ITV Good Morning Britain has been interrupted for a “breaking” news announcement on Thursday. ITV viewers watched on as GMB reporters and correspondents reported from the United States, where five people have sadly died in the Los Angeles wildfires.
Noel Phillips, who was live in the area, dialled in via video link and said: “To put it into simple words, it is hell. Every single street, every single home is burning right now. The smell around us is unbearable.” He shared: “Removing these glasses from my face would leave my eyes very itchy and red.
“That just gives you a sense of what the fire fighters, behind me, are up against.” Noel continued: “What is happening here in Los Angeles is catastrophic. The fire officials themselves have admitted they do not have enough personell to tackle these fires.”
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He went on to explain that there are four fires in total and “zero percent of them are contained”. CAL fire lists five active fires which between them have burnt nearly 28,000 acres of land. Of the five, the Hurst fire and the Lidia fire have been partially contained
The fires have put 130,000 people under evacuation orders and ravaged communities from the Pacific Coast to inland Pasadena. The Sunset fire was burning near the Hollywood Bowl and about a mile (1.6km) from the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
The Los Angeles department of water and power has issued a notice warning residents of the Pacific Palisades that they should only be using boiled tap water or bottled water for drinking, due to low water pressure and potential contamination of the supply.
A similar notice has been issued in Pasadena. CAL fire said: “Extreme fire behavior, including short and long-range spotting, continues to challenge firefighting efforts for the Palisades Fire. Winds gusts up to 60mph are expected to continue through Thursday.”