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A person tries to hose down embers from the Palisades Fire and (inset) the fire tornado (Image: AP/CNN)
High winds could trigger an “explosive” spread in the deadly wildfires sweeping Los Angeles, California, nearly a week after they first erupted, forecasters have warned.
Gusts may reach 70mph from this evening until tomorrow afternoon, raising concerns that this could undo progress made by firefighters in containing the fires over the weekend.
The Pacific Palisades and Eaton fires erupted last Tuesday during ferocious winds and have since consumed nearly 40,000 acres of Los Angeles County, an area larger than San Francisco.
Entire neighbourhoods have been devastated, with over 12,000 structures destroyed, including homes, businesses, and vehicles.
At least 16 people have died in the Eaton fire near Pasadena, which was 33% contained as of Monday afternoon, while eight fatalities have been confirmed in the coastal Palisades fire, which was 14% contained.
The Palisades Fire burns a beach front property in Malibu last week (Image: AP)
Police fear the death toll may rise as the harrowing process of sifting through ashes continues.
Additional water tankers and scores of firefighters arrived at the Los Angeles area today.
Planes doused homes and hillsides with bright pink fire-retardant chemicals, while crews and fire engines were being placed near particularly vulnerable spots with dry brush.
Dozens of water trucks rolled in to replenish supplies after hydrants ran dry last week when the two largest fires erupted.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and other officials - who have faced criticism over their initial response to fires that began last week - said the region was ready to face the new threat with additional firefighters brought in from around the US, as well as Canada and Mexico.
LA County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone insisted: “We’re absolutely better prepared.”
Evacuees from the Eaton Fire dwell among heaps of clothes (Image: AFP via Getty Images)
However, he admitted if winds reached the speeds predicted “it’s going to be very difficult to contain that fire”.
Fire officials advised residents in high-risk areas to just leave home – and not wait for formal evacuation orders - if they sense danger.
In less than a week, four fires around the nation’s second-biggest city have scorched more than 62 square miles (160 square kilometres), roughly three times the size of Manhattan.
The National Weather Service warned the weather will be “particularly dangerous” on Tuesday, when wind gusts could reach 65 mph (105 kph).
A large part of Southern California around Los Angeles is under this extreme fire danger warning, including densely populated Thousand Oaks, Northridge and Simi Valley.
The Eaton Fire near Pasadena is roughly one-third contained, while the largest blaze in Pacific Palisades on the coast is far less contained.
The death toll is likely to rise, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said Monday. At least two dozen were missing, he said.
Mr Luna said he understands that people are eager to return to their homes and neighborhoods to survey the damage, but he asked for their patience. He said: "We have people literally looking for the remains of your neighbours."
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A firefighting helicopter drops water on the Eaton Fire burning in the Angeles National Forest (Image: AFP via Getty Images)
At a community meeting about the Palisades Fire last night, a Los Angeles Police Department official said many people reported as missing had been found. It wasn’t clear if there was overlap in the numbers shared by the sheriff.
The slower winds over the weekend allowed some people to return to previously evacuated areas. Many had no idea if their homes or neighborhoods were still standing.
Jim Orlandini, who lost his hardware store in Altadena, a hard-hit neighborhood next to Pasadena, said his home of 40 years survived.
“The whole time I was thinking, I don’t know what I’m going to find when I get back here and after 40 years, you know, you got a lot of stuff you forget about that would disappear if the house burned down. So we’re thankful that it didn’t.”
LA city Fire Chief Kristin Crowley urged people to stay away from burned neighbourhoods filled with broken gas lines and unstable buildings.
Just under 100,000 in Los Angeles County remained under evacuation orders, half the number from last week.
Firefighters over the weekend fought flames in Mandeville Canyon - home to Arnold Schwarzenegger and other celebrities - after the Palisades Fire spread, prompting new evacuation orders. Crews continued battling there Monday before potentially strong winds could push the flames toward the famous J. Paul Getty Museum and the University of California, Los Angeles.
Beyoncé, Disney and other celebrities and entertainment organizations have pledged millions to help those who have been displaced or lost their homes. Other stars - and ordinary people - have left large donations of clothing and other items along street corners in around the city.
Dozens of people have been arrested for looting after the wildfires. Officials are now starting to see price gouging and scams, including with hotels and short-term rentals and medical supplies, said Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman.
Fires that began Tuesday north of downtown LA have burned more than 12,000 homes, cars and other structures.
Authorities have not determined an official cause for any of the fires. Southern California Edison has acknowledged agencies are investigating whether its equipment may have started a smaller blaze.
A lawsuit filed yesterday claims the utility's equipment sparked the much bigger Eaton Fire. Edison did not respond to a request for comment and last week said it had not received any suggestions that its equipment ignited that blaze.
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