Good Morning Britain’s Kate Garraway declared ‘breaking news’ shortly into the show on Friday. The 57 year old presenter, alongside co-host Paul Brand, reported distressing updates as California continues to suffer from severe wildfires.
At the start of Friday’s programme, Kate announced: “Good Morning Britain, breaking news, the latest wildfire to hit Los Angeles overnight is being investigated as arson.”
She continued: “Five fires are still raging across the city, fanned by increasingly strong winds. Ten people have been killed but officials warn the death toll is set to rise.”
The wave of major blazes in California has resulted in ten fatalities, devastated communities, and forced thousands to hurriedly evacuate their homes, with several located in neighbourhoods housing celebrities. Celebs such as Paris Hilton, Billy Crystal, Cary Elwes, Ricki Lake, and Academy Award-winning lyricist Diane Warren have reported that their properties were consumed by the flames.
Firefighters are currently battling the expansive Palisades fire, pushing over 70,000 residents to leave their homes as a dense haze of smoke and ash cloaks the metropolitan skyline. A new blaze commenced in the Hollywood Hills, posing threats to the illustrious tourist locations like the Walk of Fame and Hollywood Bowl, which has conducted staff evacuations due to powerful gusts propelling sparks, potentially endangering further properties and lives, reports the Manchester Evening News.
On Thursday’s edition of Good Morning Britain, Richard Armitage, famed for his role in The Hobbit film series and with experience working in Los Angeles alongside Hollywood celebrities, opened up about the catastrophic fires. He shared on the programme: “There was a lot of texting last night, I’ve got representatives and friends and colleagues (in the area)… making sure they’re okay, but also thinking they’re busy dealing with evacuations. But it is apocalyptic. I’ve never seen it.”
In the same episode, presenters Ranvir Singh and Ed Balls connected with ITV’s showbiz correspondent Ross King, who was reporting live from Los Angeles.
King described the situation as the ‘scariest’ and ‘weirdest’ experience he’s ever had to face, revealing his own plans to evacuate his residence. Last month, Malibu residents, including celebrities like Dick Van Dyke, Cher, and Jane Seymour, were forced to flee their homes due to the wind-driven Franklin Fire, which consumed over 4,000 acres.
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