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L.A. Wildfire Death Toll Hits 24 01/13 06:00
After a weekend spent blocking the explosive growth of fires that destroyed
thousands of homes and killed at least 24 people in the Los Angeles area,
firefighters got a slight break with calmer weather but cast a wary eye on a
forecast for yet more wind.
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- After a weekend spent blocking the explosive growth of
fires that destroyed thousands of homes and killed at least 24 people in the
Los Angeles area, firefighters got a slight break with calmer weather but cast
a wary eye on a forecast for yet more wind.
Should that happen, already burned homes and valleys could flare anew,
sending embers to unburned territory miles downwind. New fires could add to the
complication.
The death toll surged late Sunday with an update from the Los Angeles County
medical examiner. At least 16 people were missing, a number authorities said
was also likely to rise.
The relative calm Sunday allowed some people to return to previously
evacuated areas, however.
The National Weather Service issued red flag warnings for severe fire
conditions through Wednesday, with sustained winds of 50 mph (80 kph) and gusts
in the mountains reaching 70 mph (113 kph). The most dangerous day will be
Tuesday, warned fire behavior analyst Dennis Burns at a community meeting
Sunday night.
"It will kind of ebb and flow over the next couple days," Burns said.
"Tomorrow night, it will really ramp up."
Spotting -- new fires caused by blowing embers -- could happen as much as 2
miles (3.2 kilometers) or more downwind of areas that have already burned,
Burns said.
Despite their recent losses, stress, and uncertainty, the crowd in a
Pasadena City College gym was mostly respectful, in contrast with harsh
criticism elsewhere for Los Angeles and California leaders. Applause followed
each of the experts, police, firefighters and community leaders who spoke.
Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony C. Marrone said 70 additional water
trucks arrived to help firefighters fend off flames spread by renewed gusts.
"We are prepared for the upcoming wind event," Marrone said.
Fire retardant dropped by aircraft will act as a barrier along hillsides,
officials said.
Fierce Santa Ana winds have been largely blamed for turning the wildfires
sparked last week into infernos that leveled entire neighborhoods around the
city where there has been no significant rainfall in more than eight months.
Twelve people were missing within the Eaton Fire zone and four were missing
from the Palisades Fire, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said.
Investigators were reconciling whether some of the missing might be among the
dead but so far no children were among those reported missing, he said.
Meanwhile, the death toll rose to 24 over the weekend. Eight deaths were
attributed to the Palisades Fire and 16 to the Eaton Fire, according to the Los
Angeles County coroner's office.
The toll could rise still more as cadaver dogs conducted systematic searches
in leveled neighborhoods. Authorities established a center where people could
report the missing.
Officials also were building an online database to allow evacuated residents
to see if their homes were damaged or destroyed. In the meantime, LA city Fire
Chief Kristin Crowley urged people to stay away from scorched neighborhoods.
"There are still active fires that are burning within the Palisades area,
making it extremely, extremely dangerous for the public," Crowley said at a
Sunday morning briefing. "There's no power, there's no water, there's broken
gas lines, and we have unstable structures."
Officials warned the ash can contain lead, arsenic, asbestos and other
harmful materials.
About 150,000 people in Los Angeles County remained under evacuation orders,
with more than 700 residents taking refuge in nine shelters, Luna said.
Officials said most of the orders in the Palisades area were unlikely to be
lifted before the red flag warnings expire Wednesday evening.
"Please rest assured that first thing Thursday we will begin talking about
repopulation," Marrone said.
In all, four fires had consumed more than 62 square miles (160 square
kilometers), an area larger than San Francisco. The Palisades Fire was 11%
contained and containment on the Eaton Fire reached 27%. Those two blazes alone
accounted for 59 square miles (nearly 153 square kilometers).
Crews from California and nine other states are part of the ongoing response
that includes nearly 1,400 fire engines, 84 aircraft and more than 14,000
personnel, including newly arrived firefighters from Mexico.
Fighting to save public and private areas
After a fierce battle Saturday, firefighters managed to fight back flames in
Mandeville Canyon, home to Arnold Schwarzenegger and other celebrities near
Pacific Palisades not far from the coast, where swooping helicopters dumped
water as the blaze charged downhill.
The fire ran through chaparral-covered hillsides and also briefly threatened
to jump over Interstate 405 and into densely populated areas in the Hollywood
Hills and San Fernando Valley.
Arrests for looting
Looting continued to be a concern, with authorities reporting more arrests
as the devastation grew. Those arrested included two people who posed as
firefighters going into houses, Los Angeles Police Department Capt. Michael
Lorenz said.
With California National Guard troops on hand to guard properties, Gov.
Gavin Newsom posted on X: "California will NOT allow for looting."
Historical cost
The fires that began Tuesday just north of downtown LA had burned more than
12,000 structures. No cause for the largest fires was determined.
Early estimates suggest they could be the nation's costliest ever, as much
as $150 billion according to an AccuWeather estimate.
Inmate firefighters on the front lines
Along with crews from other states and Mexico, hundreds of inmates from
California's prison system were also helping fight the fires. Nearly 950 prison
firefighters were removing timber and brush ahead of the fires to slow their
spread, according to the California Department of Corrections and
Rehabilitation.
The practice is controversial as the inmates are paid little for dangerous
and difficult work: $10.24 each day, with more for 24-hour shifts, according to
the corrections department.
Rebuilding will be a challenge
Newsom issued an executive order Sunday aimed at fast-tracking rebuilding by
suspending some environmental regulations and ensuring that property tax
assessments were not increased.
"We've got to let people know that we have their back," he said. "We want
you to come back, rebuild, and rebuild with higher quality building standards,
more modern standards."
More than 24,000 people had registered for federal assistance made available
by a major disaster declaration by President Joe Biden, according to the White
House.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said Sunday that she had spoken with
President-elect Donald Trump's incoming administration and expected that he
would visit the city.
Leadership accused of skimping
Bass faces a critical test of her leadership during the city's greatest
crisis in decades, but allegations of leadership failures, political blame and
investigations have begun.
Newsom on Friday ordered state officials to determine why a 117
million-gallon (440 million-liter) reservoir was out of service and some
hydrants had run dry.
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