The Los Angeles wildfires have forced thousands of people to evacuate and forced video game studios to temporarily close down to keep their employees safe.
The trio of wildfires overwhelmed LA County firefighters on Tuesday and have continued to spread across thousands of acres in the region.
These include the Pacific Palisades neighborhood, which is near Santa Monica, where Activision Blizzard, Riot Games, and other video game studios have offices.
Los Angeles Fires
A spokesperson for Activision said that their top priority was employee safety and well-being amid this troubling time.
They added that they were actively monitoring the situation and had already been in contact with workers in the area to confirm their safety. They also plan to provide resources to help them out.
The Palisades Fire has spread across more than 15,000 acres, while the Hurst Fire in the San Fernando Valley has grown to more than 500 acres in size.
Lastly, the Eaton Fire has spread to more than 10,000 acres to the east of Burbank, where Insomniac Games is based, according to PCGamer.
Senior writer Nick Folkman from Insomniac Games said on Tuesday that they were sitting at his office desk in Burbank.
It was next to a balcony, and the wind outside sounded like what you would hear when you were near the ocean and heard waves crashing against the beach.
There were reports that at least two people have died amid the LA wildfires, and more than 1,000 buildings have been razed. The fires have spread rapidly and erratically due to wind gusts of up to 100 mph.
Rapid Spread of Wildfires
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) said that they are still investigating the cause of the fires. However, officials warned that powerful Santa Ana winds are most likely driving their quick spread across the region, USA Today said.
In an update, Cal Fire said that the mixture of low humidity, dry fuels, and shifting winds increased the chances of spot fires and rapid expansion.
The National Weather Service had already issued its highest alert for extreme fire conditions in the majority of Los Angeles County even before the fires started.
On Wednesday afternoon, the death toll related to the LA wildfires grew to five as authorities continued to try and get the situation under control. It was reported that all of the deaths happened in and around Altadena and Pasadena, according to Forbes.
