Angeles National Forest, California — Yesterday, the Lake Fire erupted in Southern California, spreading to more than 10,500 acres in Los Angeles County and prompting mandatory evacuations for at least 100 homes in the area. This blaze is one of multiple currently burning in the region, joining Riverside County’s Apple Fire, which started on July 31 and is now 80 percent contained.
As California continues to see a surge in COVID-19 cases, wildfire season threatens to worsen air quality, complicate evacuation plans, and further endanger those already at greatest risk of dying from COVID-19. Los Angeles County has been hit especially hard by the global pandemic, with over 214,000 confirmed cases and over 5,000 deaths, according to the Los Angeles Times.
In response, Greenpeace USA Senior Actions Training & Development Officer Harmony Lambert said:
“Our thoughts are with those who have been evacuated from the area and whose homes and businesses are in the fire’s path. The most important thing right now is that the communities who have been impacted get to safety with their loved ones. In 2018, my family and neighbors were evacuated from the Carr Fire, which left many of us without homes. It’s hard to imagine navigating the already difficult task of making safe evacuation plans with the additional thread of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Los Angeles County has also been one of the hardest counties hit in the state by COVID-19, and is home to some of the most toxic air in the country, as a result of smog, tailpipe emissions, and fossil fuel pollution. We’re seeing now that the pandemic poses a greater threat to communities dealing with air pollution, a trend that disproportionately impacts Black, Brown, and low-income communities, and these wildfires threaten to exacerbate that trend.
“The Lake Fire is a stark reminder that we must proactively build more resilient communities. The government must take urgently needed action to strengthen municipal codes to make homes safer, provide smoke shelters, and tackle the leading causes of poor air quality and our climate crisis. Governor Newsom must do more to protect and prepare California communities.”
As of Thursday afternoon, the blaze is currently at 0 percent containment, and, according to sources, the smoke could be seen as far away as Venice Beach. Updates on fire spread and containment in California can be found at https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents/.
Notes:
The American Red Cross Los Angeles Region is closely monitoring the outbreak of wildfires in Los Angeles County and is both providing shelters and disaster relief. The organization is available on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, and is providing updates in real time.
Contact:
Katie Nelson, Strategic Communications Specialist, Greenpeace USA: +1 (678) 644-1681, [email protected]
