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One World with Zain Asher

Five Dead, Nearly 2,000 Structures Destroyed As Fires Rage In L.A.; Venezuelan Opposition Protests On Eve Of Maduro's Inauguration; Aired 12-1p ET

Aired January 09, 2025 - 12:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[12:40:04]

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN Breaking News.

BIANNA GOLODRYGA, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, everyone. Live from New York, I'm Bianna Golodryga. You have been watching CNN's special coverage of the

funeral of the 39th president of the United States, Jimmy Carter.

Friends, family, and all the living presidents gathered to say goodbye to President Carter, a man who embodied the term public service.

Mr. Carter's casket is now on the way to Joint Base Andrews, about to head to his final resting place, Plains, Georgia. That's where 100 years ago,

Jimmy Carter began his extraordinary life.

We'll have more on the rest of the president's funeral throughout the afternoon for you.

But first, we are, of course, continuing to monitor the ongoing wildfires that are raging across Southern California.

At this hour, Los Angeles County is facing a fire emergency unlike any it has ever experienced before. There are now five major fires raging. Not a

single one of them is fully contained.

In all, nearly 30,000 acres or 12,000 hectares have already been burned. And at least five people have been killed as a result of the fires.

Overnight, another major fire exploded in the iconic Hollywood Hills, but the winds have died down somewhat since then, allowing the Hollywood

evacuation order to be lifted.

In the last hour, the mayor of Los Angeles updated the public on the efforts to contain the fires and urged residents to help each other.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KAREN BASS, MAYOR OF LOS ANGELES: We have pre-deployed. We are executing a strategy. And we are adapting to conditions on the ground in real time.

This is absolutely an unprecedented historic firestorm, but we are all hands on deck. We need to continue to cooperate. We need to evacuate when

asked to do so. We need to help others, help our neighbors.

And first and foremost, we need to stay united. We need to stay strong. A united L.A. is the way we will recover, is the way we rebuild our

communities.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[12:45:07]

GOLODRYGA: Satellite images show you just the enormous scale of the populated areas that are burning at this hour.

CNN's Julia Vargas Jones is at the Altadena covering the fires for us.

Julia, it's been 24 hours since we last spoke, and the fires have only grown since then. There were four yesterday, five today. Talk to us about

the unprecedented scenes, the real hellscape that we are seeing in all of the images as we've been covering these devastating fires.

JULIA VARGAS JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It is a hellscape. It is apocalyptic, Bianna.

I'll tell you, the one piece of good news that we heard and what we've had in the past 24 hours since we last spoke is that there's been a lull in the

wind that is expected to end in the coming hours. And the wind is expected to pick back up this afternoon and evening.

But the fire, Eaton Fire, that's the one that's affected this area on the east side of Los Angeles, of Altadena and Pasadena where I am, it has

stopped growing. But over 1,000 structures have been damaged, so we know that five people have died, but we're still hearing, waiting to hear for

more updates on this.

That number is expected to go up at some point. The scale of the destruction, I mean, we are on -- we're in a city here, Bianna. This is --

it is not the woods. It's not really a wildfire. I mean, it started as a wildfire, but this has now really, as the fire subsides, we can see the

scale of this destruction and start to understand what is it that has been done to these towns.

Almost 180,000 people have been affected by these evacuation orders, 215,000 people are without power. Some of that, almost half, is actually

intentional because authorities are so scared that if there is power going through these wires, that we see so many downed poles that could spark even

more fires.

And I'll go back to the winds issue, Bianna, because that is so, so important. With the slow in the wind, there have been able to be

helicopters up in the air helping fight the spread of these fires. We're still at zero percent containment, by the way. That hasn't changed.

But having the help coming from the air has been vital for firefighters. There are about 750 firefighters that are here in Altadena trying to fight

these fires and making some really difficult choices of going from spot to spot, figuring out what is it that they can save and what is it that's just

too late to try and save.

I'll leave you with this. There's been some issues with water as well. We've heard from residents that some of the fire hydrants are just not

working. This is partially is anecdotal. There aren't widespread issues with water, but there's been a lot of debate. And we're hearing from people

that -- and authorities, just earlier today, that it's just not built, the structure here is just not built to withstand this kind of damage. And

there's just so much water that's needed to fight these fires that they're just hitting a wall here, but they're still working tirelessly.

And the good news is that the fire here, Eaton Fire, has stopped growing for now. Now we have to see if that will hold, Bianna, overnight.

GOLODRYGA: Yes. I mean, as you know, the infrastructure just isn't prepared. As many wildfires as we've been covering and have been

experienced in that part of the country, they've never seen something to this scale and magnitude.

