International
oi-Amit Vasudev
At
least
24
people
have
been
confirmed
dead
as
massive
wildfires
continue
to
ravage
areas
around
Los
Angeles,
with
California
Governor
Gavin
Newsom
describing
it
as
potentially
the
most
devastating
natural
disaster
in
US
history.
The
fires
have
also
destroyed
thousands
of
homes.

watch
as
water
is
dropped
on
the
Palisades
Fire
in
Mandeville
Canyon
on
Saturday,
Jan.
11,
2025,
in
Los
Angeles.
Key
Points
on
the
Los
Angeles
Wildfires:
1.
The
death
toll
from
two
Los
Angeles
wildfires,
which
have
been
burning
for
six
consecutive
days,
rose
to
24
over
the
weekend.
Eight
victims
were
found
in
the
Palisades
Fire
zone
and
16
in
the
Eaton
Fire
zone.
2.
Former
Australian
child
actor
Rory
Sykes,
known
for
his
role
in
the
British
television
show
‘Kiddy
Kapers’
during
the
1990s,
was
among
those
who
lost
their
lives
in
the
fires
devastating
the
United
States’
second-largest
city.
3.
The
Palisades
Fire,
which
has
expanded
to
23,600
acres,
is
11
per
cent
contained,
while
the
Eaton
Fire,
covering
14,000
acres,
is
15
per
cent
contained.
A
fire
tornado
was
reportedly
spotted
as
flames
tore
through
the
San
Fernando
Valley
in
California.
4.
Over
12,000
structures
have
been
damaged
or
destroyed
by
the
wildfires,
forcing
more
than
100,000
residents
to
evacuate.
The
estimated
economic
loss
is
between
$135
billion
and
$150
billion.
5.
Celebrities
including
Anthony
Hopkins,
Paris
Hilton,
Mel
Gibson,
and
Billy
Crystal
are
among
those
who
have
lost
their
homes
in
the
inferno,
which
bears
a
resemblance
to
a
Hollywood
disaster
film.
6.
Firefighters
received
some
respite
over
the
weekend
as
the
fierce
Santa
Ana
winds,
which
had
earlier
reached
hurricane
strength,
finally
subsided.
7.
However,
officials
warned
that
the
winds
would
intensify
again
from
Sunday
night
through
to
Wednesday,
with
speeds
potentially
reaching
up
to
96
km/h.
8.
California
Governor
Gavin
Newsom,
a
Democrat,
has
pledged
to
rebuild
the
affected
areas.
“We
already
have
a
team
looking
at
reimagining
L.A.
2.0,” he
stated.
9.
US
President-elect
Donald
Trump
criticised
California’s
management
of
the
crisis,
saying:
“This
is
one
of
the
worst
catastrophes
in
the
history
of
our
country.
They
just
can’t
put
out
the
fires.
What’s
wrong
with
them?”
10.
A
large-scale
investigation
by
federal
and
local
authorities
is
underway
to
determine
the
cause
of
the
fires.
While
wildfires
can
sometimes
be
started
deliberately,
they
are
often
natural
and
play
an
essential
role
in
an
ecosystem’s
life
cycle.