A series of catastrophic wildfires have swept across Los Angeles County, leaving at least 11 people dead and displacing tens of thousands of residents. The blazes have razed hundreds of buildings, melted cars, and even left ATMs in molten ruin, with one official likening the devastation to the aftermath of an “atomic bomb.”
“It looks like someone dropped an atomic bomb in these areas,” said Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna during a news conference on January 10, describing the sheer scale of destruction in the affected neighborhoods.
Even after the efforts of thousands of firefighters, the largest wildfires remain mostly uncontained. Among them, the Palisades Fire has scorched more than 21,500 acres, with only 8 percent of it under control. The Eton Fire has consumed over 14,000 acres, with just 3 percent containment.
According to the BCC, other major fires include the Kenneth Fire, which has burned 1,000 acres and is 50 percent contained, and the Hurst Fire, affecting 770 acres with 70 percent control achieved.
The Lydia Fire in the northern hills of Los Angeles has burned 395 acres and been nearly extinguished, while a newly ignited blaze at Archer has already consumed 19 acres and remains uncontained.
Authorities have issued evacuation orders affecting 180,000 residents. Officials have warned that the death toll is likely to rise as rescue efforts continue. The widespread destruction has raised questions about disaster preparedness and the role of climate change in fueling these infernos.
California Governor Gavin Newsom has launched an investigation into reports of water shortages hindering firefighting efforts.
The crisis has intensified scrutiny of how officials have managed resources amid increasingly frequent and severe wildfires. The destruction has left survivors grappling with profound loss.
Climate journalist Lucy Sheriff, among those forced to evacuate, described her home as “a pile of burning embers” and recounted the past four days as “hell-like.” A New Zealand journalist covering the events also referred to the “apocalyptic” scenes across the city.
U.S. Air Force Deploys Firefighting C-130s To Combat Los Angeles Wildfires
In response to the devastating wildfires raging across Los Angeles since January 7, all eight of the U.S. Air Force’s premier firefighting C-130 aircraft equipped with Modular Aerial Fire Fighting Systems (MAFFS) are also being deployed to Southern California.
These aircraft, stationed across the western United States, will operate from Channel Islands Air National Guard Station to aid in the firefighting efforts, according to the Air and Space Force magazine.
The US Northern Command activated the aircraft on January 9, while additional resources have been mobilized to support the crisis. Over 880 Army and Air National Guard members, including helicopter crews, military police, and hand crews, have joined the operation.
Meanwhile, 500 active-duty Marines are staging at Camp Pendleton to assist with road clearance, supply distribution, and search-and-rescue operations. The report mentioned that the Navy is also deploying 10 helicopters equipped with water buckets to combat the fires.
MAFFS units play a critical role during intense fire seasons, supplementing civilian contractors who perform the bulk of aerial firefighting. The system, an 11,000-pound metal tank, can release 28,000 pounds of fire retardant in less than five seconds and be refilled in under 12 minutes.
However, the operations require flying at low altitudes and slow speeds over mountainous terrain, smoke-filled skies, and active flames—one of the most dangerous forms of flying.
In 2021, a Nevada MAFFS pilot explained, “It’s hot, you’re at high altitude up in the mountains, canyons, obstacles, trees. Next to flying around the aircraft carrier at night, this is probably some of the most high-risk flying I’ve ever done.”
Meanwhile, a civilian drone collided with a Quebec CL-415 water bomber over the Palisades Fire, creating a hole in the aircraft’s wing and forcing it out of service.
The Los Angeles County Fire Department reminded the public that flying drones in restricted airspace during firefighting efforts is a federal crime, punishable by up to 12 months in prison or a $75,000 fine.
Pilot Pascal Duclos, flying behind the Quebec CL-415 water bomber when it collided with a civilian drone over the Palisades Fire, described how the incident could have had catastrophic consequences.
Duclos explained that the damage could have been far worse. If the drone had been drawn into the engine’s air intake or if its battery had ignited a fire inside the wing, where fuel is stored, the consequences could have been catastrophic.
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