By Nathan Frandino and Lisa Richwine
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Firefighters scrambled to contain the limits of two Los Angeles wildfires that burned for a sixth straight day on Sunday, taking advantage of a brief respite in dangerous conditions before strong winds were expected to fan the flames again.
At least 24 people have died in what California Governor Gavin Newsom said could be the most devastating natural disaster in US history, destroying thousands of homes and forcing 100,000 people to evacuate.
The flames have reduced entire neighborhoods to smoking ruins, leveling the homes of the rich and famous and ordinary people alike, and leaving an apocalyptic landscape. Officials said 12,300 structures have been damaged or destroyed.
“Los Angeles County had another night of unimaginable terror and anguish,” said Los Angeles County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath.
Aerial firefighters, some of them hauling water from the Pacific Ocean, dropped water and retardant while ground crews with hand tools and hoses held the line of the Palisades Fire as it encroached on the upscale Brentwood section and other populated areas of Los Angeles.
That fire on the city’s western side consumed 23,713 acres (96 square kilometers), or 37 square miles, and remained 11% contained, a figure that represents the percentage of the fire’s perimeter that firefighters have under control.
He Eaton (NYSE:) The fire in the hills east of Los Angeles burned another 14,117 acres (57 square kilometers) or 22 square miles (almost the size of Manhattan) and firefighters increased containment to 27%, up from 15% on the day former.
North of the city, the Hurst Fire was 89% contained, and three other fires that had devastated other parts of the county were now 100% contained, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) reported. , although areas within containment lines may still be on.
STRONG WINDS RETURN
Firefighters got a temporary break from the weather this weekend when Santa Ana winds, which reached hurricane force earlier in the week, finally subsided. Dry winds from the inland deserts had fanned the flames and sent embers up to 2 miles (3 km) ahead of the front lines.
But, in an area that hasn’t received notable rain since April, the National Weather Service predicted that Santa Ana winds of up to 50 to 70 miles per hour (80 to 112 kph) would resume Sunday night and last until Wednesday.
Authorities warned the entire population of Los Angeles County, of nearly 10 million people, that anyone could be ordered to evacuate the flames and toxic smoke.
As of Sunday, more than 100,000 people had been ordered to evacuate in Los Angeles County (up from a previous high of more than 150,000), while another 87,000 faced evacuation warnings.
“These winds, combined with low relative humidities and low fuel moisture levels, will keep the fire threat very high throughout Los Angeles County,” Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said at a conference. press release, adding that evacuated areas may not reopen until the red flag appears. The conditions are lifted on Thursday.
Still, schools, except for some in mandatory evacuation zones, would reopen on Monday, after closing for the Los Angeles Unified School District’s 429,000 students on Thursday and Friday, Superintendent Alberto Carvalho announced.
Newsom told NBC News that the fires would likely be the worst natural disaster in U.S. history “in terms of the costs associated with them.” Los Angeles County Doctor (TASE:) The examiner reported 24 deaths from the fires.
Private meteorologist AccuWeather has estimated the damage and economic losses between $135 billion and $150 billion.
To help accelerate the monumental rebuilding effort ahead, Newsom on Sunday signed an executive order temporarily suspending environmental regulations for destroyed homes and businesses.
Active-duty military personnel are ready to support the firefighting effort, FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell said in a series of television interviews Sunday, adding that the agency has urged residents to start applying for help in disaster cases.
Firefighters from seven states, Canada and Mexico have already gathered in the Los Angeles area to assist fire departments across the state.
HIGH ANXIETY
In Altadena, on the edge of the Eaton Fire, Tristin Perez said he never left his house, defying police orders to evacuate as the fire moved down the hill.
Instead, Pérez insisted on trying to save his property and his neighbors’ homes.
“His front yard is on fire, the palm trees are on; it looked like something out of a movie,” Perez told Reuters in an interview at the entrance to his home. “I did everything I could to stop the line and save my house, help save their houses.”
Their yellow one-story duplex survived. So did two more houses next door. Across the street, entire houses burned to the ground.
“Many of these areas still appear to have been hit by a bomb. There are live power lines, gas lines and other hazards,” said Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna.
Zuzana Korda was evacuated from her home in the Fernwood neighborhood of Topanga, northwest of Los Angeles. Speaking outside a temporary assistance office at the West Hollywood Public Library, she said her landlord told her the family home was still standing, but she was anxious.
“We’ve left everything behind. We don’t have insurance,” Korda said. “We are about to lose everything.”