The Getty Fire in Los Angeles, which destroyed homes and forced many people to evacuate, was caused by a tree branch that fell on top of power lines and burned the nearby brush, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.
Mayor Eric Garcetti told the reporters in a news conference that the disaster, simply put in plain parlance, is "an act of God." The official stressed that the fire was not the result of the faulty equipment.
The fire department also released dashcam footage of what it deemed to be the moment the fire started.
Twelve homes have been damaged, according to fire officials, adding that five has been destroyed in the wind-driven fire. Embers were still flying - which could quickly spark bush fires somewhere.
Getty Fire now 15 percent contained
At least 650 acres were burned, and thousands of residents have evacuated their homes. Garcetti announced there were no open flames during the incident.
However, the firefighters were working to extinguish embers throughout the burned area.
The #GettyFire is now 15% contained — a number that represents tireless hours of work by all involved. But the fight isn’t over, as tonight we’re expecting dangerous conditions not seen in recent history — wind gusts up to 70mph & extremely low humidity. https://t.co/s4xzppv6Xj — LAPD HQ (@LAPDHQ) October 30, 2019
Los Angeles Fire Chief Ralph Terrazas said at an afternoon news conference that "it takes is one ember to travel downwind and cause a fire."
The blaze started around 1:30 a.m. Monday on Sepulveda Pass. The fire raced down toward neighborhoods and threatening thousands of homes.
It broke near the J. Paul Getty Museum and drove many people, including basketball player LeBron James and former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, out of their homes in the wee hours of the night.
According to KABC-TV, Garcetti reported the city cleared some brush and branches from a tree 25 feet (ca. 8 meters) above the power line and 20 feet (ca. 6 meters) up the hill in the area over the summer.
Officials 'concerned' over high winds expected this week
The firefighters were initially overwhelmed, according to Terrazas. The Los Angeles Times reported that the firefighters had to make challenging decisions on which houses they have to protect. Terrazas said the fire depends upon where the ember lands are located.
Fire officials likewise expressed their concern over the high winds as smoldering embers may blow miles away from the body of the blaze and set new spot fires in dry brush or igniting homes.
YouTube Video from LAFD
According to the Times, California's Department of Water and Power underscored that it does not cut off service to customers on high winds compared to California's largest utility Pacific Gas & Electric.
"Our systems are completely different," Andrew Kendall, senior assistant manager of the DWP's power system, said at a board meeting earlier this month, according to the paper. "We have a 465-square-mile service territory. PG&E's is 70,000 square miles, Edison is 50,000 square miles."
California has faced a slew of wildfires in recent weeks. Crews are currently battling the Kincade Fire in the state's wine country; that fire has grown to 75,000 acres. Some 600 DWP customers in the fire area remained without power on Tuesday.
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