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almost 180,000 people have been ordered to leave their homes, one estimate has the damage at $50 billion. former u.s. president jimmy carter is to be laid to rest in his hometown of plains, georgia, after a state funeral earlier in washington. ♪ hello. you are very welcome to "world news america." officials in los angeles are warning the massive wildfires ravaging the city are still totally uncontained, and that people in the affected areas must be ready to leave their homes if ordered to do so. five people are confirmed to have died, in almost 180,000 have been ordered to flee their homes. two, jpmorgan chase, says the blaze is on track to cause more than $50 billion in damage which would make it twice as costly as

any previous california wildfire, and one of the costliest natural disasters in american history. authorities say the past few days have also seen looting and burglary of houses, to which residents have not returned. president joe biden is currently speaking about the matter, and he has said the federal government would pay for 100% of the firefighting needs for the next 180 days, pledging the full weight of the federal government to help contain the fires, and to help with the recovery. the city's mayor spoke a little earlier, paying tribute to emergency service personnel, and the resilience that angelenos have shown. >> my thoughts are with the thousands of angelenos who are impacted by this emergency. as more angelenos were forced to make the terrifying decision to evacuate. our priorities, of course, are to keep angelenos safe, and to protect homes. the winds continue to be of a

historic nature, and the key factor of this firestorm. for much of tuesday, the unprecedented winds prevented air operations to continue. however, as of yesterday, the winds have allowed for air operations, and that has enabled significant progress against the fires in hollywood and studio city last night. as of 7:30 this morning, evacuation orders in hollywood have been lifted. caitriona: the fires began on tuesday morning in l.a. and you can see from this time lapse just how quickly the fire spread over the course of a few hours, ripping across the surrounding area, fueled by drought and wind. if -- it continue to spread across two large swathes of los angeles county. these images from nasa show the scale of the smoke that has been blanketing from the region for the past several days. the largest fire broke out in the hills to the city's west

spreading across the area and into the neighborhood of pacific palisades. that is not the only area that has been affected. there are four other fires raging around the city. the second-largest is in the area of altadena, 14 miles, or 23 kilometers, north of downtown l.a. and that is where our correspondent, helen humphrey, is at the moment. describe to us what it is like where you are there in altadena right now. helena: we are still in an evacuation zone. 0% containment in terms of the fires. the good news, a 30 say is that at least it is not growing anymore. you can see the scale of the devastation we are seeing now. picture the scene, and keep in mind we are seeing 10,000 acres facing a similar level of devastation. this area is so stricking, clearly this bungalow had been someone's pride and joy. when you look at those beautiful

plants that they have put in place. now you have l.a. firefighters coming by, trying to put out the remainder of that smolder. the concern and the warning from authorities is we are not out of the woods yet. those santa ana winds can pick up any time, and they can fan the flames. you can see how random all of this is in this community. take a look at this bungalow, belonging to a first-time homeowner. she has not even paid her first mortgage payment yet. her house is still standing. if you look at the level of destruction across the street, this is the community she now finds herself living in. you can see clues as to what happened here in terms of that downed palm tree, when those raging winds here came through. and of course speaking to people here, they are in shock. they are very, very tiafoe see it -- tearful seeing this level of destruction.

some people coming back to this community, we were speaking to grandchildren trying to pick up the remainders of their grandmother's home. they were looking for their grandfather's ashes which she kept in a earned. this is also the contrast we are seeing here in l.a. you have those glitzy neighborhoods, of pacific palisades but you also have places like this, family homes, people's pride and joy, where there is nothing left and people are wondering how they will pick up the pieces, how they are going to rebuild, when they also know that climate exacerbated weather events like this one are getting worse. and the warning from l.a. authorities as well is to continue to be vigilant, because there could be more to come. caitriona: we can see the firefighters behind you there, they are hosing something inside that property. although the fire has passed through there, very much still areas that are on fire. helena: a great deal.

