#BreakingNews Devastating Fires in Los Angeles, Leave 5 Dead, Destroying Corpus Christi Catholic Church and Over 1,000 Buildings - Please Pray!

A windstorm in Los Angeles, California, U.S.A., on January 7, 2025, ignited devastating wildfires. The fires ripped across the Los Angeles area with force on January 8th which led to last minute evacuations for residents from burning homes through flames, and toxic clouds of smoke. 150,000 people were forced to leave their homes.
 Corpus Christi Catholic Church in Pacific Palisades appeared to be destroyed and more than 60 Catholic schools were closed as several major fires in the Los Angeles area burned overnight.

Angelus News, reported that the church that was destroyed, Corpus Christi, is located in the heart of Pacific Palisades, an wealthy neighborhood between Santa Monica and Malibu. It was built in the 1950s and has been home to several Hollywood celebrities, sports stars and other famous people.

In addition, at least 65 Catholic schools were closed that morning as a result of several fires burning in the Los Angeles area.
Catholic school superintendent Paul Escala told Angelus News that his department was weighing several factors when deciding which schools should close due to the fires, including proximity to fire, poor air quality and wind damage, staffing challenges and nearby power outages.
“We did not call for a systemwide closure because the area of our district is enormous,” encompassing three counties, Escala said. In some communities where the impact of the fires was less, “the safest place for kids to be during this kind of emergency is school,” explained Escala. “School provides the kind of routine and consistency in care that children need during moments of crisis and trauma,” he said. Escala’s department has asked schools that remained in session Wednesday to avoid outdoor activities in areas with poor air quality and to consider canceling after-school programs.
At least 16,000 acres had burned and an estimated 1,000 structures — most of them homes — had been destroyed, according to news reports.
“Please keep praying for all those suffering in the wildfires sweeping through Southern California,” Los Angeles Archbishop José H. Gomez wrote on social media. “My heart goes out to our neighbors who have lost their homes and livelihoods. Let’s pray for them and let’s pray for our firefighters and first responders. May God keep all of our brothers and sisters safe and bring an end to these fires.”
LA County Fire Chief Anthony C. Marrone said at a news conference that all the fires remained at zero percent containment. He said 29 separate fire departments in LA County are battling the fires. He expressed gratitude “for our first responders, our boots on the ground,” who “will remain on the frontline until we reach full containment, and we ask that you keep all of Los Angeles County in your thoughts and prayers.”

Sources: https://www.firstpost.com/world/united-states/death-toll-in-la-wildfires-rises-to-5-as-speed-of-multiple-blazes-overwhelms-firefighters-13851145.html

https://angelusnews.com/local/la-catholics/corpus-christi-fire/