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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
World
Hilary Beaumont in Los Angeles

‘We surpassed human limits to stop this’: LA megafires show our approach to fire needs to change

a fire fighting helicopter drops water
A firefighting helicopter drops water as the Palisades fire grows near Encino in Los Angeles. Photograph: Patrick T Fallon/AFP/Getty Images

When Edward Kelly, the president of the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF), toured the wildfire destruction zones in the Pacific Palisades and Altadena neighborhoods of Los Angeles last week, he saw thousands of homes burned to the ground. “The level of devastation is apocalyptic,” he said.

Propelled by hurricane-force winds, the flames that tore through Los Angeles earlier this month left little more than ashes in their wake, destroying more than 12,000 structures and killing at least 25 people.

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