0% containment and all of those main areas right now. there is a thick smoke which really is clogging the air right now. the haze that you can see. they are having to battle the elements. the good news for now is that the wind has been dumbing down over the course of the afternoon. and that means that folks like this one can work out a ground level. but also, you can have aircraft back in the air taking water from swimming pools, from the pacific ocean, and dumping it on areas like this. when it comes to that firefighting effort, they are by no means out of the woods yet. caitriona: helena humphrey there for us in altadena. we can go to olivia victoria, a palisades santa monica resident who has had to evacuate her home. she is in palm springs now appear thinking for being with us here on abc news. i'm sure this is a very difficult time for you. you tell us about your experience of the last couple of days and deciding to leave your home? oliva: of course.

it has all been very confusing, overwhelming. i'm lucky -- i am just a renter. in the grand scheme of things, everything is fine. i went to my apartment when we realized that the fire was emerging close to where i live, and grab things that cannot be replaced, packed a bag, and went to venice, four miles down from where i live. and we decided that air quality was too bad to stay there as well. i'm here with a group of friends, we packed up our cars and headed to palm springs. again, the level of disaster is just ridiculous and i'm in such a lucky position to be a renter. i cannot imagine all of the families that have their homes, where they grew up and their childhood homes. my experience has just been nothing compared to most. caitriona: i know you say you didn't own your apartment, but do you know what has happened to

it and to other homes where you are living? olivia: we have a tracker on the fire, and as it is updated as live as it can be, you are monitoring it. and looks like it is less than one mile from our apartment currently. to be determined on what happens. we overlook the palisades, so my apartment faces the palisades. there is a valley just beneath us. hopefully the fire is not able to cross that valley. it is really all up in the air. as you were mentioning, the fires are so random. all it takes is a gust of wind to transport some of the embers. it is really just hoping that this wind dies down. caitriona: when you got that order to evacuate, what went through your mind at that point? how long did you have? what were you thinking of bringing with you? olivia: and honestly just did not seem real at all. it still doesn't. it's hard to understand the gravity of all of this.

i was looking out of my bedroom window seeing the flames, the smoke. you still think it will be taken care of and it will not escalate as much as it has. when i ultimately had to drive back to my apartment to grab my things, that's when the reality was sinking in. i grabbed things like my dad's leather jacket, and a few pictures that can't be replaced. obviously everything material can be. i'm just lucky to be safe and out here and in a car that i can continue to drive east if i need to. caitriona: you mentioned the air quality was quite bad at that first stop you made in venice beach. describe to us what it felt like. olivia: it felt like we had just been cooking in the house, and there was just a layer of a bit of smoke in the house. and all the doors are shut, the windows are shut, the air quality is just so bad right now. we have all been encouraging our friends, some who stayed, even if they are not directed by the

fire, to just leave l.a. because it is so unhealthy to be breathing that in. caitriona: olivia, we wish you well with what comes ahead, and hopefully you can get back to your apartment as soon as possible and everyone is safe there. olivia victoria, policies-santa monica resident, thanks for joining us. olivia: thank you. caitriona: you can keep up-to-date with all of the latest developments on those fires on our live page. will find all the information you need there on bbc.com/news. so do check that out. former u.s. president jimmy carter was being laid to rest today alongside his wife, rosalynn, in his hometown of planes in georgia. a private funeral service has just concluded at them around the baptist church where jimmy carter had taught sunday school for decades. the motorcade is headed from the church to the carter residence where a private gravesite ceremony will be held. the public have been invited to

pay their respects along the route. we know that plains, georgia is so precious and beloved to the late president, jimmy carter. we heard at his funeral service earlier today that he may have spent four years in the white house and four years in the governor of george's mansion, but he had spent 92 years in plains, georgia. and it was a very special place for him. earlier in the day, his casket was flown to georgia from washington, d.c. following that state funeral at the national cathedral. accompanied by his family, his casket raked in stars and stripes was carried up the cathedral steps. all five living presidents, along with leaders from around the world, and family and friends, attended the funeral of the 39th president who died last month at the age of 100. president joe biden delivered the eulogy for president carter at the request of carter himself

