Los Angeles councilwoman updates Jewish community on ‘total loss’ of wildfires

(JNS) Traci Park, Los Angeles City Councilmember for the 11th district, updated the local Jewish community on the state of the wildfires that have killed at least five and forced over 176,000 to evacuate.

“This is a total loss. The devastation is complete,” Park told attendees of a webinar organized by the Jewish Federation Los Angeles on Jan. 9. “The scenes on the ground are absolutely apocalyptic. It is a miracle that anything is still standing.”

Park joined the webinar late, connecting through her phone while speaking with California Governor Gavin Newsom, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, FEMA representatives and other officials at Zuma Beach. She was en route to the Pacific Palisades, the location of the largest wildfire that has already consumed over 16,000 acres in her district.

“We are laying the foundation for what is going to be a very, very long recovery process,” she said, adding that the National Guard is arriving in Los Angeles. “It’s going to take many months just to get the rubble out. The reality here is that we have a years-long recovery ahead.”

During her brief, Park also dispelled rumors about the fire’s lack of containment, saying that “there is some containment, but the containment is the ocean.”

Evacuation orders are still in place, she continued, addressing reports of residents looting deserted homes.

JNS has contacted Park for more information about her update to the community and what was discussed during her meeting with Newsom and Bass.