The affluent suburbs of Calabasas and Hidden Hills, home of the Kardashians, have received an urgent evacuation order as a new apocalyptic fire ravages West Hills.
Heroic first responders were alerted to a new fire on the upper Los Angeles-Ventura County border, called the Kenneth Fire, rapidly spreading through the West Hills and invading homes in nearby Calabasas and Hidden Hills.
Authorities issued a chilling warning Thursday night urging residents not to ignore evacuation orders, with Sen. Adam Schiff bluntly revealing: “If you stay, you’re going to die.”
“If you get an evacuation order, get out,” he said. “You may think you can escape a fire, but you can’t escape these fires. If you stay, you will die in them.
Extraordinary drone footage highlights the unprecedented extent of damage in Southern California, as once-magnificent homes, millions of dollars’ worth of celebrity enclaves and a total of 10,000 structures are reduced to gray rubble covered in ash.
The death toll has also risen to seven, but authorities have warned it is likely to continue rising as dogs trained to detect human remains gain access to the charred remains of properties in fire-ravaged neighborhoods.
The fast-moving Kenneth Fire already covers 960 acres and threatens the Malibu Canyon area north of Highway 101 near Calabasas, home of Kourtney Kardashian and Will Smith. Kim and Khloe Kardashian live in nearby Hidden Hills.
Mandatory evacuation orders have been issued as firefighters drop water bombs from the sky in an effort to contain the fire, which is being driven by strong Santa Ana winds.
Extraordinary drone footage highlights unprecedented extent of damage in Southern California
Mandatory evacuation orders are in place in Calabasas and Hidden Hills, causing chaos on the roads.
The affluent suburbs of Calabasas and Hidden Hills, home of the Kardashians, have received an urgent evacuation order as a new apocalyptic fire ravages West Hills.
Helicopter drops water on Kenneth wildfire in Woodland Hills
Extraordinary drone images highlight the unprecedented extent of damage in Southern California, as once-magnificent homes and a total of 10,000 structures are reduced to gray rubble covered in ash.
The highway out of Calabasas is already gridlocked by heavy traffic as locals heed warnings and leave their homes.
Residents across Southern California have been warned for days to have bags full of documents and important possessions packed and ready to grab in case of an emergency.
The fire was reported at 50 acres at 3:45 p.m., but had exploded to 791 acres by 4:45 p.m. By 6 p.m., it encompassed 960 acres.
Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna urged “patience” with official death counts.
“At this point, frankly, we still don’t know,” he said. ‘I think the death toll will increase. I hope I’m wrong.’
Across Los Angeles, about 180,000 people have been ordered to evacuate, while another 200,000 have been put on alert and warned to consider fleeing their homes.
Los Angeles County officials say an evacuation order alert for residents near the Kenneth Fire in West Hills was mistakenly sent countywide Thursday afternoon.
The alert was only intended for residents of Calabasas and Agoura Hills.
Across Los Angeles, about 180,000 people have been ordered to evacuate, while another 200,000 have been put on alert and warned to consider fleeing their homes.
Locals were ordered to evacuate as fires continue to spread across Southern California.
Kim Kardashian’s $60 million home is in Hidden Hills
The damage caused by the two largest fires, the Pacific Palisades and Eaton, has been immense. Up to 10,000 structures have been destroyed, authorities say
Los Angeles County officials say an evacuation order alert for residents near the Kenneth Fire in West Hills was mistakenly sent countywide Thursday afternoon. Traffic leaving Calabasas is already backing up
A motorcyclist stops to look at a burning house during the Eaton fire.
The damage caused by the two largest fires, the Pacific Palisades and Eaton, has been immense. According to authorities, up to 10,000 structures have been destroyed.
Cal Fire spokesman David Acuña provided a chilling new warning for Californians as they look to the future and consider rebuilding their lives.
“There really isn’t a fire season, it’s a fire year,” he said. “I’ve been doing this for 20 years and I’ve never seen it this bad.”
Similarly, Pasadena Fire Chief Chad Augustin said, “The level of devastation is staggering.”
Neither of the two large fires have been contained at all.
Eaton now covers 13,690 acres, while the larger Palisades fire extends beyond 17,200 acres.
Embattled Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass held a news conference Thursday afternoon vowing to prosecute “to the fullest extent of the law” anyone caught looting, amid warnings that evacuation orders are mandatory and as strict as curfews, which the city is now also considering implementing. .
The high fire weather risk will continue through Friday, National Weather Service forecasters in Los Angeles said Thursday afternoon in a social media post.
The last threatened suburbs, Calabasas and Hidden Hills, are home to the Kardashians.
Los Angeles County officials say an evacuation order alert for residents near the Kenneth Fire in West Hills was mistakenly sent countywide Thursday afternoon. The alert was only intended for residents of Calabasas and Agoura Hills.
Santa Ana winds will be moderate to strong Thursday night, maintaining the fire threat in the area centered on Los Angeles and Ventura County through Friday morning.
“However, the threat does not end after Friday,” the post said. Offshore winds will continue into early next week, peaking on Sunday and Tuesday into Wednesday.
The systemic failures in the deep blue city have led many to question how things could have gotten out of control and led many to call for the resignation of Mayor Karen Bass and Governor Gavin Newsom.
While many angry people said there was no water available for fire crews, Biden explained that the problems are self-inflicted to avoid fanning the flames further.
“What I know after speaking with the governor is that there is concern that there has also been a water shortage,” he said at a news conference Thursday.
‘The fact is that the utility companies understandably turned off the power because they were worried that the lines carrying power would be brought down and cause more fires.
‘When he did that, he cut off the ability to generate water pumping, that’s what caused the lack of water in these hydrants.’