Devastating flames in Los Angeles have devastated more than 40,000 acres of land, killed 25 people, and left 23 more unaccounted for
Celebrities like Paris Hilton, who saw her Malibu mansion burn on live television, are among the thousands of people who have been forced to leave their homes.
Altadena meteorologist Edgar McGregor, 24, has been praised as a local hero for delivering early warnings amid the mayhem, which are estimated to have saved hundreds of lives.
McGregor, who regularly posts hyper-local weather updates on his Facebook page, Altadena Weather and Climate, foresaw the disaster a week before the fires began. “I knew on December 30th that when this windstorm hit, conditions would mirror those in Lahaina, Hawaii, and Paradise, which suffered catastrophic losses,” McGregor told PEOPLE magazine. Recognizing the impending threat posed by the Santa Ana winds and dry conditions, he urged residents to prepare for immediate evacuation.
“I told people, ‘If a wildfire breaks out, there’ll be a thousand homes burned down. This would be cataclysmic,’” he recalled. His advice to keep essential documents ready and vehicles facing outward proved invaluable as the fires engulfed large swathes of the region.
LA Fires and Their Impact
The Palisades Fire started the wildfires on January 7 and was followed by the Eaton and Hurst fires. The spread was made worse by strong winds, which destroyed more than 12,000 buildings, including residences and commercial buildings. With the prompt issuance of evacuation orders, the death toll increased to 25 by January 13.
The tragedy was exacerbated by the fact that prisoners, a frequent but contentious practice in California, were sent to the front lines to fight the fires. With daily wages ranging from $5.80 to $10.24, more than 900 prisoners volunteered to assist.
