Since Monday this week, much of Los Angeles County has been ablaze with the outbreak of a new wildfire. Officials in the area have issued evacuation orders and thousands of residents have fled. 

There are currently four main fires in Los Angeles and Santa Monica, these include: the Palisades Fire, the Kennet Fire, the Eaton Fire, and the Hurst Fire. Out of the four the Palisades Fire is the largest and has burned almost 20,000 acres as of Thursday evening, according to Cal Fire.

“I didn’t realize how bad it was until I watched the news,” junior Vivienne Legg said. “It was so devastating to see everybody lose their homes,”

Currently, officials have said that they are unable to identify what exactly caused the fires but suggest that high winds and drought in the region may have played a role. These conditions create dry vegetation which can easily burn, causing the fire to spread rapidly. Over the last decade, California has experienced a drought which has been exacerbated by climate change.

“I think that the fires are horrific and it’s a tragedy that there is a shortage of water as well,” English teacher Julia Arce said. “This is yet another example showing that anyone can be caught in a natural disaster,”

As of Thursday evening, the Palisades fire remains 6% contained and over 5,300 structures and vehicles have been destroyed, according to Cal Fire. Many neighborhoods have been completely burned down along with businesses, schools, etc. Furthermore, at least five people have died and many more have been injured.

“I feel so sorry for the people who have lost their homes and businesses,” sophomore Aaliyah Recinos said. “I can’t believe how frequent wildfires have become in the last few years,”

Not only have the wildfires seen the destruction of many neighborhoods, but they have also seen an increase in looting in the area. With many residents choosing to evacuate their homes to ensure their personal safety, certain areas are remaining vacant making them easy targets for looting. To combat this problem, Los Angeles County will likely implement a 6 p.m. curfew around the areas impacted by the fires, according to Governor Gavin Newsom.

“I can’t believe that people are looting homes during a crisis like this,” junior Franchesqa Landicho said. “I hope that people will be able to recover from the fires,”

Currently, over 8,000 personnel have been involved in responding to the fires at the local, state and federal levels (Governor Gavin Newsom). Helicopters, air tankers, water tenders and dozers are currently being used to help contain and put out the fires. At the moment, officials are focusing on ensuring that residents can safely evacuate high risk areas.

“Some of my family friends have lost their homes due to the fires,” Legg said. “I really hope they will be able to get the fires under control.”