California Governor Gabin Newsom has announced the deployment of the National Guard to help “maintain public order” and prevent looting in the face of the emergency unleashed by the strong fires in Los Angeles County, which have left at least a dozen dead to date.
“We will not tolerate looting,” said Newsom, who thanked the “incredible work of the Fire and Emergency Department personnel.” “We are putting everything in our power, including the National Guard, to protect the affected communities during the next few days,” he said in a statement.
Authorities are expected to deploy some 8,000 troops to deal with the situation, which has caused the evacuation of some 180,000 residents. Currently, five fires are still active and nearly 15,000 hectares have been seriously affected.
Outgoing US President Joe Biden, who has held phone calls with Newsom, as well as Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and other senior officials to discuss the latest developments on the fires, has announced that the federal government “will cover 100 percent of the cost of measures to protect lives and property in Southern California for six months.”
On the other hand, Los Angeles Sheriff Robert Luna said that it seems as if “an atomic bomb had fallen” in the affected areas, while the fire continues to ravage several Californian neighborhoods. In addition, he acknowledged that he is “praying” that the death toll does not increase, since according to “clear devastation there is no good news.”
