Updated Oct. 28, 2019 6:51 PM
The destruction wrought by the Kincade and Tick fires only grew more immense over the weekend after igniting in Northern and Southern California late last week. To add to the pair’s devastation, a third blaze dubbed the Getty Fire has threatened thousands of homes in populated areas and caused even more evacuations.
The Getty Fire originally ignited along the 405 Freeway on Monday morning and has since threatened the Brentwood and Westside communities. Brentwood is famously notable for the vast number of luxurious homes and celebrities that have resided in the area, such as Marilyn Monroe, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Joan Crawford and superstar athletes like LeBron James and Tom Brady.
James shared on Twitter that the blaze has forced his family to evacuate.
Man these LAaren’t no joke. Had to emergency evacuate my house and I’ve been driving around with my family trying to get rooms. No luck so far!
16K people are talking about this
The iconic Getty Center, home of the Getty Museum, is located just a few miles away from the wildfire. Valued at $3.85 billion in 2013, the center is the most valuable property in the state.
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Firefighters try to save a home on Tigertail Road during the Getty fire, Monday, Oct. 28, 2019, in Los Angeles, Calif. (AP Photo/ Christian Monterrosa)
A spokesperson from the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) has said that at least two structures have burned so far. According to the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, 2,600 customers were without power early Monday morning in areas of BelAir, Westwood and Brentwood.
As of 7:30 a.m. PDT, the blaze had exploded to 500 acres in just a matter of hours, with no containment. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said in a press conference that the cause for the blaze is under investigation.
"This is a fire that has quickly spread, it is now over 500 acres. But we luckily have a lot of heroes in our fire station who rolled out immediately," Garcetti said. "We have over 500 firefighters that are on the line in some of the most challenging topography of Los Angeles. I personally saw five homes that are on Tiger Tail that have been lost but I saw them holding the line there and it has not spread farther in the last couple hours."
In Northern California, over 200,000 residents around Sonoma County have been displaced. The Sheriffs Office of Sonoma County said 3,441 personnel, 10 helicopters, 76 hand crews and 51 bulldozers are being equipped by the county to fight the fire.
"Approx. 180,000 people under evacuation order due to #KincadeFire," the office said on Twitter. "This is the largest evacuation that any of us at the Sheriff’s Office can remember. Take care of each other."
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Flames from the Kincade Fire consume Soda Rock Winery on Sunday, Oct 27, 2019, in Healdsburg, Calif. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)
With over 66,000 acres burned, as of 7 a.m. local time, and 111 structures destroyed, the blaze has triggered the need for a Red Flag Warning through Tuesday morning.
The Kincade Fire raced toward the same region that was ravaged by the Tubbs Fire in 2017. Weather conditions in Northern California this week are expected to be of some assistance to firefighters, as the strong winds will steadily dissipate by the end of the week.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency on Sunday in response to the top-to-bottom crises grappling the state. In his statement, Newsom specifically notes the historic winds fueling the blazes.
"Beginning on October 7, 2019, a significant wind event struck California, resulting in nearly statewide red flag warnings due to extremely dangerous fire weather conditions," the statement read. "Erratic winds, high temperatures, and dry conditions have further increased the spread of these fires; and... Under the provisions of Government Code section 8558(b), I find that the conditions caused by the multiple fires, by reason of their magnitude, are or are likely to be beyond the control of the services, personnel, equipment, and facilities of any single local government and require the combined forces of a mutual aid region or regions to appropriately respond."
While wildfires haven't been as destructive in California as they were in 2018, AccuWeather Founder and CEO Dr. Joel N. Myers estimated on Friday that wildfires this year will cost California $100 billion in economic losses.
"This estimate, which includes both insured and uninsured losses, is far less than our estimate for the 2018 wildfire season, but far greater than our estimate for 2017," Myers said. "Last year was a terrible year for wildfires in California, but the season ended earlier. This year it will end later than usual."
The Southern Californian Tick Fire has been more manageably contained in recent days than the Kincade Fire, but the blaze has struck different notes of fear for residents. On Saturday, authorities reported the discovery of human remains in an area where the blaze had ignited at least six houses.
At 7 a.m. local time, the LAFD reported 509 firefighters battling the blaze and 10,000 residencies remained threatened. The blaze is now at 78% containment.
According to the department, four firefighters have been injured battling the 4,615 acres of wildfire since it began last Thursday. The blaze has also destroyed or damaged 60 total structures.
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