before his death. pres. biden: we show grace, we keep the faith, when it is most tested. for keeping the faith with the best of humankind and the best of america is a story, in my view, from my perspective, of jimmy carter's life. the story of a man, to state the obvious, you have heard today from some great eulogies, who came from a house without running water or electricity. and rose to the pentacle of power. a story of a man who was at once driven and devoted to making real the words of his savior, and the ideals of this nation. the story of a man who never let the ties of politics divert him from his mission, to serve and

shape the world. the man had character. caitriona: i have been speaking with a former president of ireland, and close friend of president jimmy carter, mary robinson. mary robinson, former president of ireland and member of the elders, thank you for being with us on bbc news. you were at the funeral service for president jimmy carter this morning. what did you make of it? we were watching here but what was it like being in the cathedral? mary: i thought it was both a very moving and exceptionally well done. as i joked, ireland does funerals well. we now, this was very well done. very heartfelt, very religious, which it should be, for a very religious, deeply believing dan. in the music was superb. each speak -- speech spoke about aspects of his life and send messages that was good to hear.

caitriona: the former president designs this service himself and selected those pastors from -- passenger -- passages from the bible. what was that message you think he was trying to deliver? fmr. pres. robinson: i think it was a message of somebody who had lived a very good, thoughtful, decent life, and who wanted the music to reflect that the strong religious messages. but also messages about human rights. about gender equality. about tackling racism. they were the tributes to him. they spoke about him very long but very full life. i knew him before he was president, so i saw a lot of thought life. caitriona: what do you think if you were to distill it down, which is difficult to one or two main points of what his legacy will be? fmr. pres. robinson: he was a much better president than he has been given credit for.

he is beginning to be revised and to be recognized, and i think what was said at the funeral today, reflected that. i felt he was an important president. first of all, he made an enormously important piece, you know, the way in which he brought them together for 13 days and he was working with them. he often spoke about that. he was a founder elder, like me, of the group that nelson mandela brought together in 2007. he was a very active elder, very engaged. he often spoke about peace in northern ireland. i went three times with him on visits to what he called the holy land, of course. israel and palestine. he clearly wanted peace for israel, which would only come about with justice for the palestinians, meaning a two state solution. caitriona: what do you think can be learned from his life now? fmr. pres. robinson: i think it is very interesting that so many people wanted to pay tribute to him. you saw the crowds, even leaving

planes and going to atlanta. i went to the capitol with a group of human rights people, i was glad to be in my group. it was very moving. i found myself in tears, i have to admit. there was something very poignant about the simplicity of it. and it was just marking somebody who had lived a very good life, a very good long life, and made a difference to so many millions. not just in the united states, all around the world. and people all around the world know the carter center, no habitat for humanity, know how he tackled disease, that he had a holistic approach to human rights. he signed the covenant on economic and social rights which the united states has never rectified. in essence, in this was emphasized today at the funeral, he was always the same man in public and in private. that was the interesting thing. he didn't change because of the audience. he was just -- i called him

president, he became elders together, now i find it hard to talk about him as president because he was jimmy carter to me. he was so humble. he was very attentive to timing. our first chair would say, we will need a 9:00 in the morning, and at 9:00 in the morning, jimmy carter would be at his place. he was still having breakfast and waving to people and talking and laughing. the two of them would look at each other, different culture. it was clear that i think president carter felt in his post life, working on behalf of the legacy of nelson mandela, whom he clearly admired hugely, he could achieve a lot with his fellow elders into really worked at it very hard. we learned a lot from him and we so appreciated the way in which

he was humble amongst us. he had security, and i loved him. that was the interesting thing. the secret service were with him, always wanted to be with him, always wanted to go on visits with him to the middle east. i went to north korea with him. to various places. he was somebody who loved ordinary people, and loved to be with them and loved to listen to them and chat with them. and that was him, public or private. throughout his life. caitriona: very good. mary robinson, former president of ireland, speaking to me a little earlier about her close friend, the late president jimmy carter. we are just looking there at images of his casket in the hurst there. it has arrived in plains, georgia at his church, a place where he taught sunday school for decades, where he was a

loyal member of the congregation. and we can see inside the church where there will be a private funeral ceremony. we saw that very public service at the national cathedral in washington this morning. this one, as we can see there, members of the congregation are already in their seats as well as some family members of jimmy carter, who have just arrived as part of the funeral court taj inside. . his own personal pastor will preside over the service there and will provide remarks on the late president's life. there will be some readings from bible passages and some of former president carter's favorite hymns as well will be delivered there as he makes his way towards his final resting place a little later on at his home in plains, georgia.

