Firefighters gain ground in battling Los Angeles wildfires as intense winds ease
Firefighters made some progress on Friday in battling the ring of wildfires that blazed through the Los Angeles area this week amid a lull in the fierce winds that fanned them. At least 10 people have been killed in the fires while nearly 10,000 structures have been destroyed.
A pause in the fierce winds that super-charged the ring of wildfires that devastated Los Angeles this week helped crews make some progress in controlling the infernos on Friday, but strong gusts returning next week could resuscitate the flames.
The fires, which have devastated Los Angeles neighborhoods on the east and west sides of the sprawling metropolis, have so far killed 10 people and destroyed nearly 10,000 structures, with those figures expected to grow.
"We are doing everything we can to bring the situation under control, and success has been reported," Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said at a news conference.
"We know that we're going to have a possible increase in the force of the winds at the beginning of next week, and getting Los Angeles prepared - doing everything we can to save lives - that is our No.1 job." President Joe Biden said federal officials expect the winds to remain a threat at least until early next week.
Wind conditions in the Los Angeles area will improve Friday through the weekend to about 20 mph, with gusts between 35 mph and 50 mph, according to the National Weather Service, a far cry from days ago when wind gusts blasted as high as 80 mph.
As of early Friday, at least three major fires were still burning in Los Angeles.
(Reuters)
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