Vice President Kamala Harris’s home in Los Angeles has been put in an evacuation zone due to the ongoing California wildfire.
Strong winds have made the wildfire worse, so people are now being ordered to leave the neighborhood around it. Harris is in Washington, D.C.
“An area with around 30,000 people was put under evacuation orders after the fire broke out at 10:30 a.m. in Pacific Palisades and quickly grew, driven by high Santa Ana winds. Evacuation zones later grew. The vice president is in Washington, D.C. The peak of the high winds is expected tonight and into tomorrow morning,” NBC News reported.
Harris released a statement on the wildfires in southern California.
“My heart goes out to all those being impacted by the devasting wildfires in Southern California. Doug and I are praying for our fellow Californians who have evacuated, and we are thinking of the families whose homes, businesses, and schools remain in harm’s way. We are deeply grateful for the heroic first responders who are risking their own safety to fight the flames and help keep communities safe,” Harris said.
“I was briefed earlier tonight and will continue to receive regular updates about these damaging wildfires and the coordinated efforts to contain them. I am also urging residents in the affected areas to listen to local officials, remain vigilant, and evacuate immediately if told to do so,” she added.
“President Biden and I are committed to ensuring that no community has to respond to this disaster alone. We have already mobilized federal resources to help suppress the fires, provide overhead support, and begin assisting those impacted. FEMA also quickly approved a Fire Management Assistance Grant to help reimburse the state for immediate firefighting costs,” the vice president said.
Harris concluded, “As a proud daughter of California, I know the damage that wildfires have on our neighbors and communities. I also know that the impact is often felt long after the fire is contained. As we respond and as Californians recover, I will ensure that our administration is in constant contact with state and local officials.”
Los Angeles Councilwoman Traci Park, who represents District 11 which includes the Pacific Palisades, told NBC’s “TODAY” show this morning: “It is an absolute miracle that we do not have any reported fatalities at this point.”
“I really want to commend neighbors in the area for their swift response and compliance with local orders. This was a fire that grew and moved very, very quickly with wind conditions as well as all of the dry conditions, it’s been at least eight months since we’ve had rain in this area,” Park said.
She said that the fire department is “overwhelmed at this point, this is a life saving operation,” helicopters have been unable to dump water by air due to the strong winds, and officials anticipate there are “likely hundreds of lost structures.”
“Until the sun comes up and we can get assets back in the air safely, we won’t really know how much of the Palisades is still standing today,” Park said, noting the scale of the damage and loss will be “absolutely devastating for all of Los Angeles.”
Speaking on evacuations, Park said: “We have been pushing out messages. And you know, my communications to folks have been from the get go — This is not a drill. This is an actual public safety emergency. Everybody needs to be packed and prepared to move on an instant notice.”
Fire Captain Robert Foxworthy declared on Wednesday morning that those whose neighborhoods are in the path of the flames: “Get in your vehicle and leave the area as soon as possible.”
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