The equivalent, it's unbelievable, of 20,000 football fields have thus far been burned. And as you said, none of them really fully contained at this

point.

Julia Vargas Jones, thank you so much.

With the very latest on the firefighting efforts, I'm joined by L.A. County Fire Department Section Chief, Kenichi Haskett. Chief Haskett, thank you so

much for taking the time to join us.

Talk to us right now about the resources needed most for the fire departments as they are continuing to battle. Yesterday, it was four. Now,

there are five fires. Thankfully, the winds have died down, but the battle to put these fires out is still ongoing.

KENICHI HASKETT, L.A. COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT SECTION CHIEF: The weather -- can you guys hear me OK?

GOLODRYGA: I can, yes.

HASKETT: I'm at the (INAUDIBLE).

GOLODRYGA: Yes, I can hear you.

HASKETT: Currently for the Palisades Fire were over -- currently at the Palisades Fire were over 17,000 acres. Luckily, we have over 2,300

firefighters on scene.

Today, the morning, we're getting a good handle on at least the weather is cooperating with us. We're expecting some gusts this afternoon to hit 60

miles an hour, per the National Weather Service.

[12:50:04]

But what we need more than anything is when we issue an evacuation order or warning, we need people under an order to leave when we issue that order.

Under a warning, we need you to be ready to go. That means your car needs to be packed, needs to be out of your garage. And then when we issue that

order, you can leave.

If you don't feel safe under a warning, please leave. Unfortunately, we're battling a lot of wildland fires in Los Angeles and Los Angeles County

specifically. We need people to help us help them.

GOLODRYGA: Yes. Lives unnecessarily put at risk with these first responders out there battling these fires if people do not heed these warnings and

find themselves vulnerable to these fast-moving fires.

Let me ask you quickly, as we know there are five fires currently. Confirm with us if you will, none of them are contained. Give us a percentage as to

where things stand now with these fires.

HASKETT: We're not out of the woods yet. Unfortunately, the Palisades Fire, we are still at zero percent containment.

Our goal is to get through the mutual aid system. We have firefighters coming not only from all throughout the states, we have firefighters

joining us from our bordering states to help us battle these wildland fires.

But more than anything, we -- I urge your viewers to visit readysetgo.gov and be ready, at least through that order or that warning to leave.

Under an order, you should leave. Under warning, you should be ready to go. If not, already getting ready to leave.

GOLODRYGA: Chief Haskett, we appreciate your time. Grateful for the work that you and all of the other first responders are enduring right now. No

doubt saving many, many, many lives. L.A. County Fire Department Section Chief Kenichi Haskett, thank you.

And we'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GOLODRYGA: Well, demonstrations are currently underway in Caracas, ahead of Friday's inauguration of Venezuelan President, Nicolas Maduro.

Against the strongman leader's third term and their plan elsewhere as well, as protests in the United States government and opposition politicians have

been among those to dispute Maduro's election victory last July.

And we're joined now from Bogota by journalist Stefano Pozzebon. And, Stefano, I understand that these protests are peaceful and orderly, but we

do see the numbers of those that have turned out seeking justice in what they view is an unjust, unfair inauguration.

STEFANO POZZEBON, JOURNALIST: Yes, Bianna, it's almost as if all the tension that has been stemming since that controversial election on July 28

is coming to a boiling point and reaching today in Caracas.

There are multiple fronts colliding on the Venezuelan capital. In the streets of Caracas, just like you said, we're seeing increasing numbers of

opposition supporters taking to the streets once again to demand the immediate removal of the president, Nicolas Maduro, and demanding the

respect of what they say was a victory from their opposition candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez.

[12:55:16]

It's the first time they were seeing these numbers since early in August. And we're seeing these protests, which have been peaceful and orderly,

despite levels of repression and intimidation over the last few days that we have not seen in quite some time.

But there's also another front that is coming to Caracas, which is Edmundo himself, who is in the Dominican Republic as we speak. He is participating

in an act. And he is adamant that he intends to travel to Venezuela in the next few hours to, he says, take office and begin his term as the

legitimate president.

And so there are these two different sides. And we're seeing that in the next few hours, this situation could really, really escalate in the

Venezuelan capital, especially if Edmundo Gonzalez indeed tries to reach his country. Bianna?

GOLODRYGA: And you'll be monitoring it all for us from neighboring Colombia. Thank you so much, Stefano Pozzebon. We appreciate it.

And that does it for this hour of ONE WORLD. I'm Bianna Golodryga. Thank you so much for watching. "AMANPOUR" is up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:00:00]

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