Shadowing Practice: Thousands told to abandon Los Angeles homes as three wildfires rip through suburbs | BBC News - Learn English Speaking with YouTube
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Firefighters in California are battling three different blazers in and around Los Angeles,
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Firefighters in California are battling three different blazers in and around Los Angeles,
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including a ferocious one that has ripped through the affluent Pacific Palisades neighborhood.
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The Palisades, which is in the hills near Santa Monica in Los Angeles,
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at least 30,000 people have been forced to evacuate.
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The pink shaded area shows the limits of how far the fire has spread.
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You can see that it's in some areas.
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It's almost reached to the coast.
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It currently covers more than 2,900 acres.
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That's almost 12 square kilometers and stretches down from mountainous areas to the beach city of Santa Monica.
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These here are live pictures from Los Angeles where over the past few hours we've seen burning cars
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and destroyed buildings as the fire swept through.
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Two more fires are also reported to be spreading in other parts of Los Angeles as strong winds spread the flames.
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one growing rapidly in the Eton Canyon near Pasadena on the city's northern edge.
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A third one is being reported from the Sillema near the Angeles National Forest.
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Local firefighters say the conditions are as bad as they get,
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with gusts of wind up to more than 100 kilometres per hour.
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The White House says President Biden is being briefed on the situation,
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whilst the governor of California has warned that fires are no longer seasonal but a year-round threat.
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Emma Vardy has the latest.
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The fire exploded at astonishing speed.
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The combination of dry conditions and strong winds causing the fire's rapid spread.
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People evacuating began to leave their cars and escape on foot.
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Emergency services eventually bulldozed some 200 abandoned vehicles to clear the roads.
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The Pacific Palisades area is home to luxury properties and celebrity homes.
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At least 30,000 residents were told to leave.
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My heart is in my throat,
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but we're okay as long as the firefighter said there's an ambulance to take us out.
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But this is like right at my doorstep.
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We've been watching these huge plumes of smoke rising and the flames flickering over the mountains behind us.
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Now people in California are used to wildfires and strong winds at this time of year,
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but this one is more unusual because of how quickly it's spread
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and the fact it's so close to a densely populated area.
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Thousands of buildings were in danger of being engulfed by flames as emergency services tried to keep people safe.
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It's not yet clear how widespread the damage is to properties,
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but some homes have been destroyed and several other fires have also been burning.
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While the strong winds continue,
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there's warnings across California that more wildfires may start.
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Emma Vardy, BBC News, Los Angeles.
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CBS reporter Jonathan Vigliotti is at the scene.
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He says firefighters are trying their best to stop the fire from spreading.
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We're here at the heart of the Pacific Palisades,
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in a neighborhood that is a total loss.
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We've got a home here.
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I'm going to flip over here.
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Another home lost.
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When we go over this way.
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Homes down this street gone.
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This one completely leveled.
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The firefighters here, they're not trying to save these structures.
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They're trying to prevent these flames from jumping to other neighborhoods.
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You see all these embers.
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In some cases, they're being carried more than a mile in advance of these source flames,
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lighting other homes on fire.
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I've been speaking to Jennifer Colby,
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a public information coordinator for the city of Pasadena,
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where mandatory evacuation orders are in place.
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In most recent updates that I've received,
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we have evacuated more than 5,000 people.
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It has significantly impacted in northeastern portion of Pasadena and surrounding areas.
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This is a unified command between Pasadena Fire,
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Los Angeles County Fire, and the Angeles National Forest.
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And on the public safety side,
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we have the Pasadena Police Department and L.A.
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County Sheriff's Department working tirelessly to maintain this.
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So it is a very active effort at this time.
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We're hearing some accounts from people on the ground there in
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parts of Los Angeles who at the moment are unsure about what they should do next.
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They can see the fire perhaps in their neighborhood and they're wondering whether they should leave their homes.
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What's your advice to them at the moment?
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Well, it's very crucial to avoid impacted areas.
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So if there is a mandatory evacuation order in your region,
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do not stay in the area and please do not come in from other areas.
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Minimize any traffic, anyone in the area.
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We do have resources in our community.
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So there is an evacuation center open in Pasadena, the Pasadena Convention Center.
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If you receive a mandatory evacuation order and you need a place to stay,
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please come to this location.
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We have parking available.
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We have boarding on site available for pets
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so we're asking everyone to use those resources that they have
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and how would you describe the emergency response
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so far at the moment we can see live pictures there
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from pasadena we see some firefighters trying to tackle the blaze
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do they have enough resources enough manpower for the challenge that they're facing we are utilizing all resources that we have
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We are absolutely working very actively on this.
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So we do have, as I mentioned,
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multiple fire units on this.
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We've also requested 50 strike teams statewide.
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And so we're putting all efforts in to make sure we address this as quickly and as effectively as we can.
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And Jennifer, over the years,
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we've seen several wildfires there in California and the wider California area.
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How would you describe the experience at the moment?
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One of our reporters on the ground said they've never seen anything like this in 20 years?
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Well, I think, you know,
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there are unique situations always in a disaster.
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But as always, it's a very unified effort.
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And we're all working together tirelessly to address this as quickly as possible.
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Well, let's hear now from our reporter from CBS reporter Nicole Comstock,
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who's in Pasadena as well.
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So just a really heartbreaking example of how blowing embers from a wildfire can absolutely destroy a neighborhood.
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We're on Delray at the corner of Woodland here in Pasadena.
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When we first got here about maybe 35-40 minutes ago,
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this home was completely destroyed.
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Now you can see across Woodland here,
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there's another home that has caught fire that's black smoke billowing off the top of it.
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So we know that's a structure burning and that those are homes right here.
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This wind is kind of blowing in all directions.
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Right now you see these embers going to the south of us here,
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but it's also blowing to the west and the east.
