Fire deaths rise in Los Angeles as crews try to save homes and other buildings

The death toll from the wildfires ravaging the Los Angeles area rose to 16, as crews struggled to contain the flames before potentially strong winds resumed that could push the fire toward some of the most emblematic places of the city.

Five of the deaths were attributed to the Palisades Fire and 11 to the Eaton Fire, the Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office said in a statement Saturday night.

The previous death toll confirmed before Saturday was 11, but officials said they expected that number to rise as teams with cadaver dogs conduct systematic grid searches in razed neighborhoods.

Authorities have established a center where people can report disappearances.

There were fears that winds could push fires toward the J. Paul Getty Museum and the University of California, Los Angeles, while new evacuation warnings left more homeowners in suspense.

By Saturday night, Cal Fire reported that the Palisades, Eaton, Kenneth and Hurst fires had consumed approximately 160 square kilometers (62 square miles), an area larger than San Francisco. The Palisades and Eaton fires They covered almost 153 square kilometers (59 square miles).

In a news conference broadcast online Saturday night, Michael Traum of the California Office of Emergency Services said 150,000 people in Los Angeles County were under evacuation orders, with more than 700 people sheltering in nine. hostels.

Crews from California and nine other states are part of a deployment that includes 1,354 fire trucks, 84 aircraft and more than 14,000 personnel, including firefighters recently arrived from Mexico, he said.

Cal Fire said the Palisades fire was 11% contained and the Eaton fire was 15% contained as of Saturday night, so the fight was far from over.

“Weather conditions remain critical and another round of strong winds is expected starting Monday,” Traum said.

Fighting to save public and private areas

A fierce battle occurred Saturday in Mandeville Canyon, home of Arnold Schwarzenegger and other celebrities near the Pacific coast, where helicopters dropped water as the fire moved downhill. Firefighters on the ground used hoses in an attempt to repel the leaping flames as thick smoke covered the chaparral-covered hillside.

Christian Litz, chief of operations for CalFire, said Saturday that one of the priorities was the Palisades Fire burning in the canyon area, not far from the UCLA campus.

New evacuations were ordered Friday night after the east side of the fire reignited.

The National Weather Service warned that strong Santa Ana winds could return soon. Those winds are believed to be largely responsible for turning wildfires into infernos that devastated entire neighborhoods in the city, where there has been no significant rain in more than eight months.

The fire also threatened to jump Interstate 405 and enter densely populated areas in the Hollywood Hills and the San Fernando Valley.

Historical costs

Fires that started Tuesday just north of downtown Los Angeles have burned more than 12,000 structures.

Firefighters made progress for the first time Friday afternoon on the Eaton Fire north of Pasadena, which has burned more than 7,000 structures, a term that includes homes, apartment buildings, businesses, outbuildings and vehicles. Most evacuation orders for the area had been lifted, officials said.

The cause of the larger fires has not been determined and preliminary estimates indicate that wildfires could be nation’s costliest yet. A preliminary estimate from AccuWeather put the damage and economic losses so far at between $135 billion and $150 billion.

A flood of support

Volunteers overwhelmed donation centers and some had to be sent home to places like the Santa Anita Park horse racing track, where people who lost their homes sorted through piles of donated shirts, blankets and other household goods.

Altadena resident Jose Luis Godinez said three homes occupied by more than a dozen members of his family had been destroyed. His entire family lived in those three houses, he noted, speaking in Spanish, and they had lost everything.

Officials warn people not to return

Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna warned residents not to try to return to destroyed homes to search for memories among the rubble.

“We have people driving by and trying to get in just to look. Stay away,” Luna said, urging people to respect curfews.

Authorities warned Saturday that the ash may contain lead, arsenic, asbestos and other harmful materials.

“If you’re picking it up, you’re inhaling it,” said Chris Thomas, a Unified Incident Command spokesman for the Palisades fire, who warned that the material was “toxic.”

Residents will be allowed to return with protective gear after damage assessment teams assess their properties, Thomas said.

Leaders accused of skimping

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass faced a critical test of her leadership during the city’s biggest crisis in decades, as accusations of lack of leadership, political accountability and investigations began.

Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday ordered state officials to determine why a 117 million gallon (440 million liter) reservoir was out of service and some fire hydrants had run dry.

Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristin Crowley said the city government failed her department by not providing enough money for firefighting. He also criticized the lack of water.

“When a firefighter approaches a fire hydrant, we expect there to be water,” Crowley said.

The level of devastation is striking even in a state that often faces massive wildfires. Traum, of the state Office of Emergency Services, said those affected by the fires can apply online for immediate government assistance.

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