By Omar Younis, Nathan Frandino and Sandra Stojanovic
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Planes dropped water and fire retardant on steep hills to stop the eastward spread of the Palisades wildfire in Los Angeles on Saturday, as firefighters on the ground stepped up amid warnings of wind gusts of up to 70 mph (110 kph). ) which could make things worse.
In the past 24 hours, the Palisades Fire spread an additional 1,000 acres (400 hectares) and consumed more homes, authorities reported.
Six simultaneous fires that have swept through Los Angeles County neighborhoods since Tuesday have killed at least 16 people as of Saturday night, the Washington Post and other outlets reported, citing the Los Angeles County medical examiner’s office. Reuters could not immediately contact the coroner.
The fires have damaged or destroyed 12,000 structures, firefighters said. At least 13 people are estimated to be missing.
The death toll is expected to rise as firefighters are able to conduct house-to-house searches.
Cal Fire official Todd Hopkins said at a news conference that while the Palisades Fire was now 11% contained, it has burned more than 22,000 acres.
Hopkins said the Palisades Fire had spread to the Mandeville Canyon neighborhood and threatened to spread to Brentwood, an exclusive neighborhood where celebrities live and play, and the San Fernando Valley. It also inched toward the north-south 405 Freeway.
The National Weather Service warned of worsening Santa Ana winds, which it predicted would increase Saturday night into Sunday morning in Los Angeles and Ventura counties, and again Monday through Tuesday morning. the morning, bringing sustained winds up to 30 mph and wind gusts up to 70 mph.
“We are in a continuing period of critical fire weather through Wednesday,” said NWS meteorologist Rose Schoenfeld. Conditions were expected to moderate Thursday.
Evacuation orders throughout the Los Angeles area now cover 153,000 residents, putting 57,000 structures at risk. Another 166,000 residents have been warned they may have to evacuate, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said.
But significant progress was reported in returning power to Los Angeles neighborhoods. Southern California Edison CEO Steven Powell told reporters there are now about 50,000 customers without power, “compared to more than half a million just a couple of days ago.”
Powell said there was no evidence that any of Edison’s equipment caused the Hurst fire, but that the investigation was continuing.
As state and local officials grappled with the worst cluster of fires in Los Angeles history, President Joe Biden spoke by phone with some of them to get an update on their efforts. He was also informed by senior advisors about the federal resources that were being sent.
Biden’s major disaster declaration unlocked federal assistance for those affected by the wildfires, clearing the way for FEMA to provide support. Federal Emergency Management Agency officials were at the Pasadena Convention Center helping residents navigate FEMA’s requests for assistance.
Support can range from funds for home repairs to money to replace lost food or medication, FEMA spokesman Michael Hart said, adding that assistance can be provided in a matter of days.
Los Angeles Board of Supervisors Chairwoman Kathryn Barger told reporters that she had invited President-elect Donald Trump to visit the county to see the destruction firsthand.
Luna said the sheriff’s office has sent 40 search and rescue team workers to work closely with other agencies, including using cadaver dogs to search for victims’ remains and help reunite separated families.
“Los Angeles County had another night of unimaginable terror and anguish,” said Los Angeles County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath.
The fierce Santa Ana winds that fanned the infernos subsided Friday night. But the Palisades Fire on the western edge of the city was taking a new direction as winds blew in from the Pacific Ocean.
The fire has devastated entire neighborhoods, leaving smoldering ruins of what had been people’s homes and possessions.
Before the latest outbreak, firefighters had reported progress in extinguishing the Palisades Fire and the Eaton (NYSE:) Fire in the hills east of the metropolis after it was out of control for days.
In Altadena, official Don Fregulia said managing the Eaton Fire and its impact will be a “huge, herculean task” that he said will take “many weeks of work.”
The two large fires combined have consumed more than 36,000 acres (14,500 hectares), or 56 square miles (145 square kilometers), two and a half times the land area of Manhattan.
Seven neighboring states, the federal government and Canada and Mexico have sent aid and firefighters to California, bolstering aerial crews dropping water and fire retardant on burning hills and ground crews attacking fire lines with hand tools and hoses.
Authorities have declared a public health emergency due to thick, toxic smoke.
HOMES REDUCED TO ASHES
Pacific Palisades residents who ventured back to their devastated neighborhoods Friday were shocked to find brick chimneys rising above charred debris and burned vehicles as acrid smoke lingered in the air.
“This was a house I loved,” said Kelly Foster, 44, as she sifted through the rubble where her home once stood.
Foster’s 16-year-old daughter, Ada, said she tried to get in but “I just got sick. I just couldn’t even… Yeah, it’s hard.”
In Rick McGeagh’s Palisades neighborhood, only six of 60 houses survived, and all that was left standing on his ranch was a statue of the Virgin Mary.
“Everything else is ashes and rubble,” said McGeagh, 61, a commercial real estate broker who, along with his wife, raised three children in their home.
On Friday morning, hundreds of people flocked to a parking lot near the Rose Bowl stadium in Pasadena to receive donated clothing, diapers and bottled water.
Denise Doss, 63, said she was eager to return to her destroyed home in Altadena to see if anything could be saved, but officials stopped her for safety reasons.
“At least to say goodbye until we can rebuild. I’ll let God guide me,” Doss said.
BILLION IN LOSSES
Many Altadena residents said they were concerned that government resources would go to wealthier areas and that insurers could defraud those who cannot afford to challenge fire claim denials.
Beyond those who lost their homes, tens of thousands remained without power and millions of people were exposed to worse air quality as the fires spewed traces of metals, plastics and other synthetic materials.
Private forecaster AccuWeather estimated damage and economic losses at $135 billion to $150 billion, presaging a difficult recovery and skyrocketing homeowners’ insurance costs.
California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara on Friday asked insurers to suspend pending nonrenewals and cancellations that homeowners received before the fires began and extend the grace period for payments.
President Joe Biden declared the fires a major disaster and said the US government would reimburse 100% of the recovery over the next six months.
Law enforcement officials warned residents to respect curfews, amid arrests on charges of robbery, looting and possession of concealed firearms.
“If you go out and violate this curfew, you’re going to spend time in jail,” Luna warned.