16 people dead in Palisades and Eaton fires as Los Angeles braces for more high winds, red flag weather
LOS ANGELES, Calif. (KCAL) -- Wildfires have killed at least 16 people and left behind widespread destruction in Los Angeles County this week, continuing to burn through the weekend as more strong winds and challenging weather conditions are forecasted in the days ahead.
Several blazes sparked across different parts of the broader Los Angeles area this week but the two largest, most devastating wildfires are the Eaton Fire in a northeast area of the county near Pasadena and the Palisades Fire in the coastal community of Pacific Palisades. Mandatory evacuations for more than 100,000 people remain in place for the wildfires, which started Tuesday amid a powerful windstorm that forecasters warned would be the worst the region has seen in more than a decade.
The damages
Both are now among the five most destructive fires the state of California has seen since record-keeping started in 1932, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
Houses, schools, churches, grocery stores, restaurants and beloved landmarks have been completely destroyed. Several people have been injured in the two fires which have burned more than 36,000 acres — or just over 52 square miles — in five days.
Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said during a Sunday morning news conference that 16 people have been reported missing, although it remains unclear whether all those reports are related to the wildfires. He said earlier this week that the death toll may rise, saying deputies were still searching through the wreckage with K-9 units and will "hopefully not discover too many fatalities."
"That's our prayer. But this is a crisis, and we don't know what to expect," Luna said Thursday.
"So be patient with us when you ask us about death toll numbers," he told reporters. "Right now, frankly, we don't know yet."
On Sunday, Luna also gave an update on the number of people arrested for looting and other crimes in areas affected by the fires. He said they have arrested 29 people near fire areas. Twenty-five people have been arrested in relation to the Eaton Fire and four people from the Palisades Fire.
Luna has requested additional assistance from National Guard members. He said they have been providing security in the affected areas. Sunday afternoon, California Gov. Gavin Newsom's office confirmed an additional 1,000 service members would be deployed to the Los Angeles area.
On Friday night, the Palisades Fire spread even further, making its way toward areas of west Los Angeles and the San Fernando Valley as it threatened the communities of Encino and Brentwood and triggered new evacuation orders. Meanwhile, evacuation orders and warnings remain in place in the Eaton Fire, which has destroyed widespread areas of the community of Altadena.
While firefighting efforts remain ongoing, the containment of both wildfires had risen by Sunday morning. As of 8 a.m., the Palisades Fire is estimated at 23,654 acres with 11% containment — inching upward from 8% the night before.
The Eaton Fire stands at 14,117 acres with 27% containment, marking considerable progress from just 15% Saturday night.
On Sunday, the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner confirmed 16 deaths connected to the two fires.
Local fire authorities have said more than 10,000 structures have been damaged or destroyed between the two blazes, a number which includes entire buildings and homes as well as garages, sheds and even automobile vehicles.
Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said on Sunday that the department is working on a process to allow residents in the fire areas to go online and view if their homes have been damaged or destroyed.
Weather
Forecasters have warned of weather conditions that are expected to complicate firefighting efforts in the coming days, including strong winds and red flag warnings that will remain in place throughout the beginning of the week. The strongest wind gusts are expected on Tuesday. Forecasters said the gusts are not expected to be quite as powerful as those seen earlier this week when they reached up to 100 mph in some parts of the region.
Still, the National Weather Service has warned of "elevated to critical fire weather risk" in the forecast for Saturday through Sunday and then from Monday through Wednesday next week.
Firefighters have been called in from outside the region, traveling in from Northern California, states such as Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Arizona and even outside the country from Canada and Mexico. The National Guard has been deployed to the wildfire zones while President Joe Biden announced a major disaster declaration for Los Angeles.
Quickly moving flames led to a rapidly developing situation this week when the blazes first broke out. More than two dozen cars were left abandoned on Sunset Boulevard near the Pacific Coast Highway within hours of the Palisades Fire starting. Some said firefighters told them to get out of their cars and escape the area on foot.
Some living in the Palisades said smoke and flames appeared suddenly over the community of homes along the LA coastline.
"This happened just spur of the moment," Krishan Chaudry, who lives in Pacific Palisades, said the morning the wildfire sparked. "We were just looking at the smoke, and then all of a sudden, we saw fire everywhere."
In Altadena, the Eaton Fire left many without homes as they faced a scene of devastation where schools, stores and other buildings once stood. "Everything — my kids' school, our community, our neighbors' houses. Everything is just burned down," an Altadena woman who lost her home said through tears. "Everything is gone."
"I'm trying to figure out how to tell my 3-year-old we don't have a home," she said.
The entire town of Altadena remains completely evacuated as of Saturday, the town council said in a statement.
"The Altadena Town Council is deeply saddened and heartbroken by the catastrophic damage caused by the Eaton Fire," the statement issued Saturday reads. "Our town has been forever changed by the destruction... We grieve alongside each and every one of you who has been affected by this disaster. Our schools, churches, restaurants, parks, water reservoirs, and many cherished historic buildings have been lost, some of which can never be replaced."
With reports of some fire hydrants running dry in Pacific Palisades when the fire started, and evacuation orders unfolding quickly this week, some local leaders have faced criticism. On Friday, LAFD Chief Kristin Crowley and Mayor Karen Bass refuted rumors that the chief had resigned or been fired by the mayor after it was revealed Crowley had recently warned that budget cuts were affecting emergency response efforts. She delivered the message in a memo to the fire commission board in early December.
The two officials put on a united front during a Saturday morning news conference, with Bass telling reporters that "any differences that we might have will be worked out in private."
While defending his agency's response, LA County Fire Department Chief Anthony Marrone said he made preparations before the fires broke out, taking action after forecasters warned of a "life-threatening and destructive" windstorm for the coming week.
"I did everything in my power to make sure we had enough personnel and resources before the first fire started," Marrone said. "I was the one who made the call to the state Office of Emergency Services."
"So it wasn't for a lack of preparing and decision-making that resulted in this catastrophe," Marrone said. "It was a natural disaster."
On Sunday, Bass said she has invited President-elect Donald Trump to visit affected fire areas. When asked about communication between Los Angeles leaders and the incoming presidential administration she said she has actively been speaking with high-ranking members of Trump's team.
A day before the wildfires started, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced the state would be sending down firefighters, engines, helicopters and other resources to Southern California as the region faced dire weather conditions including hurricane-force winds.
