Acrid smoke shrouded the sky in Altadena, California, as Gail watched flames from the raging Eaton Fire swallow her next-door neighbor\u2019s house. <\/p>\n
Each ember carried by powerful gusts of wind could be the spark that ignites the home she has lived in for the past decade \u2013 and all she can do is watch. <\/p>\n
Several fires are raging around Los Angeles, devastating neighborhoods and straining firefighting resources. At least five people have died, and multiple others have sustained \u201csignificant injuries,\u201d authorities have said. <\/p>\n
As flames spread to Gail\u2019s property, burning down her garage, community members came to help. <\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know who all these guys are who are helping to save my house right now but I\u2019m very grateful,\u201d she says. <\/p>\n
Volunteers have grabbed water hoses and are trying desperately to keep the flames at bay by dousing Gail\u2019s roof and yard. But as the wind shifts, a sobering reality sets in. <\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m happy that it\u2019s standing right now, but I don\u2019t have a lot of hope,\u201d she admits. <\/p>\n
The wildfires in Los Angeles County together consumed thousands of acres in just over a day, with the blaze near Altadena quadrupling in size in a matter of hours Wednesday. To the west, the Palisades Fire is already among the most destructive fires in California history \u2013 and none of it has been contained. <\/p>\n
But even as the fires rage, stories of heroism are beginning to emerge. <\/p>\n
Thousands of local firefighters and first responders are trying to contain the flames and evacuate residents \u2013 even as their own homes ignite. <\/p>\n
Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said several of his employees have lost their homes to the flames. <\/p>\n
His deputies were forced to evacuate the Altadena sheriff\u2019s station in the middle of the night, he said at a Wednesday news conference. As they fled, \u201cresidents were running up from different locations \u2026 asking them for assistance in getting them out of their structures,\u201d Luna said. <\/p>\n
\u201cThey were barely able to get people out before these structures started burning.\u201d <\/p>\n
Working under immense heat and thick smoke, some firefighters and first responders are pulling 48-hour shifts, pivoting their efforts between battling the flames and evacuating residents and protecting lives. <\/p>\n
As the fires burn throughout Los Angeles County \u2013 and edge closer to historic Hollywood symbols \u2013 the National Guard has been deployed to help with the response to the fires. <\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a tragic time in our history here in Los Angeles, but a time when we\u2019re really tested and see who we really are,\u201d Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell said at a news conference Wednesday morning. <\/p>\n
The infernos were fueled by powerful gusts of wind of up to 100 miles per hour that grounded flights and briefly halted any efforts to douse the flames from the air. <\/p>\n
Some firefighters have had to take shelter from the flames in vehicles as winds picked up, McDonnell said. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe winds were like something that I\u2019ve never seen before. Firefighters, police officers, deputies, they\u2019re out there sheltering in their vehicles, in their trucks and their cars, so that they don\u2019t end up getting burned from the fire,\u201d McDonnell said. <\/p>\n
\u201cThey were there until they could get out of the car and go back to doing their work.\u201d <\/p>\n
As the Eaton Fire advanced on homes, police officers went door to door to evacuate people, including elderly residents and people with mobility limitations, officials said Wednesday. <\/p>\n
\u201cThey saved many, many lives in the last 22 hours,\u201d Pasadena City Manager Miguel Marquez said at a news conference. \u201cTheir efforts were heroic.\u201d <\/p>\n
Los Angeles City Fire Chief Kristin Crowley said the department responded to over 3,600 calls for service in 24 hours \u2013 more than double the number of calls received on an average day. <\/p>\n
Harsh winds have made the fires unpredictable. Driving through neighborhoods in Altadena, homes on either side of the street can be seen engulfed in flames, while others sit untouched. Then, in a matter of minutes, everything changes. Trees, cars and buildings ignite, and the air becomes heavy and metallic, filled with chemicals and smoke. <\/p>\n
Tires pop, gas tanks explode and power lines crumple, all while residents stand by helplessly and watch as their entire lives are swallowed by the blaze. <\/p>\n
\u201cLast night was one of the most devastating and terrifying nights that we\u2019ve seen in any part of our city, at any part of our history,\u201d Marqueece Harris-Dawson, president of the Los Angeles City Council, said at the news conference Wednesday. <\/p>\n
\u201cFire literally jumping roads, taking out structures, and our public safety professionals created an environment where injuries were kept to a minimum. Fatalities were kept to a minimum,\u201d he added. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe wake up this morning with a renewed spirit that we can defeat this fire and move on to a brighter day.\u201d <\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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