The Land of Milk & Honey Is Now The Devil's Playground

UPDATE

By January 10, 2025, The Palisades fire was 20,000 acres in size

Following the news on this daily at regular intervals throughout the day is a steady and daunting task...chasing fires across the internet. Within the first three days of this fire The Palisades, Malibu, Hollywood (but not the sign or Universal Studios,) and part of Santa Monica, were said to be gone or close to burned to the ground according to first reports. Then it was heading for San Fernando and San Diego but took a turn to Ventura and is now heading east with twists to the north expected. Some news stories are projected and some are soon after.

What is clear is the Fire Chief telling the public to leave at first warning and not to wait for the Order to Evacuate. That gives you an idea of the speed of it.

As some areas of California are in blackout while others are struggling to care for survivors in the makeshift parking lot "care centres," and also in the Dome, packed full of people I have realized that all news is not up to date and its not possible to. Videos are not displaying dates and times posted. The same information is repeated over days. Of course, that is understandable with communication channels affected. The fire map seems frozen in time with 3 small areas showing where the fires are as if they are unmoving or not spreading at all. BUT compared with the photos circulating online that map sure looks dated

The Palisades fire restarted while other smaller fires are now out or almost. Yet, when looking at the aerial photo videos of the main fire - it is still mammoth. With tiny figures, you can't even say dinky car size, just itty bitty-sized firemen and trucks at the edge of a fire that looks 20,000 football fields estimated in size with a gigantic pit forcing it. In a fifteen-minute portion of a video, the fire can be seen climbing nearer the top of a mountain then burning over and down the other side with a city clear in view below it. This thing even burned through a river bed, yes it did.

One day it is heading for San Bernadino and the next day the direction of San Diego. The wind blowing every which way with almost hurricane winds the fire is now gone both south and east and there is mention of north next. Though there was a respite in winds yesterday the Santa Ana winds are expected to rouse again early next week.

Now there are Firenados - tornados of fire. These can reach miles in the air, spread the size of a football field and cause an increase in wind power at up to 140 km winds. Gas leaks and explosions add to that. Against all warnings, people are shown going back to the rubble to check their homes when sparks could still be flying or worse, leaks. One home spared from the fire was later seen split in two from - landslides, to add to all else.

People in the affected areas are uploading their fleeing of the areas and as people watch in horror, some social media platforms are just as quickly taking those posts down. Why? What is the big secret? Everyone in the world is watching.

Of great concern also are the homeless people, who don't have cars to flee. Hoping that there are buses that can go out with the official warnings to collect them and get them out of the way also.

Most news outlets today say it is nowhere near over. All one can do is pray that people get out safely now.

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Original Story

If any imagery resembled hell itself, it is over the past few days with the horrible reality of fire across the vast hillsides, neighbourhoods and cities of the southern California coast. A real storm of fire burning along its own path with seemingly no end in sight.

Every country in the world is playing News on this, from Australia to Asia to the Middle East. If you are anywhere on the planet you have heard of the devastating wildfires across California. These wildfires in that area happen annually to some degree, but none quite this large.

With earth as dry as a bone and the Santa Ana winds at 80 - 100 mph the areas of The Palisades, Malibu Beach are completely gone, burnt to the ground. This is no exaggeration, they are gone. Santa Monica hillsides are now in flames and just as quickly as three others were controlled, three more started.

Small bushfires are expanding to acreage in minutes. It is horrifying and needs to be shared.

Some areas have already run out of water.

Discussions online about who is to blame for this, are missing the point. No amount of water can stop churning winds. This is not a pessimistic view, see for yourself in the collage I have assembled here.

Important factors

• There was a water shortage in California a year ago.
• California is also the state that consumes the most water in America.
• There are over 300,000 swimming poles in the state.
• Though annual windstorms and fires are common no one expected such a combination with such force.
• The drought for months prior had everything to do with it.
• Dry lightening can strike in California too. The wind at such velocity with the heat and dry air can ignite.

Thankfully the winds have subsided a bit today, however, they are expected to be strong as ever tomorrow at 80 - 100 mph. It's been four days of fire after fire and counting.

Areas affected are: Los Angeles, The Palisades, Eaton, Malibu, Santa Monica, Kenneth, Hurst, Brentwood, Altadena, and more

Highways are gridlocked as people try to evacuate. An order to prepare to evacuate went out to over a million people yesterday.

Hollywood Is Gone

The great entertainment institution of entertainment that defines American culture going back to the 1920s, is greatly damaged. It is unclear if there is anything standing. The Hollywood sign can still be see unburnt and Universal Studios as of yet is not known to have been burnt either.

The news on this changes almost by the hour as the disaster continues to spread.

As of last research, the Eaton fires were still consuming everything in its path, with hillsides ablaze within 40 minutes, sparks flying 100 feet at a time.

The wind originally in the direction of the east, early this morning, now slowly turning direction to the south could mean disaster. So far, the wind map shows with the circular change the nuclear waste area buried below the beaches, plus the nuclear site that lies south of Santa Monica as of yet untouched.

In the cities, small explosions have been reported from cars and gas stations throughout these areas.

Add two earthquakes to top things off. One at a 3.2 on the Richter Scale caused another one at 2. on the St. Andreas fault line.

It has been said that the fire started by heat lightning. Dry, arid conditions on a drought-ready ground, and the massive winds make it more than a wildfire when it hits the neighborhoods with this type of force.

The National Guard is in place. Curfews are on. Canada flies in to help with water planes.

Believe it or not, in areas where the damage is already done people are impersonating firefighters to loot homes, 20 people have been caught by police already.

Canada has sent in Canadair Water Bombers specifically designed to battle forest fires. Newfoundland has a fleet of these that they send to US when needed with fires.

Broken hearts, burning altitudes, the attitude is to rebuild. Let's hope that is possible with damage of this magnitude but California is done as we know it.

People are getting together to share support across social media and it is with hope that people will heal from their tragic losses. Without homes, their pasts destroyed - where will they go now?

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Lisa Lachapelle Music

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