America continues to burn

So far, the US government has failed to extinguish the massive wildfires that have engulfed the state of California, with reports stating that approximately 35,000 homes and businesses in the city of Los Angeles have been cut off from electricity and the US government has failed to restore this vital service to citizens.

Broadcasting Corporation has announced that the death toll in the city of Los Angeles continues to rise. The confirmed deaths are 16 people but it is too early to know the exact number as there are a large number of people who are still unaccounted for.

So far, 40,000 acres of land have been burned in the five counties of Palisades, Eaton, Kenneth, Hurst and Lydia in the west and north of Los Angeles in the United States. 12,000 buildings, including many luxury homes owned by millionaires and celebrities, have been destroyed by the fire.

US President Joe Biden has declared a state of emergency in California. Officials fear the fires could spread further than they have so far, with weather conditions forecast to worsen over the next 72 hours, or three days.

The latest figures show that about 20,000 Edison County customers in California are still without power during this severe winter. Also, about 16,000 Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) customers are also without electricity.

Sky News has reported on a rare phenomenon called a firestorm. The phenomenon is caused by intense heat caused by widespread fires, such as forest and bushfires, which make it difficult to extinguish.