On January 7, tragedy struck the city of Los Angeles, killing at least 27 people.
Many of those who died in the wildfire died trying to prevent the fire from engulfing their homes.
As a little spark it began, fueled by powerful winds and dry conditions, and before anyone knew what was happening, a series of ferocious wildfires erupted.
Houses were burnt to dust, yet, the cause of this fire remains unknown.
Could it be God punishing America for its sins?
Or is ChatGPT the real cause of the fire, as many claim?
A Los Angeles County fire official said an untold number of significant injuries were linked to two of the fires, and a city official in Los Angeles described the night of Jan. 7 as “one of the most devastating and terrifying” that she had seen in her corner of the city.
But the question remains, what caused the fire?
Let’s find out.
Here’s what we know about the fires:
Where Are The Fires?
The Palisades Fire erupted the morning of Jan. 7 in Pacific Palisades, a Los Angeles neighborhood east of Malibu, as a brush fire. The blaze, which had grown to 23,713 acres, was 49% contained by Saturday night, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, known as Cal Fire. Cal Fire said the fire likely damaged or destroyed more than 5,000 structures.
The Eaton Fire ignited hours after the Palisades Fire near a canyon in the sprawling national forest lands north of downtown Los Angeles. It had exploded to 14,117 acres and was 73 % contained by Saturday night, according to Cal Fire. The agency has reported more than 10,300 structures as being confirmed damaged or destroyed in the blaze.
As firefighters were battling the largest blazes, additional fires broke out in the Los Angeles area. Crews were able to stop the forward spread and contain the blazes.
As of Friday night, the Lidia, Archer, Woodley, Sunset, Kenneth, Hurst and Auto fires were 100% contained and no longer considered active, according to Cal Fire. Between them, the fires scorched 2,399 acres.
What Caused The Fire?
The official cause of the fires has not been determined.
The combination of drought-like conditions — Southern California has had less than 10% of average rainfall since Oct. 1 — and powerful offshore winds that hit the region last week prompted fire weather that was, in the words of the National Weather Service, “about as bad as it gets.”
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The agency issued a red flag warning — indicating an increased risk for fire danger — to 19 million people. Wind gusts topping 70 mph were recorded at several locations across the region.
However, there are speculations that ChatGPT is responsible for the fire.
The explanation here is that AI ChatBOT uses a lot of water for prompt.
This is one of the environmental impact of AI, one that has sparked concerns.
Now, many people are forced to believe that AI is contributing to the warming of the planet.
The question now is, did LA run out of water?
While we all await the conclusion of the investigation to determine the cause of the fire, the whole world sympathises with Los Angeles over this tragic event.