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We also have this condo complex that caught fire
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because embers from the home behind us were blowing in the wind across the street here.
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And now there's at least two of these big buildings here that are on fire.
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It's just so heartbreaking.
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We're seeing firefighters do have hose line pulled out in these neighborhoods,
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but they can't really do anything because the wind is basically
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laying these flames down on top of homes and condos like a blowtorch
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and Hose isn't really going to do anything against that.
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So once it goes up, that's pretty much it.
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They're they're trying to focus all of their efforts on protecting the homes.
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I think a little bit farther away from the flames where they know
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that they actually can put in the work to protect them.
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And we are also seeing firefighters that,
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you know, going through this condo complex here and just making sure that no one's still inside the properties here.
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You have to hope that everybody heard about these evacuation orders and got out a long time ago,
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because at this point in the evening,
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the flames are only picking up in intensity.
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We've seen not only the city helping people,
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but other people coming out here to help their neighbors.
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We talked to one gentleman earlier.
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He said he busted out the window on his friend's apartment complex to make sure that he could get her out.
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And he said she didn't know that the fire was burning right behind it at the time.
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So I'm sure they're probably,
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gosh, look at the flames coming off this condo right here.
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I'm sure there are other people that didn't know
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that the fire was this close to them until probably they heard the fire alarm next door and came out.
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Nicole Comstock in Pasadena there.
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While celebrities are among those fleeing the affluent Pacific Palisades neighborhood in Los Angeles.
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Schitt's Creek actor Eugene Levy lives in the area and told local media he was forced to evacuate his home.
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The smoke looked pretty black and intense over Thamescourt Canyon, he said.
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He continued, I couldn't see any flames,
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but the smoke was very dark,
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he told the Los Angeles Times.
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Elsewhere, Police Academy star Steve Guttenberg stayed to help firefighters by moving cars in order to make room for incoming fire trucks.
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He had a message for residents leaving the area telling local
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TV what's happening is people take their keys with them as if they're in a parking lot.
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This is not a parking lot.
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We really need people to move their cars.
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Other celebrities that reportedly have homes in the area include Tom Hanks,
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Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon, basketball star Cali Leonard and James Woods.
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On X, Woods described evacuating his home and said he wasn't sure if it was still standing.
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It feels like losing a loved one.
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And on Instagram, Mark Hamill,
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most famous for his role in Star Wars,
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called the blaze the most horrific fire since 93 and says he evacuated Malibu.
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So last minute, there were small fires on both sides of the road, he said.
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And a reminder, at least 30,000 people in the area under evacuation orders as the blaze worsens.
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Let's show you some of the latest pictures that we have.
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And of course, these are firefighters now on the ground.
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They're battling that flame.
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We've heard from the governor for California,
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Gavin Newsom, saying 1,400 firefighters have been deployed to combat the unprecedented fires in Los Angeles,
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with hundreds of additional staff pouring in from across the state.
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He went on to say that emergency officials,
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firefighters and first responders are all hands on deck through the night trying to see everything to protect fires.
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But we've also been hearing from a public information officer with the California Department of Forestry
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and Fire Protection saying that there is no possibility of containing the fires at the moment because of those high winds.
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And we've been hearing from the BBC Weather Center that you have wind gusts of up to 100 kilometres an hour,
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making it difficult to contain those fires and in fact,
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causing those fires to spread.
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So these are the latest pictures we have coming in from Los Angeles,
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which is a state of emergency that has been called in the city because of three major wildfires in the city.
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And we'll bring you much more on that story here on BBC News.
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About This Lesson
In this lesson, you will practice your English speaking skills through a real-world context by analyzing a recent news report about wildfires in Los Angeles. As you engage with the content, you will improve your ability to summarize events, discuss community responses in emergencies, and use descriptive language effectively. This practice will not only enhance your vocabulary but also prepare you for IELTS speaking practice by understanding how to convey urgency and emotion in language. Learning through current events helps you stay informed and increases your conversational fluency, making it easier to discuss various topics in everyday situations.
Key Vocabulary & Phrases
- Evacuate - To leave a place for safety.
- Blaze - A large and fierce fire.
- Affluent - Wealthy and having a lot of resources.
- Spread - To extend or grow in area.
- Conditions - The weather or circumstances affecting an event.
- Plumes of smoke - Tall columns of smoke rising from a fire.
- Life-threatening - Posing a risk to life.
- Property damage - Harm caused to buildings or homes.
Practice Tips
When practicing your English speaking skills with this video, consider the following tips to maximize your learning:
- 1. Shadowing Technique: Use the shadowing method by playing the video and repeating phrases immediately after the speaker. This technique helps improve pronunciation and intonation. Start by focusing on short segments, gradually increasing the length as you become more comfortable.
- 2. Match the Speed: The news broadcast may have a faster pace than regular conversation. Listen to segments multiple times, matching the tone and speed of the speaker. This will help you adapt to natural pacing in spoken English.
- 3. Emphasize Emotion: Pay attention to the emotional weight of the content. Practice speaking with the same level of urgency and concern as the news reporters. This will enhance your ability to convey feelings during IELTS speaking practice or everyday discussions.
- 4. Vocabulary Use: Apply the key vocabulary from this lesson in your own sentences. For example, describe a situation where communities had to evacuate due to a natural disaster. This will deepen your understanding of the terms while allowing for creative expression.
- 5. Discussion Practice: After shadowing, find a conversation partner to discuss the video’s content. Use your expanded vocabulary to articulate opinions and emotions about the events. Practicing with a partner will increase your confidence in speaking activities, such as those found on shadowing sites.
By incorporating these techniques, you can effectively learn English with YouTube while gaining valuable speaking practice related to current and impactful events.
What is the Shadowing Technique?
Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.
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