In California, more than 400,000 homes and businesses lost power on Wednesday as wildfires spread out of control in Los Angeles and nearby areas. These fires have been burning for days, causing huge damage and putting many people in danger.
At least six fires started on Tuesday, burning over 20,000 acres of land. Sadly, two people have died from the flames, and many homes, schools, and businesses have been destroyed. Strong winds, which are common at this time of year, have made the fires grow even bigger.
Most of the power outages are in Southern California, especially around Los Angeles. To help stop more fires from starting, Southern California Edison, the company that provides electricity, turned off power to 169,000 homes and businesses. They do this to make sure fallen power lines don’t spark new fires. However, it’s unclear when the power will come back on.
The largest fire, called the Palisades wildfire, has burned almost 12,000 acres in the Pacific Palisades area. There are also other big fires near Pasadena, Malibu, and Santa Monica. Thousands of people have had to leave their homes to stay safe, and many parts of these cities are under evacuation orders.
As the fires continue, firefighters are working hard to try to stop them, but the winds are making it much harder to control the flames. People are being warned to stay away from the fire areas and to be careful around downed power lines.
