Azerbaijani diplomatic mission reopens in Los Angeles following wildfire crisis

The Azerbaijani Consulate General in Los Angeles has resumed its operations in its building, according to a statement by Aykhan Hajizada, spokesperson for the Azerbaijani Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The Azerbaijani Consulate General in Los Angeles has been temporarily evacuated as wildfires, which began on January 7, ravaged the region, Caliber.Az reports per local media.

To recap, a series of wildfires, fanned by fierce winds and dry conditions, ravaged Los Angeles, leaving at least 29 dead and thousands of homes and buildings destroyed. The fires were the result of a combination of drought conditions and powerful winds, which have worsened fire danger across the region.

The largest of the blazes, the Palisades Fire, started in Pacific Palisades, east of Malibu, and scorched more than 23,000 acres. It was fully contained by January 12. The Eaton Fire, which ignited hours later near a canyon north of downtown Los Angeles, grew to over 14,000 acres before being contained.

Both fires have left more than 17,000 structures damaged or destroyed. Smaller fires in the area, including Lidia, Archer, and Woodley, have also been contained, although they burned 2,399 acres in total.

A significant number of injuries were reported among those who ignored evacuation orders. At one point, almost 200,000 people were under evacuation orders.

Economic damages exceed $50 billion, surpassing previous records set by the 2018 Camp Fire. The wildfires are attributed to the region's ongoing drought, which has seen less than 10% of the usual rainfall since October, combined with extreme wind gusts reaching 112 kmph.

Experts warn that such weather swings, between drought and heavy rainfall, are increasing wildfire risks in Southern California due to climate change.

By Aghakazim Guliyev