The massive wildfires that have engulfed entire neighborhoods in Los Angeles remain completely uncontained. U.S. National Guard soldiers are standing by to help quell the unrest.
Entire areas of the second largest city in the United States lie in ruins, with smoke blanketing the sky and a pungent smell permeating nearly every building.
The massive firefighting operation continues into a third day, backed by helicopters dropping water thanks to a temporary lull in the winds.
Amid the chaos, looting and numerous arrests are rampant.
"The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department has formally requested the support of the California National Guard for both fires," Sheriff Robert Luna said.
"Over the past 24 hours, we have had approximately 400 National Guard members statewide ready to support us. We anticipate they could be on the ground as early as tonight," he added, specifying that Governor Gavin Newsom has approved the request.
Luna indicated that his officers are patrolling the evacuation zones and will arrest anyone who should not be there. | BGNES
