Biden urges Congress to help fight fires – DW – 01/10/2025

US Vice President Kamala Harris has canceled her upcoming trip to Singapore, Bahrain and Germany due to the ongoing wildfires in California, the White House said.

“In response to the historic wildfires in Los Angeles, the Vice President has decided to cancel his and the Second Gentleman’s upcoming trip to Singapore, Bahrain, and Germany,” the White House said.

Earlier, US President Joe Biden had also canceled his upcoming trip to Italy, where he was scheduled to meet Pope Francis, Italian President Sergio Mattarella and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.

US President Joe Biden slammed the wildfires, the worst in California history, as he promised additional federal money and resources to help the state deal with it.

“This is the most widespread, devastating fire in the history of California,” Biden said as he called a special meeting of senior administration officials at the White House.

Biden also said he would ask Congress for help to fight the raging fires in Los Angeles, saying lawmakers needed to provide more assistance to deal with the situation.

Meanwhile, Vice President Kamala Harris lamented the fact that several insurance companies have canceled policies for many of those affected.

California Governor Gavin Newsom banned social media platforms

Newsom provided details of currently deployed resources and said there were more than 7,500 firefighters currently deployed along with 1,162 firefighting vehicles battling wildfires in Los Angeles County.

In terms of air support, 31 helicopters and six air tankers were assisting in the firefighting efforts.

These air tankers are capable of carrying thousands of gallons of fire retardant or water, which is then dropped onto burning areas in support of firefighting ground teams.

Firefighters managed to make some progress battling a devastating blaze that broke out in the Hollywood Hills area early Thursday, however, the threat of two other large wildfires loomed. Los Angeles from East and West.

Firefighters were able to gain a lead on tSunset Fire in the Hollywood Hills As a result, officials were able to lift evacuation orders from the area. Due to the fire, high alert has been issued in densely populated areas.

Eric Scott of the Los Angeles Fire Department said they were able to contain the fire because “we hit it hard and fast and nature was a little nicer to us today than it was yesterday.”

The largest fire devastated 17,000 acres (6,900 ha) in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood, and was described by city Fire Chief Kristin Crowley as “one of the most devastating natural disasters in the history of Los Angeles.” Described in.

In Altadena, another 10,000-acre fire was also at “zero percent containment,” although the spread had “largely stopped” because of reduced wind gusts, county Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said.

Many cities around the world are forced to deal with the flames, Los Angeles is the latest among them.

As global temperatures are rising, scenes of fires are becoming more frequent in urban areas. Last summer, black smoke billowed behind Athens’ iconic Parthenon temple as flames spread across the city’s suburbs.

This image was a clear example of how the increasing wildfires around the world are not limited to remote rural areas, but are having a widespread impact in cities as well.

That same summer, a large fire also broke out among the trees on the Monte Mario hill in the center of Rome. From Halifax in Canada to Cape Town in South Africa to Nanyo City in Japan.

Experts told DW that the risk of wildfires is increasing due to the growth of cities and increasing rural abandonment. Read more about what cities can do to better protect themselves.

Germany is also concerned about two of its historic buildings in the Palisades that have great cultural significance: the Thomas Mann House and Villa Aurora.

Villa Aurora, an elaborate 1927 Spanish-style villa that was once an intellectual center for people fleeing Nazi Germany, is in particular danger, as it is located in the immediate vicinity of the fire.

“The destruction of these important cultural sites would be a cultural catastrophe. They are symbols of freedom of exile and art,” Federal Culture Commissioner Claudia Roth told German press agency dpa.

Read DW’s report on the significance of both buildings.

Wildfires raging in the Los Angeles area have triggered wind and dust warnings for millions of people in Southern California, sending thick clouds of smoke and ash into the sky.

According to the South Coast Air Quality Management District, advisories were issued for 17 million people.

Air quality was most affected in areas near the fires, for example in East Los Angeles the index measured 173 – 123 points above what is considered the maximum level for good air quality.

Medical experts have often warned about the harmful effects of wildfire smoke and its particulate matter on human health.

Smoke can cause a variety of respiratory and cardiovascular problems, while toxic chemicals released from burning structures can also contribute to disease and health problems.

Fires were seen raging around Los Angeles in the first days of 2025, and in July 2024 the Canadian city of Jasper in the Alberta province was devastated. The fire destroyed at least a third of the city’s buildings, and also damaged neighboring Jasper National Park, part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

And, as we continue to warm the planet by burning fossil fuels, those fires are getting worse, threatening more people and wildlife.

Some of the key areas through which fire management is attempting to adapt to a new climate reality include strategic burning, adaptive planting, and drone technology.

Read DW’s report on how these methods could help protect the planet’s forests.

Several entertainment celebrities are among the thousands of people who have lost their homes so far in the Los Angeles wildfires.

Famous names like Paris Hilton, Billy Crystal, Cary Elwes, Ricki Lake and Diane Warren have confirmed that their homes have been destroyed by the blaze in some of California’s most prestigious areas.

Other stars such as Mark Hamill, James Woods and Mandy Moore have said they have had to flee their homes.

Major annual events on the Hollywood agenda have been rescheduled, including the Critics’ Choice Awards from January 12
26 January. The Academy has offered a two-day extension to the Oscar nomination voting window “to give members more time to cast their ballots” as thousands of people were evacuated amid the fires.

A new fire that broke out in the Hollywood Hills on Wednesday also threatens several tourist sites, including the Walk of Fame and the Hollywood Bowl.

The White House says outgoing US President Joe Biden will not take the final foreign trip of his presidency so he can “focus on directing the full federal response” to wildfires.

In a brief statement, press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Biden had traveled to Los Angeles on Wednesday to meet with police, firefighters and emergency personnel.

Jean-Pierre said, after that trip, he decided to cancel an upcoming trip to Italy.

Biden had planned to hold another meeting with Pope Francis at the Vatican on Friday. During the visit he also planned to meet Italian President Sergio Mattarella and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.

Firefighters are struggling to control at least five massive wildfires in the Los Angeles area of ​​California, America’s most populous state, with five people reported dead so far.

The fire spread from the Pacific Coast to Pasadena. A fire, called the Sunset Fire, has been burning near Hollywood’s world-famous film center since Wednesday.

Local fire officials say evacuation orders have been issued for about 130,000 people and about 108 square kilometers (42 square miles) of area has burned.

This fire has been described as the deadliest fire in the history of Los Angeles.

Film stars and celebrities are among those who lost their homes in the flames.

Climate experts say several factors, including near-hurricane-force winds and drought, have combined to create favorable conditions for the fires.

He says such incidents are becoming common as the Earth’s atmosphere is warming due to human fossil-fuel use.