Winds die down and fire no longer threatens Hollywood; region remains alert

Although it is too early to know the origin of the fires, criticism has emerged regarding authorities’ preparation and response. Fire Chief Kristin Crowley told Fox News affiliate KTTV that they are “still understaffed, under-resourced and under-funded.”

California authorities are asking citizens to save water, because some tanks that supplied hydrants were emptied during the firefighting. The Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) announced an investigation after a drone struck and damaged a tanker plane.

Donald Trump spread false information on his Truth Social network, claiming that California is running out of water because of Democratic environmental policies that would divert rainwater to protect “useless fish.” President Joe Biden said “a lot of demagogues” were trying to profit from misinformation about the disaster.

Wildfires may be the costliest on record: AccuWeather estimates total damage and losses to be between $135 billion and $150 billion.

The hot, dry Santa Ana winds blowing today are a classic feature of California autumns and winters. But this time they reached an intensity not seen since 2011, according to meteorologists.

The region is emerging from two very rainy years that gave rise to lush vegetation, now dry due to the lack of rain that lasted eight months. Scientists regularly point out that climate change increases the frequency of extreme weather events.