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國際時事跟讀 Ep.K931: Deadly Wildfires Ravage Los Angeles as Climate Crisis Intensifies

Highlights 主題摘要：

• The Los Angeles wildfires have caused unprecedented damage, claiming 25 lives and potentially becoming America's costliest fire disaster at $150 billion.
• Poor weather conditions, including strong Santa Ana winds and extremely dry weather, have created perfect conditions for fires to spread rapidly.
• Infrastructure problems like empty water reservoirs and failing hydrants, combined with climate change effects, highlight serious emergency preparedness issues.

Los Angeles faces an unprecedented wildfire emergency that has claimed 25 lives and wreaked havoc across the metropolitan area. The devastating blazes have consumed thousands of structures in what experts predict could become the costliest fire disaster in United States history, with damage estimates soaring to $150 billion. The crisis has pushed emergency services to their limits and exposed critical vulnerabilities in the city's disaster preparedness.

洛杉磯正面臨前所未見的野火災情，已造成 25 人喪生，並在都會區造成嚴重破壞。這場毀滅性大火吞噬了數千棟建築物，專家預測這可能成為美國歷史上代價最高的火災，損失估計高達 1,500 億美元。這場危機已將緊急救災系統推至極限，並暴露出該市災害應變準備的重大漏洞。

The Palisades and Eaton fires remain the primary concerns for firefighting teams. The Palisades fire, having consumed over 23,000 acres, threatens the prestigious Brentwood neighborhood and the world-renowned Getty Center art museum. Despite being smaller, the Eaton fire has proven more lethal, responsible for 16 fatalities. The destruction's scope is staggering, with more than 12,000 structures reduced to ashes, including the homes of celebrities Mel Gibson and Paris Hilton. Tens of thousands of residents now face power outages, adding to the crisis's complexity.

帕利塞茲和伊頓野火仍是消防隊伍的主要關注點。帕利塞茲野火已燒毀超過 23,000 英畝土地，威脅到高級住宅區布倫特伍德和世界知名的蓋蒂中心美術博物館（Getty Center）。雖然規模較小，但伊頓野火造成更多傷亡，已奪走 16 條人命。野火的破壞規模令人震驚，超過 12,000 棟建築物化為灰燼，包括名人梅爾・吉勃遜和派瑞絲・希爾頓的豪宅。數萬居民面臨停電問題，使危機更加複雜。

The fires' rapid spread has been fueled by a perfect storm of environmental conditions. Downtown Los Angeles has received a mere 0.16 inches of rain since October, creating exceptionally dry conditions. When combined with the powerful Santa Ana winds, these conditions have created an ideal environment for fire propagation. The National Weather Service maintains red flag warnings across affected areas, indicating continued high fire danger. The forecast of strong winds through Wednesday has raised concerns about potential new blazes and challenges to existing containment efforts.

野火快速蔓延是由於環境條件形成的完美風暴。洛杉磯市中心自十月以來僅有 0.16 英吋降雨量，造成極度乾燥的狀況。加上強勁的聖塔安那風，這些條件營造出火勢擴散的理想環境。國家氣象局在受影響地區持續發布紅色警戒，表示火災危險持續存在。預報顯示強風將持續至週三，引發人們對新火勢和現有火場控制的擔憂。

The emergency response has encountered significant obstacles, prompting serious questions about the city's preparedness. A controversial discovery revealed that some fire hydrants lost water pressure during critical moments, and the Santa Ynez Reservoir was empty for maintenance when the fires began. California Governor Gavin Newsom has called for an independent investigation into these infrastructure failures. Climate experts point to the region's recent "whiplash" weather patterns - extreme shifts between wet and dry periods - as a major contributing factor. This climate volatility has created abundant dry vegetation, perfect kindling for wildfires. As Los Angeles residents prepare for what could be an extended period of fire activity, authorities are simultaneously fighting the current blazes while planning an extensive rebuilding effort. The crisis serves as a stark reminder of climate change's intensifying impact on urban areas and the urgent need for improved disaster preparedness in an era of extreme weather events.

緊急應變遭遇重大障礙，引發對該市準備工作的嚴重質疑。一項爭議性發現顯示，部分消防栓在關鍵時刻失去水壓，且聖伊內斯水庫在火災發生時正進行維修而處於空置狀態。加州州長葛文・紐森已要求對這些基礎設施失靈展開獨立調查。氣候專家指出，該地區近期的「劇烈波動」天氣模式－在極端潮濕和乾燥期間的劇烈轉換－是一個重要因素。這種氣候波動造就了大量乾燥植被，成為野火的完美起火燃料。隨著洛杉磯居民為可能延長的火災活動期做準備，當局在撲滅現有火勢的同時，也在規劃大規模的重建工作。這場危機明確提醒我們氣候變遷對城市地區的加劇影響，以及在極端天氣事件頻發的時代，迫切需要改善災害應變措施。

Keyword Drills 關鍵字：

1. Vulnerabilities (Vul-ner-a-bil-i-ties) [noun. weak points or problems that can be easily attacked or damaged]: The crisis has exposed critical vulnerabilities in the city's disaster preparedness.
2. Neighborhood (Neigh-bor-hood) [noun. an area where people live that is near your home]: The Palisades fire threatens the prestigious Brentwood neighborhood and the world-renowned Getty Center art museum.
3. Propagation (Prop-a-ga-tion) [noun. the way something spreads or moves forward]: When combined with the powerful Santa Ana winds, these conditions have created an ideal environment for fire propagation.
4. Containment (Con-tain-ment) [noun. keeping something under control or within limits]: The forecast of strong winds through Wednesday has raised concerns about challenges to existing containment efforts.
5. Infrastructure (In-fra-struc-ture) [noun. basic systems like roads, buildings, and power supplies that a place needs to work properly]: California Governor Gavin Newsom has called for an independent investigation into these infrastructure failures.

Reference article:

1. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/clyxypryrnko

2. https://apnews.com/article/los-angeles-wildfires-southern-california-212389bfba69f39baaf72579f1644ddd