Large wildfire in LA fueled by “Devil's Wind” reaches 14% containment after 3 days, no strong winds expected soon

[Anchor]

A large wildfire has broken out in the western United States.

Fueled by a local wind known as the "Devil's Wind," the fire has burned an area equivalent to twenty times that of Yeouido in Seoul.

At one point, more than 10,000 people had to evacuate.

Kim Gwi-soo reports.

[Report]

In the darkness, charred by the flames, only the skeletal frame remains of homes can be seen.

The fire, which started in the mountains, spread downwards, devastating the village.

Firefighting helicopters sprayed water on the fire sites, and over 2,000 firefighters were mobilized to combat the blaze, but the strong winds only intensified the flames.

[Conner Nelson: "Here at the Mountain Fire. This just started like an hour ago. Well over a thousand acres already burning homes. You can hear explosions in the background."]

On November 7th, a wildfire of unknown origin broke out near Los Angeles.

Riding on local winds known as the "Devil's Wind," which reached speeds close to 100 km/h, the fire engulfed the village.

The flames, which have continued for three days, have burned an area of approximately 83㎢, about 20 times the size of Yeouido.

Additionally, over 100 homes have been destroyed, and more than 10,000 residents have had to evacuate.

Fortunately, the winds are beginning to die down.

[Ryan Walburn/Weather Bureau Meteorologist: "But we're just not too concerned about the winds because the speeds are going to continue to be light, perhaps sustained around ten miles an hour with some afternoon gusts, 15 to 20. Obviously, that's much lighter than what we saw during the red flag event."]

Currently, the wildfire containment rate is about 14%, and strong winds are not expected next week, which should help speed up the firefighting efforts.

This is KBS News, Kim Gwi-soo.