LIVE FORESTFIRES LA. Tens of thousands of evacuees will not be able to return home for “at least a week” – Death toll rises to 27

Tens of thousands of residents evacuated from the fires that have ravaged Los Angeles will have to wait “at least another week” before returning home. The authorities said this on Thursday.

The reason: the situation is too dangerous for the time being, local authorities stated at a press conference. The electricity, gas and sewage networks have suffered significant damage. Toxic waste is everywhere. And the risk of landslides and mudslides is increasing. Evacuated residents are also not allowed to return because local authorities “believe there may be other victims” in some of the affected areas.

In contrast to the recent ultra-dry weather conditions, it is now the possible rainfall that poses a potential threat. “The drainage systems in the two hardest-hit areas have been damaged,” explained Mark Pestrella, Los Angeles County Public Works Director. “In the event of heavy rain, we expect the entire area and streets to be affected by floods of water carrying debris.”

The hills of Los Angeles have been destabilized by the fires that have raged there and the enormous amounts of water that firefighters have used to fight the blazes. Apparently intact buildings can also be hit by landslides, adds Mark Pestrella.

“It’s going to take a while,” warns Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna. “I would say at least another week, and that’s an estimate, but I think it’s going to be longer than that.”