This week’s wildfires in Los Angeles County have destroyed thousands of buildings and killed at least ten people, making them some of the most destructive the region has ever seen.
The Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner said that at least five individuals had died as a result of the Eaton and Palisades Fires before providing an update late Thursday night.
However, authorities have cautioned that more lives could be lost and that the conflict is far from done.
Crews were still assessing the damage, searching through wreckage and rubble to locate and identify anyone who perished in the flames, according to Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna, who spoke at a news conference on Thursday.
“At one point, we will be able to do a more thorough search of these impacted areas some of them look like a bomb was dropped in them where we will be able to bring in K-9s and other things to help us, hopefully not discover too many fatalities,” Luna stated. “We pray for that. However, we have no idea what to anticipate because this is a catastrophe. However, we’re prepared for anything.
Reporters were instructed by Luna to “be patient with us when you ask us about death toll numbers.” “Right now, frankly, we don’t know yet.”
Five fatalities have been verified by authorities thus far in the Eaton Fire in northeast Los Angeles County, which destroyed the Altadena neighborhood and forced thousands of people to evacuate their homes near Pasadena. Earlier this week, thousands of people were evacuated from the Pacific Palisades, a seaside suburb in west Los Angeles, as the wildfire rapidly grew in size.
According to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, human remains were found in the Palisades Fire area on Thursday morning after two welfare checks. Authorities have not, however, confirmed the number of people who perished in that inferno.
At least five people have perished in both wildfires, according to authorities at a news conference Thursday afternoon, despite the sheriff’s department confirming five deaths in the Eaton Fire Wednesday evening.
Both the Palisades Fire, which has destroyed over 17,200 acres, and the Eaton Fire, which is 10,600 acres in northeast LA County, have destroyed more than 1,000 buildings.
However, officials warn that as damage assessments continue, those figures might rise.
“With initial reports indicating that thousands of structures were damaged or destroyed, it is safe to say that the Palisades Fire is one of the most destructive natural disasters in the history of Los Angeles,” stated Kristin Crowley, chief of the Los Angeles Fire Department.
According to an analysis of Cal Fire records, no other wildfire in Los Angeles County has totally destroyed up to 1,000 structures since the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection began keeping track of destructive figures in 1932.
Forecasters warned of a “life-threatening and destructive” windstorm earlier this week, which is expected to be the worst to hit the area since a 2011 storm in the San Gabriel Valley of Los Angeles caused $40 million in damage. Compared to the days before, when gusts in certain areas of Southern California might reach 100 mph, winds had significantly decreased by Thursday.
However, through Friday, red flag warnings will still be in effect in Ventura and Los Angeles counties. Furthermore, the wildfires have not yet been contained.
“We continue to battle multiple major brush fires in the city of Los Angeles and across the Los Angeles region,” added Crowley.
“Today, we expect winds to subside somewhat, which will allow fire crews to increase containment lines,” added Crowley. “However, and I want to be very clear here as well, we are still under red flag warning with extreme fire behavior possibilities.”
She stated that while the Palisades Fire is still 0% contained, winds of up to 60 mph are predicted in the vicinity of the fire. Additionally, the Eaton Fire, which started Tuesday night, is still 0% contained.
“It is absolutely imperative that, as we move into Day 3 of this firestorm, all members of our Los Angeles community maintain vigilance,” Crowley stated.