California Fires
The greater Los Angeles wildfires continue to bring devastation.
The death toll has surpassed 16 and is expected to rise; at least 13 people are missing. The Palisades Fire—spanning over 22,600 acres—is 11% contained, while the Eaton Fire northeast of Los Angeles—covering 14,100 acres—is 27% contained.
Over the weekend, shifting winds pushed the Palisades Fire inland toward the San Fernando Valley, forcing additional evacuations. Over 200,000 people have been displaced, and more than 12,300 structures, including some historic landmarks, have been destroyed. With strong winds continuing this week, 8 million people remain in the critical fire risk zone.
Investigators are looking into the fires’ causes, and a newly formed regional task force led by the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) is working to determine a connection between the blazes.
(We’re also covering this story on Thursday in Decaf, The Pour Over for Families. Sign up—for free—here.)
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RADIATE HOPE
Massive natural disasters remind us that all of the world has been broken by sin. But Christians can look forward to an eternity where there’s redemption not just for people but for creation itself.
“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. I also saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God… Then the one seated on the throne said, ‘Look, I am making everything new.’”
Revelation 21:1-2, 5 (CSB) (read full passage)