The U.S. private forecasting company AccuWeather estimated that the economic and property damage from the California wildfire that is one of the worst on record, exceeds $150 billion at this early stage.
The wildfires in Los Angeles, which started on Tuesday, have claimed several lives, destroyed hundreds of buildings, and stretched firefighting teams and water supplies to their limits. Strong winds have worsened the situation, fueling the flames and making firefighting efforts more challenging.
Citing Reuters, AccuWeather has projected that the damage could range between $135 billion and $150 billion. However, if the fire spreads to densely populated areas, the estimates could go upward.
“Should a large number of additional structures be burned in the coming days, it may become the worst wildfire in modern California history based on the number of structures burned and economic loss,” said Jonathan Porter, Chief Meteorologist at AccuWeather.
CoreLogic, a property consultancy, has estimated that over 456,000 homes worth nearly $300 billion in reconstruction value are at moderate or higher risk in the Los Angeles and Riverside metropolitan regions.
However, this estimate applies to areas generally at risk and not necessarily linked to the current wildfire.
The fires, fueled by strong winds and dry vegetation after a prolonged dry spell, broke out on Tuesday and have burned more than 34,000 acres (about 53 square miles). Some neighborhoods in Los Angeles have been completely destroyed.
Wildfire smoke is more dangerous than typical air pollution, as it contains harmful gases and particulate matter that can come from burning plants, trees, buildings, and vehicles containing plastics, metals, and other chemicals.
Research has linked exposure to wildfire smoke with higher rates of heart attacks, strokes, and cardiac arrests, as well as weakened immune systems.
Experts in environmental health and medicine have raised concerns that the smoke presents a serious risk to people with pre-existing heart and lung conditions, as well as to children and the elderly.
Carlos Gould, an environmental health scientist at the University of California San Diego, noted that earlier in the week, fine particulate matter concentrations in the Los Angeles area reached hazardous levels between 40 and 100 micrograms per cubic meter. By Friday, the levels had dropped to about 20 micrograms per cubic meter.
