U.S. VP Kamala Harris cancels trip to S'pore in light of 'historic' LA wildfire crisis
There are five active fires in the county.
U.S. vice-president, Kamala Harris, has cancelled her upcoming trip to Singapore, Bahrain and Germany.
This is in response to the "historic wildfires in Los Angeles (LA)," said the White House on Jan. 9 ( U.S. time).
"She will remain in the United States to support the federal response in California," it added.
Harris was scheduled to travel to Singapore, Bahrain, and Germany from Jan. 13 to Jan. 17.
On Jan. 15, she was scheduled to meet with Singapore leaders and visit Changi Naval Base.
Wildfires in LA
Five wildfires have been raging through LA since it began on Jan. 7, killing at least five people and forcing nearly 180,000 residents to flee their homes.
According to Reuters, thousands of homes and buildings have been destroyed, and the fires have consumed about 31,000 acres of land, reducing entire neighbourhoods to ash.
Reuters added that two wildfires in east and west LA were still uncontained as of Jan. 9 (U.S. time).
A TikTok user shared a view of one of the active fires from the sky, showing the raging blaze and billowing smoke.
@nicodabmwguy The current fire in #pacificpalisades you can see it from space as well that’s insane. #fire#california#pacificpalisadesfire#westhollywoodfire#pchfire#abc7#kcal9#wildfire#fyp#malibufire#santamonicafire#santaanawinds ♬ M83 Solitude - Grace
The fires have also destroyed the homes of numerous celebrities, including Paris Hilton, Mark Hamill, Mandy Moore, Adam Brody, and Leighton Meester.
On Instagram, Star Wars actor Hamil said it was "the most horrific fire" since 1993, and his family had evacuated from their house in Malibu.
Hilton shared on Instagram that "seeing [their] home in Malibu burn to the ground on live TV is something no one should ever have to experience".
U.S. President Joe Biden pledged to offer any federal assistance needed to help battle the fires in LA.
"My administration will do everything it can to support the response," he said in a statement on Jan. 7.
The President just committed to covering 100% of the fire management and debris removal costs for the next 180 days.
Thank you @POTUS for taking my call and having the back of Californians in our time of need. pic.twitter.com/1FW1QF6JXg
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) January 10, 2025
Top photos via Kamala Harris/Instagram, foxlove/TikTok, nicodabmwguy/TikTok
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