness.
At least 11 people died as flames ripped through neighborhoods and razed thousands of homes in a disaster that US President Joe Biden likened to a “war scene.”
While Angelenos grapple with the heart-rending ruin, anger has risen over officials’ preparedness and response, particularly for a series of false evacuation alarms and after hydrants ran dry as firefighters battled the initial blazes.
Photo: Getty Images/AFP
Governor Gavin Newsom on Friday ordered a “full independent review” of the city’s utilities, describing the lack of water supplies during the initial fires as “deeply troubling.”
Residents such as Nicole Perri, whose home in the upscale Pacific Palisades burnt down, told AFP that officials “completely let us down.”
A flare-up late on Friday prompted new mandatory evacuations from ritzy neighborhoods along the fire’s eastern flank, which include the famous Getty Center.
Meanwhile, as fears of looting grow, a sunset-to-sunrise curfew took effect in evacuated areas.
About two dozen arrests have already been made across Los Angeles, where some residents have organized street patrols and kept armed watch over their own houses.
“If we see you in these areas, you will be subject to arrest,” Los Angeles Police Department chief Jim McDonnell said.
Those who contravene face up to six months in prison or US$1,000 fines, he said.
The National Guard has been deployed to bolster law enforcement.
Five separate fires have so far burned more than 15,000 hectares, destroying about 10,000 buildings, California’s fire agency reported.
Winds calmed on Friday, providing a much-needed window of opportunity for firefighters battling blazes around the clock for a fourth consecutive day.
At the biggest of the blazes, in Pacific Palisades and Malibu, firefighters said they were starting to get the fire under control, with 8 percent of its perimeter contained.
Meanwhile the Eaton Fire in the Altadena area was 3 percent contained, with fire chief Jason Schillinger reporting “significant progress” in quelling the blaze.
A third fire that exploded on Thursday afternoon near the Hidden Hills enclave, home to celebrities such as Kim Kardashian, was 50 percent surrounded.
Emergency chiefs warned the situation is “still very dangerous” and reprieve from the intense gusts that spread embers would not last.
Authorities have said it was too early to know the cause of the blazes.
CARROT AND STICK: While unrelenting in its military threats, China attracted nearly 40,000 Taiwanese to over 400 business events last year Nearly 40,000 Taiwanese last year joined industry events in China, such as conferences and trade fairs, supported by the Chinese government, a study showed yesterday, as Beijing ramps up a charm offensive toward Taipei alongside military pressure. China has long taken a carrot-and-stick approach to Taiwan, threatening it with the prospect of military action while reaching out to those it believes are amenable to Beijing’s point of view. Taiwanese security officials are wary of what they see as Beijing’s influence campaigns to sway public opinion after Taipei and Beijing gradually resumed travel links halted by the COVID-19 pandemic, but the scale of
TRADE: A mandatory declaration of origin for manufactured goods bound for the US is to take effect on May 7 to block China from exploiting Taiwan’s trade channels All products manufactured in Taiwan and exported to the US must include a signed declaration of origin starting on May 7, the Bureau of Foreign Trade announced yesterday. US President Donald Trump on April 2 imposed a 32 percent tariff on imports from Taiwan, but one week later announced a 90-day pause on its implementation. However, a universal 10 percent tariff was immediately applied to most imports from around the world. On April 12, the Trump administration further exempted computers, smartphones and semiconductors from the new tariffs. In response, President William Lai’s (賴清德) administration has introduced a series of countermeasures to support affected
Pope Francis is be laid to rest on Saturday after lying in state for three days in St Peter’s Basilica, where the faithful are expected to flock to pay their respects to history’s first Latin American pontiff. The cardinals met yesterday in the Vatican’s synod hall to chart the next steps before a conclave begins to choose Francis’ successor, as condolences poured in from around the world. According to current norms, the conclave must begin between May 5 and 10. The cardinals set the funeral for Saturday at 10am in St Peter’s Square, to be celebrated by the dean of the College
CROSS-STRAIT: The vast majority of Taiwanese support maintaining the ‘status quo,’ while concern is rising about Beijing’s influence operations More than eight out of 10 Taiwanese reject Beijing’s “one country, two systems” framework for cross-strait relations, according to a survey released by the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) on Thursday. The MAC’s latest quarterly survey found that 84.4 percent of respondents opposed Beijing’s “one country, two systems” formula for handling cross-strait relations — a figure consistent with past polling. Over the past three years, opposition to the framework has remained high, ranging from a low of 83.6 percent in April 2023 to a peak of 89.6 percent in April last year. In the most recent poll, 82.5 percent also rejected China’s
RSS