By Pamela Cruz
The unprecedented fires whipping Los Angeles have forced the evacuation of tens of thousands, many with little more than the few belongings they managed to carry with them.
As the destruction continues, with the toll in material and human lives growing, Mexico’s government announced Friday that it would be sending a team to support efforts to combat the flames.
In a morning message, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum confirmed that the country’s Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Juan Ramón de la Fuenta, is in touch with the White House as well as with the office of California Gov. Gavin Newsom.
She added that the team being sent to Los Angeles would include firefighters from Mexico’s National Forestry Commission and the Secretary of Defense.
“We are going to send a support team to Los Angeles, a solidarity team that is made up of forest fire fighters from CONAFOR (National Forestry Commission) and a team from the DNIII Plan of the Secretariat of National Defense,” said Sheinbaum.
She noted the team is already en route and are waiting to clear immigrant procedures before arriving in Los Angeles.
“They are waiting for papers to be cleared, above all… but we are going to support, not only because the people and the government of Mexico have always been generous, but also because there are many Mexicans in this area of the United States,” she stressed.
According to the LA Sheriff’s department, an estimated 180,000 people had been forced to evacuate while some 200,000 are under evacuation warnings.
The county coroner has confirmed 10 deaths resulting from the fires, though that number is expected to rise.
Five separate fires are currently burning around Los Angeles. According to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CalFire), more than 35,000 acres have burned, with the Palisades and Eaton fires causing the most destruction.
So far, the active fires are:
Eaton Fire (13,690 acres affected; 0 percent containment)
Hurst Fire (771 acres affected; 37 percent containment)
Kenneth Fire (960 acres affected; 35 percent containment)
Lidia Fire (395 acres affected; 75 percent containment)
Palisades Fire (19,978 acres affected; 8 percent containment)
CalFire issued a statement that firefighters are working to protect critical infrastructure in impacted areas in extreme conditions.
Entire neighborhoods, meanwhile, have been damaged or destroyed as the wind-driven wildfires continue, while the combination of low humidity, dry fuel and shifting winds has increased the potential for more fires and rapid expansion.
Residents are urged to remain alert and follow the instructions of local authorities as the situation evolves.
