The Fires ravaging the Los Angeles area have claimed the lives of at least 24 people, displaced thousands of residents and destroyed more than 12,000 structures as they burned across an area larger than the city of San Francisco.
The fires began last Tuesday, fueled by intense Santa Ana winds that, according to meteorologists, are expected to persist until at least mid-week. The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) reported that the Palisades, Eaton, Kenneth and Hurst fires had consumed about 160 square kilometers (62 square miles).
Five deaths are attributed to the Palisades fire, on the coast, while the Eaton fire left 11 dead, the Los Angeles County medical examiner’s office reported. At least 16 people remained missing, and authorities indicated that the number is expected to increase.
Although the cause of the fires has not yet been determined, preliminary estimates indicate that they could be the costliest in the nation’s history. According to the first calculations by AccuWeather, the damages and economic losses would be between 135,000 and 150,000 million dollars.
Here’s a closer look at what you need to know about the fires.
Thousands of people are still evacuated or without power
The flames have endangered and consumed several densely populated neighborhoods over the past week, including Pacific Palisades and Altadena, among others.
The evacuation orders covered some 150,000 people, more than 700 of whom have taken shelter in nine shelters. Officials indicated Sunday that most of these orders likely will not be lifted until red flag warnings for high winds expire Wednesday night.
Cal Fire reported the Palisades fire was 11% contained Sunday, while the Eaton fire was 27% contained.
The Kenneth fire, which originated near West Hills in the San Fernando Valley, was fully contained Sunday morning, while the Hurst fire was 89% under control.
As of Sunday morning, there were about 70,000 customers without power statewide, more than half of them in Los Angeles County, according to PowerOutage.us, the website that tracks nationwide outages.
Sewer, water and power infrastructure in the region has suffered significant damage, officials reported.
The National Weather Service warned that strong Santa Ana winds could return soon and issued red flag warnings for severe fire conditions through Wednesday. Strong winds are largely credited with turning the wildfires into an inferno that has consumed entire neighborhoods around a city that has not seen significant rain in more than eight months.
Thousands of people have fled and many residents lost their homes, including celebrities such as Billy Crystal, Mandy Moore and Los Angeles Lakers coach JJ Redick.
Not just iconic places and celebrity homes
While the fires have reduced several celebrity mansions and movie landmarks to ashes, they also destroyed a community in Altadena for generations of Black families who avoided discriminatory real estate practices elsewhere. These sites have been racially and economically diverse communities, where many of the residents own their own homes.
The fires have destroyed several temples, including a mosque, a synagogue, a Catholic parish and half a dozen Protestant churches.
The causes are being investigated
The causes of the fires have not yet been determined.
Lightning strikes are the most common cause of fires in the United States, according to the National Fire Protection Association, but researchers were quick to rule out this possibility. There were no reports of lightning strikes in the Palisades area or the area around the Eaton Fire, which originated in eastern Los Angeles County.
The next two most common causes are intentional or spark fires in utility wiring.
Several events have been canceled and postponed
The Critics Choice Awards rescheduled its Sunday ceremony in Santa Monica for January 26.
The organization that organizes the Oscars extended the voting window for Academy Awards nominations and delayed the nominations announcement, which was planned for next week.
The NFL moved the postseason wild-card round game between the Los Angeles Rams and Minnesota Vikings to Arizona because of the fires. The game will take place on Monday night. Additionally, the NBA postponed the game between the Lakers and the Hornets.
NBA games are scheduled to return to Los Angeles on Monday night, when the Clippers host the Miami Heat and the Lakers host the San Antonio Spurs. It will be the Clippers’ first game in five days after their home game against Charlotte on Saturday was postponed.
Accusations of government failures increase
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass faces a critical test of her stewardship during the biggest crisis the city has faced in decades, but accusations of leadership failures, political blame and investigations have already begun.
California Governor Gavin Newsom on Friday ordered state authorities to determine why a 117 million gallon (440 million liter) reservoir was out of operation and some hydrants had run out of water.
Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristin Crowley said the city government failed her department by not making enough funds available to fight fires. He also criticized the lack of water.
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