Food & Climate
Los Angeles wildfires have devoured Long-standing restaurants and many other restaurants such as McDonald’s, while an American scientist confirmed that animals such as fish in the water and birds can protect themselves.
The two biggest fires devastating the Los Angeles area grew just slightly Friday as firefighters beat back the blazes that have killed at least 10 people, obliterated neighborhoods and left the nation’s second-largest city on edge.
Officials expressed optimism that a break from the punishing winds stoking the flames will allow firefighters to make headway on the fires that have burned an area bigger than San Francisco and destroyed more than 10,000 homes and other structures since Tuesday.
“These fires are not out, though today we’re going to make a lot of progress,” California Gov. Gavin Newsom said Friday.
Metropolitan LA and its 13 million residents, who haven’t seen rain in more than eight months, woke up Friday to another day of strong winds and the threat of new flareups. The gusts were expected to diminish by evening, however, and already have died down from earlier in the week, when hurricane-force winds blew embers that ignited hillsides.
But meteorologist Rich Thompson warned the break could be short-lived, according a report seen by “Food & Climate” platform.
“We’re looking for a little respite on Friday and Saturday from the Santa Ana winds but then they’re going to pick up again Sunday through most of next week,” he said Thursday evening. according “AP”.
Los Angeles wildfires destroy restaurants
On January 7, amid life-threatening, high-speed winds across Los Angeles, multiple wildfires broke out, including a fire in Pacific Palisades that later spread to Malibu, and also in Eaton Canyon, near Altadena. In the evening, Mayor Karen Bass declared a state of emergency for Los Angeles in response to the multiple growing fires.
By Thursday morning over 130,000 Angelenos are under evacuation orders and about 400,000 people are without power due to the fires.
The affected neighborhoods are populated by a number of restaurants.
Wide swaths of L.A. County lay scorched after devastating fires. Long-standing restaurants that once defined the coastline were partially damaged or completely destroyed, including Gladstones, Moon shadows and Reel Inn in Malibu, as well as a growing number of Altadena restaurants, according to “Los Angelels times”.
Also, a McDonald’s restaurant was one of the casualties of the Los Angeles wildfires that claimed countless homes and businesses and continued to rage on Wednesday.
Footage shared by Reuters shows a McDonald’s engulfed in flames while firefighters worked to contain the blaze from the Eaton Fire near Pasadena, California, according to “FOX Business“.
The blaze also destroyed the roadside seafood restaurant that sat at the corner of Topanga Canyon Boulevard and Pacific Coast Highway for nearly 40 years. The Leonards now fear the state won’t let them sign a new contract.
“We’re afraid they won’t let us rebuild,” Teddy Leonard said. “It’s very scary.”
The legendary restaurant — decorated with Christmas lights and serving seafood in a funky setting — was more than just a place to eat. It was a place where diners got engaged, celebrated the birth of their children and marked wedding anniversaries. “Generations believed it was their spot,” Teddy Leonard said.
Safe animals
Animals try their best to move out of the direct path of the fire while remaining close to home if they cannot find refuge during wildfires, Stephanie Eyes, a senior wildlife biologist for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s (FWS) Sacramento Fish and Wildlife Office, noted in an October 2022 article.
She explained that “wildlife will move around their home area, avoiding the smoke and actively burning areas until it’s safe to return.” Some animals, such as frogs and rodents, don’t travel far and seek cover instead in underground burrows where they can be protected from the heat.
Frogs and fish may swim to the deepest parts of the waters they inhabit. When a fire is burning just a few feet high, birds and any animals that can climb may head up towards the branches and tree canopy to avoid the flames. Fishers might crawl into a tree cavity, while deer, bears and other animals will move around the forest until the fire dies down, according to Eyes.
“Wildlife is incredibly resilient,” Eyes said, noting that “California has a long history with wildfire, and many species adapted to endure it.”
“When I was working in Yosemite [the national park], there was a female California spotted owl who weathered several wildfires. We were always concerned about her, but she would still be there, year-after-year,” the biologist recalled.
“Animal owners, and especially owners of horses and livestock, must rely on themselves to take care of their animals in a disaster,” wrote the UC Davis Veterinary Medicine Center for Equine Health.
Owners are advised to “designate and maintain a shelter-in-place area for animals that cannot be evacuated,” the center advises, according to “Newsweek”.