Quotes
We have a number of hospitals that are threatened, and if they have to be evacuated, it could become a crisis,
said Gupta, also a spokesperson for the American College of Emergency Physicians
That air that’s being spewed is no longer just the kind of smoke that we used to see from wildfires, where it was natural vegetation that was burning,
said Becerra, a former California Attorney GeneralI think that we need to look at it from the perspective of global changes. And climate is just one global change. And certainly one of the other important global changes is population growth. And California has been growing at a phenomenal rate in the last 20 years,
Keeley said
It's really just the perfect alignment of everything in the atmosphere to give you this pattern and strong wind,
said Tim Brown, director of the Western Regional Climate CenterThe impact increases exponentially as wind speed increases,
said fire scientist Mike Flannigan of Thompson Rivers University in CanadaWinter wildfires should be an oxymoron,
University of Colorado's Balch saidNow we talk about fire years.”
said David Acuña, a battalion chief for Cal Fire
Governor Gavin Newscum refused to sign the water restoration declaration put before him that would have allowed millions of gallons of water, from excess rain and snow melt from the North, to flow daily into many parts of California, including the areas that are currently burning in a virtually apocalyptic way."
President-elect Donald Trump, on Truth Social
Predicting where ash or soot from a fire will travel, or how winds will impact air quality, is difficult, so it's important for everyone to stay aware of the air quality in your area, make plans, and take action to protect your health and your family's health
Muntu Davis, Health Officer for Los Angeles County, said
Only a fraction of residents will be directly impacted by the flames and smoke, but regardless, there are thousands, if not millions at risk from these hazards whether directly or indirectly. The offshore winds will help to blow the smoke over the ocean, but the plumes will have to travel over coastal communities first, resulting in very hazardous air quality for anyone underneath or in the vicinity of these fires."
Brandon Buckingham, a meteorologist at AccuWeather, told NewsweekLimit your exposure by remaining indoors with windows and doors closed or seeking alternate shelter; Avoid vigorous physical activity; Run your air conditioning and/or an air purifier; Avoid burning wood in your fireplace or firepit and minimize sources of indoor air pollution such as candles, incense, panfrying, and grilling; If you must be outside, a properly fit N95 or P100 respirator may provide some protection."
The South Coast AQMD told residents in affected areas
California has deployed 1400+ firefighting personnel & hundreds of prepositioned assets to combat these unprecedented fires in LA. Emergency officials, firefighters, and first responders are all hands on deck through the night to do everything possible to protect lives."
Gavin Newsom, the Governor of California, said in a post on X (formerly Twitter