lebanon's army chief has been elected the country's knew president, ending years of deadlock. wearing a civilian suit and tie, he told lawmakers that a new phase in lebanon's history had begun. he said he would ensure only the state would have the exclusive right to bear arms. a message to lebanon's iran backed hezbollah movement to lay down its weapons. the newly elected president pledged to repair the destruction caused by israel's war with hezbollah. he also promised to push through economic and political reforms. our middle east correspondent has more now. >> election of the lebanese president today is a breakthrough for lebanon's politics after two years of no president. he has the backing of the united states, which also means there would be support for the lebanese army. this comes at a time where there has been regional changes with iran and its influence in the region has been weakened.

hezbollah has been crippled inside lebanon after the war with israel, where its leadership have been assassinated. they have been blocking and controlling the politics in lebanon, and that is not the case anymore. also in neighboring syria. the toppling of bashar al-assad's regime and now another regime that is backed by the -- by iran and his meddling in lebanese politics is out of the picture. that supports the filling in the vacuum in these elections that happen today with the lebanese and the general. there are different views here in lebanon. many people are celebrating. because that means there is no more boycotts for lebanon. there will be more regional and international support for lebanon. this is a country that is struggling with its economy and a financial crisis. it has in suffering with war with israel with many parts of

it destroyed. it means a lot to rebuild and stand up on its feet. it means also these regional players like saudi arabia may be able to give support. and finally, for the lebanese, to find a way to build in internally without one party, mainly hezbollah, blocking the political vacuum and blocking the political process. it is a country that needs to be friends again with the region and the west, to be able to get the right support to stand up on its feet. this is the right moment for it to gain the fruits of these elections today. caitriona: in his latest intervention in european politics, the tesla ceo elon musk has in the last few hours hosted a conversation on x with alice why don't come of the code of germany's far right afd party. in a message posted in december, elon musk said the traditional parties in germany have utterly failed the people.

and he said that afd is the only hope for germany. he also wrote an opinion piece in a german newspaper supporting the party. here is a clip from today's interview between musk and why don't on the topic of immigration. >> these are the officially counted. >> 7 million people? wow. >> 7 million people since 2015, officially counted. because the people, just another funny number, our state allows people to throw away their passports. before they cross our borders that are not protected and controlled. 57%, almost 60's percent of the people coming -- 60% of the people coming into our, country they throw away their papers and why do they do that? because once they enter our country, our funny country with its funny immigration policy, they cannot be deported anymore.

caitriona: before we go, let's check back in on our top story. those wildfires in los angeles. two of the five wildfires threatening the city of l.a. are still holy and contained. the firefighters say they have had some success with smaller blazes. five people have died. more than 137,000 have had to flee their homes. you can keep up-to-date with fat on our website, bbc.com/news. that's it for the moment. i am caitriona perry. thank you so much for watching "world news ame announcer: funding for presentation of this program is provided by... financial services firm, raymond james. announcer: funding was also provided by, the freeman foundation. and by judy and peter blum kovler foundation,

pursuing solutions for america's neglected needs. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ announcer: get the free pbs app now and stream the best of pbs.

geoff: good evening. i'm geoff bennett. amna: and i'm amna nawaz. on the “news hour” tonight, devastating los angeles wildfires burn thousands of homes and buildings, force residents to flee, and stretch emergency resources to their limit. geoff: former president jimmy carter's life and legacy are remembered as he's honored with a state funeral at the washington national cathedral.