The brutal heat wave sweeping the Western U.S. is making it that much harder for firefighters to combat two wildfires that sparked Monday on the outskirts of Los Angeles. California's years-long drought and recent high winds have further fueled the flames. As of Wednesday, the twin wildfires in the Angeles National Forest were "0 percent contained" and covered a collective area of 5,400 acres. "They haven't merged as of yet but they are being handled as one fire," Maria Holguin, a spokesperson for the U.S. Forest Service, said of the fires, which are fewer than two miles apart.
More than 600 personnel are working to combat the fire, and more are expected to be brought in Wednesday. Over 12,000 people have been evacuated from 770 homes in the towns of Duarte and Azusa, located east of Los Angeles.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Book reviews: 'America, América: A New History of the New World' and 'Sister, Sinner: The Miraculous Life and Mysterious Disappearance of Aimee Semple McPherson'Feature A historian tells a new story of the Americas and the forgotten story of a pioneering preacher
-
Another messaging app used by the White House is in hot waterThe Explainer TeleMessage was seen being used by former National Security Adviser Mike Waltz
-
AI hallucinations are getting worseIn the Spotlight And no one knows why it is happening
-
US proposes eroding species protectionsSpeed Read The Trump administration wants to change the definition of 'harm' in the Environmental Protection Act to allow habitat damage
-
Severe storms kill dozens across central USSpeed Read At least 40 people were killed over the weekend by tornadoes, wildfires and dust storms
-
Rain helps Los Angeles wildfires, risks mudslidesSpeed Read The weather provided relief for crews working to contain wildfires, though rain over a burn area ups the chances of flooding and mudslides
-
Should Los Angeles rebuild its fire-prone neighbourhoods?Talking Point The latest devastating wildfires must be a wake-up call for Los Angels to 'move away from fire-prone suburban sprawl'
-
The worst wildfires in California historyThe Explainer Total damage from the ongoing fires could be up to $150 billion, according to AccuWeather
-
What happens to wildlife during a wildfire?The explainer Flames also affect the flora and fauna
-
Death toll rises in LA fires as wind lull allows progressSpeed Read At least 24 people have died and 100,000 people are under mandatory evacuation orders
-
Biden cancels Italy trip as raging LA fires spreadSpeed Read The majority of the fires remain 0% contained
