Fires in California
Residents now sue city and water supplier
The week-long battle against the flames in Southern California is not yet over. New fires have flared up in several places. So far, 28 people have lost their lives and at least 22 are still missing. Several residents whose homes have burned down are now taking legal action against the city of Los Angeles and the water authority.
Among them is the actor couple Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt. One allegation concerns a large water reservoir that had been empty for some time due to repairs when the fires raged. Dry hydrants are said to have made extinguishing the fires more difficult. The "Eaton" and "Palisades" wildfires together destroyed more than 16,000 buildings. Search teams have so far found 28 fatalities in the charred rubble.
According to the police, the fate of 22 residents of Malibu and Altadena is still unclear. At the weekend, a storm with rain and cooler temperatures should bring relief after a long dry spell.
Billions in aid rolling in
California Governor Gavin Newsom announced state aid of more than 2.5 billion US dollars (equivalent to 2.4 billion euros) for the affected fire areas. Among other things, the money is to be used for the rapid disposal of fire debris and toxic waste as well as for reconstruction.
US President Donald Trump blamed Newsom for the extent of the fires and said shortly after his inauguration that he would attach conditions to the aid for California. "They (Californians) have been hit hard, as you know. And a lot of it could have been prevented if they had water, which they had plenty of, but they didn't use it," he said.
Nevertheless, Trump has now pledged help during his visit to the Los Angeles area. "It's like you've been hit by a bomb. We want to fix it." The two politicians shook hands several times and Trump and his wife Melania took a look at the destruction in Pacific Palisades.
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