The most destructive wildfires in Southern California history have obliterated neighborhoods and forced desperate evacuations.
The sight of beloved landmarks in Southern California which are set against thick columns of smoke and eerie orange skies from the wildfires have created a new sense of vulnerability among residents who are used to fires, but not so much destruction, or so many burning at the same time so close to them.
A new Californian wildfire in the Hollywood Hills area threatened a densely populated part of the city. Other major fires — in the coastal Pacific Palisades neighborhood, in the suburban Pasadena area and in a rural stretch of the San Fernando Valley — were still burning out of control on Thursday. Anxieties grew as more small fires flared up, even as many were quickly snuffed out.
Five fires are threatening Los Angeles area residents from the north, east and west.
The most destructive, the Palisades fire in the west, had scorched more than 17,000 acres as of early Thursday, according to Cal Fire, and forced evacuations along the Pacific Coast Highway, including the Pacific Palisades, Malibu and Santa Monica. The residences in these areas include iconic mansions on bluffs that tower over the Pacific as well as tracts of homes in beachside neighborhoods.
In the Hollywood Hills area in Los Angeles, the Sunset fire ignited on Wednesday night near hiking trails and secluded mansions, forcing mass evacuations. It threatened landmarks like the Hollywood Bowl and the Chinese Theater, and had spread to more than 40 acres by early Thursday.
To the east, the Eaton fire north of the city of Pasadena in the San Gabriel Mountains had burned more than 10,000 acres, destroyed hundreds of homes and placed tens of thousands of people under evacuation orders.
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That’s a remarkable amount of work hours for a single machine, the Norcar 600 owned by Erkki Rinne is taken well care of, it even has the original Diesel engine.
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Kieran Anders is a forestry contractor working in the lake district. His work involves hand cutting and extracting timber using a skidder and tractor-trailer forwarder.
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It is not possible to eliminate chain shot, but there are simple steps that can be taken to reduce the risk.
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Arwel takes great pride in the fact that the mill has no waste whatsoever, “the peelings are used for children’s playgrounds, gardens and for farm animals in barns in the winter and the sawdust has multiple uses in gardens and farms as well.
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Timber hauliers need to encourage young blood in, and also look after the hauliers we have, we need make the sector a safe and positive place to work.
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About 25 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles, the Hurst fire had was burning in the San Fernando Valley and had extended to more than 800 acres. And in the Angeles National Forest, firefighters had managed to contain 40 percent of the Lidia fire, which had consumed more than 300 acres.
The Palisades fire has destroyed more than 1,000 homes said officials on Wednesday, and more were at risk.
The Eaton fire has killed five people, fire officials say. While there haven’t been any fatalities reported from the Palisades fire, some firefighters suffered injuries while battling the blaze. There have been a “high number of significant injuries” among people who didn’t evacuate their homes when they should have because of that fire, said Anthony C. Marrone, the fire chief for Los Angeles County.
Forecasters for days had warned of damaging wind gusts that would reach 50 to 80 m.p.h., and even above 100 m.p.h. in the mountains. The winds, combined with dry air, created a critical fire-weather event in Southern California. The hills are also covered in vegetation after two rainy winters that preceded this one.
Late fall and winter tend to spawn catastrophic fires in California. In periods without significant precipitation, as has been the case this winter, the vegetation becomes extremely parched. And cooler weather in California coincides with the strong and dry gusts that blow west from Nevada and Utah into Southern California.
Extreme winds initially limited officials’ ability to fight the fires from helicopters, but as the gusts eased slightly late Wednesday, firefighters began to make incremental progress against some of the blazes. But the most destructive are still burning out of control. Firefighting resources are stretched, and in some places fire hydrants are dry amid the excessive demand.
Though winds began diminishing, they will be moderately strong in Los Angeles and Ventura Counties through Thursday, according to weather officials.
Forest Machine Magazine is written and edited by a forest professional with over 40 years hands on experience. We are dedicated to keeping you informed with all the latest news, views and reviews from our industry.
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