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The fires ravaging Los Angeles County, California, are unprecedented. They have led thousands to evacuate their homes and leave with only their family members, pets and the clothes they are wearing. While the losses range from material to human lives, Mexico has responded to the tragedy and the government has reported that it has sent an expert group to fight the devastating fires.
This was reported by the president Claudia Sheinbaum at his morning press conference on Friday, January 10, in which he stated that the Mexican Foreign Minister, Juan Ramón de la Fuente, is already in contact with the government of US President Joseph Biden, as well as with that of California Governor Gavin Newsom.
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He also said that the team of personnel that will be sent to Los Angeles will be made up of fighters from the National Forestry Commission and the National Defense Secretariat.
“The foreign minister spoke with both the authorities of President Biden's government and the governor of California. We are going to send a support team to Los Angeles, a solidarity team made up of forest firefighters from CONAFOR (National Forestry Commission) and a team from the DNIII Plan of the Ministry of National Defense,” the Mexican president said.
Sheinbaum said that this personnel is only waiting to complete the immigration procedures to reach the disaster zone.
"They are waiting for the papers, above all, that they have to do with being able to get to the United States, but we are going to support them, not only because the people and the government of Mexico have always been generous, but also because there are many Mexicans in this part of the United States," he stressed.
In this regard, he stressed that the United States has appreciated the aid.
“So, we are going to send a support team, they were very grateful and we are, let's say, in the process of completing the immigration procedures so they can arrive.”
According to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, approximately 180,000 people have been forced to evacuate and another 200,000 are under evacuation warnings.
In addition, the Los Angeles Medical Examiner's Office confirmed that 10 people have died due to the fires and identification may take several weeks.
Five wildfires are still burning in Los Angeles County. According to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CalFire), more than 35,000 acres have burned, with the Palisades and Eaton fires causing the destruction.
So far, the active fires are:
- Eaton Fire (13,690 acres affected; 0 percent containment)
- Hurst Fire (771 acres affected; 37 percent containment)
- Kenneth Fire (960 acres affected; 35 percent containment)
- Lidia Fire (395 acres affected; 75 percent contained)
- Palisades Fire (19,978 acres affected; 8 percent contained)
CalFire said firefighters are working hard to slow the spread and protect critical infrastructure in extreme conditions.
He explained that several structures have been damaged or destroyed as the wind-driven wildfire continues, while the combination of low humidity, dry fuels and shifting winds has increased the potential for localized fires and rapid expansion.
He urged residents in these areas to remain alert and follow the instructions of local authorities as the situation evolves.
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