Los Angeles County has had at least 11 fatalities and extensive damage from wildfires this week; the fires are still burning Friday as more severe winds and difficult weather are predicted for the coming days.
This week, a number of fires broke out in various locations throughout the greater Los Angeles region, but the two biggest and most destructive wildfires are the Palisades Fire in the coastal city of Pacific Palisades and the Eaton Fire in the northeastern portion of the county close to Pasadena. More than 100,000 people are still have to evacuate due to the flames, which began Tuesday in the midst of a strong windstorm that forecasters said would be the worst the area has seen in over ten years.
Currently, both flames rank among the top five most damaging that California has experienced since records began to be kept in 1932.
Here is a map that displays the most recent evacuation orders and advisories in Los Angeles County in real time.
Houses, restaurants, grocery stores, churches, schools, and well-known landmarks have all been totally demolished. Within four days, two fires have burned approximately 36,000 acres, or little more than 52 square miles, injuring numerous people.
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At a news conference on Saturday morning, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna reported that 13 persons were missing, however it’s still unclear if all of those reports were connected to the flames. Earlier this week, he warned that the death toll would increase, adding that deputies were still using K-9 units to explore the debris and “hopefully not discover too many fatalities.”
“We pray for that. However, we don’t know what to anticipate because this is a catastrophe,” Luna stated.
He advised reporters to “be patient with us when you ask us about death toll numbers.” “Right now, frankly, we don’t know yet.”
The Palisades Fire threatened the towns of Encino and Brentwood on Friday night, and new evacuation orders were issued as it continued to spread, moving toward parts of the San Fernando Valley and west Los Angeles. In the meantime, the Eaton Fire, which has devastated large swaths of the Altadena town, is still causing evacuation orders and warnings.
By Saturday morning, both wildfires had been contained, though firefighting activities are still ongoing. The Palisades Fire is estimated to be 22,661 acres as of 9:30 a.m., with 11% containment, up from 8% the previous evening.
From 3% the night before to 14,117 acres with 15% containment, the Eaton Fire has made significant progress.
Strong winds and red flag warnings that may last through the weekend are among the weather conditions that forecasters and fire authorities have warned will make combating fires more difficult in the days ahead. The predicted gusts won’t be quite as strong as those that occurred earlier this week, when they hit 100 mph in certain areas of the area.
However, the National Weather Service states that there is “elevated to critical fire weather risk” for Saturday through Sunday and Monday through Wednesday of the next week.
Firefighters from outside the area have been called in; personnel have traveled from Northern California, as well as from states like Nevada, Oregon, Washington, and Arizona, as well as from Canada and Mexico. President Joe Biden declared a major disaster for Los Angeles, and the National Guard was sent to the burning areas.
When the fires started this week, the situation quickly deteriorated due to swiftly spreading flames. At the beginning of the Palisades Fire, almost two dozen cars were abandoned on Sunset Boulevard close to the Pacific Coast Highway. As they attempted to leave the area, others reported that firefighters told them to exit their vehicles and leave.
Locals reported that smoke and flames quickly appeared over the neighborhood of houses near the coast.
Pacific Palisades resident Krishan Chaudry stated, “This happened just spur of the moment,” the morning the wildfire broke out. “We were just looking at the smoke, and then all of a sudden, we saw fire everywhere.”
The Eaton Fire destroyed schools, shops, and other structures in Altadena, leaving many residents without a place to live. “Everything, including our neighborhood, my children’s school, and the homes of our neighbors.” This Monday, an Altadena woman who lost her house sobbed as she remarked, “Everything is just burned down.” “Everything is gone.”
“I’m trying to figure out how to tell my 3-year-old we don’t have a home,” she stated.
Between the two fires, almost 10,000 buildings have been completely destroyed, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. While search operations continue, authorities have cautioned that the number of fatalities could increase.
several emergency response tactics have come under scrutiny since evacuation orders were issued swiftly this week and several firehydrants in the Pacific Palisades were running dry when the fire started. After it was disclosed that LAFD Chief Kristin Crowley had recently alerted Mayor Karen Bass that budget cuts were harming emergency response efforts, the two denied rumors on Friday that the chief had quit or been fired by the mayor. Early in December, she sent Bass a memo with the information.
During a press conference on Saturday morning, Bass assured reporters that “any differences that we might have will be worked out in private but right now our first priority” is still managing the wildfires. The two officials presented a united face.
LA County Fire Department Chief Anthony Marrone defended his agency’s response, saying he took action after forecasts warned of a “life-threatening and destructive” windstorm for the upcoming week and made preparations before the flames started Tuesday.
“I did everything in my power to make sure we had enough personnel and resources before the first fire started,” Marrone stated. “I was the one who made the call to the state Office of Emergency Services.”
Governor Gavin Newsom said the state will be sending down firefighters, engines, helicopters, and other resources to Southern California a day before the flames broke out because the area was experiencing severe wildfire weather, including hurricane-force winds.
“So it wasn’t for a lack of preparing and decision-making that resulted in this catastrophe,” Marrone stated. “It was a natural disaster.”