PARIS, Jan 22, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - Terrified residents caught in blazing 
neighbourhoods, influencers ignoring the ban on drones and the frightening 
unpredictability of the wildfires are just some of what journalists covering 
the fires ravaging Los Angeles for AFP have had to manage.

The United States' second-largest city has never faced a blaze of this scale, 
driven by an extreme autumn drought and fierce Santa Ana winds -- the 
strongest since 2011 -- that have turned dry hills into kindling, fuelling a 
relentless inferno that has raged for more than a week.

While the appalling destruction in Pacific Palisades and Malibu in the west -
- long the home of the rich and famous -- has made most of the headlines, 
Altadena in the east has suffered even more.

Though a lot less glamorous, it used to be seen as an affordable paradise for 
families looking for their slice of the California dream.

Photographer Josh Edelson and video reporter Gilles Clarenne were taken aback 
by the lightning pace at which the fires spread through urban areas.

"Usually it's just the media and firefighters" at the scene of these kinds of 
blazes, said Edelson, a specialist with 15 years experience covering fires 
and natural disasters.

- 'Incredibly dangerous' -

But at Altadena everything "happened so quickly, there's no way firefighters 
could have evacuated that many people... residents were just walking around 
in front of their burning homes.

"That is wild because it's incredibly dangerous for people that don't really 
know how to handle themselves in front of a fire," the photographer added.

"You had elderly people walking down the street in front of burning homes, 
and people riding around on motorcycles in the middle of an embercast. That 
was crazy... There were many thousands of people just wandering around in the 
middle of an active wildfire. It wouldn't take much for any of them to get 
hurt."

"Normally when we are covering fires they are in the mountains around Los 
Angeles," said video reporter Clarenne. The blaze may take a few houses, but 
never "an entire neighbourhood" like Altadena, he said.

Which is why the toll has been so great: 27 dead so far, 40,000 acres (16,000 
hectares) ravaged by flames, 12,000 structures and vehicles destroyed or 
damaged. Washington estimates the bill could run into tens of billions of 
dollars.

- Everyone wants a 'piece of the fire' -

Edelson has been a familiar figure at wildfires across California for more 
than a decade. The veteran photographer would never dream of going into 
affected zones without full protective gear, "the whole shebang", including a 
helmet with lamp, gloves and a shroud that covers his neck and face.

"I'm dressed exactly the same way the firefighters are. And that's imperative 
because if an ember lands in your hair, your hair's on fire. Every fire that 
I do I learn more."

Edelson also knows to keep out of firefighters' way. "I am always yielding to 
them and giving them respect. I don't go in front of them."

"I'm like a fly on the wall." 

Which is why the photographer has been appalled by the behaviour of members 
of the public, including apparent influencers and live streamers, who seemed 
to be everywhere in the entertainment capital of the world.

"Everybody wants the piece of the fire, so they can get more clicks and 
shares and likes," he said.

Some have had no compunction about stopping their cars in the middle of the 
road and blocking firefighters to get shots with their smartphones, he said.

"It's frustrating to do a good job when these things kind of work against 
us," said the photographer, who has won awards for his work on climate 
change.

- Dangerous drones -

"One of the most infuriating things is that many social media people have 
been flying drones illegally over the fires" despite flight restrictions.

"You cannot fly a drone during a fire because it endangers firefighters," 
Edelson said.

Last week a drone hit and damaged a water bomber, with the FBI trying to 
track down the owner.

Media outlets like AFP have to rent a helicopter and stick to authorised 
flyover zones -- even if that means giving up filming certain disaster areas, 
Edelson and Clarenne said.

Even so, Edelson's understanding of the way firefighters work meant that last 
week he was invited to go into the heart of a blaze for the first time with 
them at a burning middle school in Altadena.

First Edelson thought the firefighter was joking.

"A door was completely outlined in a bright orange glow. So you know there's 
fire behind it. He was like check it out. And he opens the door and it is 
just like the craziest scene -- it was like the inside of a pizza oven. I 
don't know how else to describe it."

However, the photographer did not feel particularly in danger, insisting that 
covering forest fires is more dangerous as there is often only one road to 
get out, while there are multiple possible escape routes in urban areas.

- 'Everything's got more extreme' -

The fires have, however, inflicted massive trauma and suffering on the people 
of Los Angeles. Which makes them even more difficult to cover, said Clarenne, 
whose own wife and daughter had to be briefly evacuated from their home.

Since journalists are allowed into evacuation zones, residents ask them to 
check on their homes for them.

"Sometimes it's good news, but other times it's tough because you have to 
send photos and videos of homes that have been reduced to ashes," he added.

You have to respect the pain people are feeling, insisted Edelson.

"I'm not going to force myself into a situation where people are 
uncomfortable" even if "the most emotional photos are the ones that are the 
most impactful."

"I'll usually say, 'Is it OK that I'm here. I'm really sorry you're going 
through this.' And once they give me an OK, then I feel comfortable to just 
do my thing."

One thing is clear for both Edelson and Clarenne -- the disaster has done 
away with all the old certainties about covering California fires.

"Everything's gotten more extreme and the timelines just keep breaking the 
rules," said Edelson, who has won awards for his climate reporting. "This is 
extremely rare for January -- typically, fire season starts around July and 
it usually goes until October."

"The fact is," echoed Clarenne, "that you can have fires now at any time, and 
they are more intense."

Interviews by Catherine Triomphe and Michaela Cancela-Kieffer. Edited in 
Paris by Catherine Triomphe and Fiachra Gibbons