According to the Los Angeles Medical Examiner, the number of fatalities that have been attributed to the wildfires in California has reached sixteen.
Crews are working hard to put out the fires that are spreading throughout the city before the winds regain their strength, which might cause the flames to move closer to some of the city’s most well-known landmarks.
According to the office of the medical examiner, five of the deaths occurred as a result of the Palisades Fire, while eleven people lost their lives as a result of the Eaton Fire.
In neighborhoods that have been ordered to evacuate due to the Palisades and Eaton wildfires, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department has established a curfew that will be in effect from six o’clock at night until six o’clock in the morning, local time.
“Law enforcement will strictly enforce this curfew for your protection and to allow emergency personnel to work effectively,” the department stated. “Your safety is always our priority.”
The previous number of verified fatalities prior to Saturday was eleven, but officials stated that they anticipated that number to increase as teams with cadaver dogs do methodical grid searches in neighborhoods that have been devastated. A central location has been established by the authorities for individuals to report missing persons. Additionally, additional evacuation warnings caused an increase in the number of residents who were on edge. There were concerns that winds could drive the fires near the J. Paul Getty Museum and the University of California, Los Angeles.
It was reported by Cal Fire that the Palisades, Eaton, Kenneth, and Hurst fires had burned around 62 square miles by the time Saturday evening rolled around. This is an area that is larger than San Francisco. For a total area of 59 square miles, the Palisades and Eaton fires were responsible.
It is anticipated that at least 37,000 acres have been destroyed by the fire.
Michael Traum, who works for the California Office of Emergency Services, stated in a briefing that was published online on Saturday evening that there were 150,000 individuals in Los Angeles County who were under evacuation orders, and that more than 700 people were seeking safety in nine shelters.
A total of 1,354 fire engines, 84 aircraft, and more than 14,000 workers are currently participating in the ongoing response, which includes newly arrived firefighters from Mexico, according to him. Crews from California and nine other states are also currently participating.
On Saturday night, Cal Fire reported that the Palisades Fire was eleven percent contained, while the Eaton Fire was fifteen percent contained. This indicates that the struggle is going to continue.
“Weather conditions are still critical and another round of strong winds is expected starting Monday,” Traum stated.
As of Saturday, residents of the unincorporated neighborhood of Altadena were still unable to access their homes because of the Eaton Fire.
For the following locations within the City of La Canada Flintridge, the department changed the evacuation orders to evacuation warnings: north of Knight Way, Gould Canyon Trail and east of Oakwood Avenue, Angeles Crest Highway at the curve to Gould Mesa Road and Starlight Crest Drive, and the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory. All of these locations are located within the city limits.
“An Evacuation Order is mandatory: you shall leave immediately due to imminent danger (e.g., wildfire or flood). Ignoring this puts lives at risk and may interfere with emergency efforts,” the department wrote on X. “An Evacuation Warning is a precaution: be prepared to evacuate if conditions worsen. While not mandatory, it’s strongly advised to get ready to leave for your safety. These decisions are made solely to protect lives.”
According to the department, orders were lifted for other areas that are located within the boundaries of the City of La Canada Flintridge.
These areas include all residences that are located within the city limits and extend from Angeles Crest Highway east to Oakwood Avenue, north of Angeles Crest Highway at the curve west to Haskel Street, north of Foothill Boulevard to Knight Way and the intersection of Gould Canyon Trail at Crown Avenue, and east to Varo Road.
Additionally, the department made the announcement that towns that were affected by the Eaton Fire would begin to re-populate at three o’clock on Friday afternoon local time.
For the citizens of the City of Bradbury and the Bradbury estates, as well as those of the City of Duarte, the orders have been withdrawn and the doors have been reopened.
The government agency indicated that it will “have a strong presence in the repopulated and evacuated areas for the next several days to ensure the protection of our residents and their property.”
The National Weather Service issued a warning that the Santa Ana winds could be expected to resume in the near future. There has been no major rainfall in the city for more than eight months, and the flames have been turned into infernos as a result of those winds.
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These infernos have razed entire communities surrounding the city. Additionally, the fire posed a risk of crossing Interstate 405, which would have allowed it to spread into densely populated areas in the San Fernando Valley and the Hollywood Hills.
More than 12,000 buildings have been destroyed by the fires that started on Tuesday just north of the downtown area of Los Angeles. For the first time, firefighters made progress on the Eaton Fire, which is located north of Pasadena.
This fire has consumed over 7,000 properties, which includes homes, apartment complexes, businesses, barns, and cars. The progress that firefighters made on the fire occurred on Friday afternoon. According to the government, the majority of the calls to evacuate the region have been lifted.
AccuWeather has provided a preliminary estimate that places the damage and economic losses that have occurred up to this point between $135 billion and $150 billion.
