Los Angeles wildfires claim 14 lives as containment efforts struggle By Reuters

Written by Nathan Frandino and Jackie Luna

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Firefighters made slow progress in their battle to contain a fire that has burned wide areas in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, but spreading flames and strong winds still threaten communities, and officials warned on Sunday that one person had died and the death toll was likely to rise to 14 people.

Planes dropped water and fire retardant onto the steep hills to stop the Palisades Fire spreading eastward, and KTLA-TV reported that ground crews were able to save a number of homes, though others were lost.

“Los Angeles County witnessed another night of unimaginable horror and heartbreak,” Los Angeles County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath said.

Six simultaneous fires have been burning in America’s second-largest city since Tuesday, killing at least 14 people as of Sunday morning. At least 16 others are believed to be missing.

California Governor Gavin Newsom said he expected the death toll to rise. “I’ve sent search and rescue teams. We’ve had cadaver dogs out and there will likely be more,” he told NBC’s “Meet the Press.”

Newsom said the fires are likely to be the worst natural disaster in U.S. history “just in terms of the costs associated with them.”

Active-duty military personnel are ready to support firefighting efforts, Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Deane Criswell said in a series of television interviews on Sunday, adding that the agency urged residents to begin submitting requests for disaster relief.

“We have the funding to support this response, to support this recovery,” she told ABC’s “This Week.”

Fire officials said the fires damaged or destroyed 12,000 buildings. By Sunday, more than 100,000 people in Los Angeles County had been ordered to evacuate, while another 87,000 faced evacuation warnings.

The fires have reduced entire neighborhoods to smoldering ruins, destroying the homes of the rich, famous and ordinary people alike, and leaving a horrific scene. In the past 24 hours, the Palisades Fire has spread over an additional 1,000 acres (400 hectares), consuming more homes, officials reported.

Although the Palisades Fire is 11% contained, it has burned more than 22,000 acres (8,900 hectares), Cal Fire Chief Fire Marshal Todd Hopkins said.

Hopkins said at a news conference that the fire had spread to Mandeville Canyon and was threatening to move to Brentwood, an upscale neighborhood home to many celebrities, and the San Fernando Valley. It also heads towards the 405 North-South Freeway.

Santa Ana winds

Dozens of Brentwood residents hoping to return to neighborhoods evacuated by the Palisades Fire began lining up around 5 a.m. Sunday, while volunteers distributed coffee and cookies. Officials have banned them from entering, saying the area is still too dangerous.

“Driving through some of these areas, it literally looks like a war zone,” Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said. “There are power poles and electrical wires that are down. There are still some fires burning. It’s not safe.”

Although the Santa Ana winds that fanned the flames calmed some over the weekend, the National Weather Service warned that stronger wind gusts of up to 70 mph (110 kph) could return early next week. Local officials said they expect the strongest winds to blow on Tuesday.

Red flag warnings remain in effect in Los Angeles and Ventura counties through Wednesday, the NWS said.

“These winds, along with dry air and dry vegetation, will keep the fire risk in the area,” she added. Conditions are expected to improve by Thursday.

Some residents were allowed to return to the sites of their destroyed homes on Saturday to see what they could salvage. Teams from the Los Angeles County Police Department were sifting through the rubble, using dogs to search for human remains.

Federal assistance

President Joe Biden was scheduled to meet with key officials for a virtual briefing Sunday afternoon on efforts to suppress wildfires across Los Angeles and how federal resources are supporting the state and local response.

His declaration of a major disaster opened the door to federal assistance to those affected by wildfires, paving the way for the Federal Emergency Management Agency to provide support.

“FEMA has now begun, with the major disaster declaration, to support affected individuals,” Creswell said on Fox News Sunday, urging people to sign up for assistance through DisasterAssistance.gov.

Support can range from funding home repairs to money to replace lost food or medicine, said Michael Hart, a spokesman for the Federal Emergency Management Agency, adding that assistance can be provided within days.

Newsom also signed an executive order to reduce the amount of red tape needed to rebuild lost homes and businesses.

However, President-elect Donald Trump criticized local and state officials who he believed handled the situation poorly.

“The fires are still burning in Los Angeles, and our incompetent politicians have no idea how to put them out. Thousands of wonderful homes are gone, and many more will be lost soon. There is death everywhere… They just can’t.” Putting out fires what’s wrong with them?” he said on his social media feed The Truth.

Los Angeles Board of Supervisors Chair Katherine Barger told reporters that she invited Trump – who takes office on January 20 – to visit the county to get a first-hand look at the devastation.

“Weeks of work”

In Altadena, official Don Frigolia said the administration Eaton (NYSE:) The fire and its impact will be a “huge and daunting task” that he said will take “many weeks of work.”

The Eaton Fire is 27% contained, up from 15% on Saturday, after burning 14,117 acres, Cal Fire reported.

Combined, the two large fires burned more than 36,000 acres (14,500 hectares) or 56 square miles (145 square kilometers) – two and a half times the size of Manhattan – in one of the worst disasters in Los Angeles history.

Officials declared a public health emergency due to the thick, toxic smoke looming over the city and poor air quality, as the fires led to the appearance of traces of metal, plastic and other synthetic materials.

Progress has been reported in restoring electric power to Los Angeles neighborhoods. Southern California Edison CEO Stephen Powell said there are now about 50,000 customers without power, compared to more than half a million a day earlier.

Private weather forecasting firm AccuWeather estimated damage and economic losses at between $135 billion and $150 billion, portending higher insurance costs for homeowners.

“I am close to the people of Los Angeles… where devastating fires have broken out in recent days. I pray for all of you,” Pope Francis said in his weekly address to the faithful in St. Peter’s Square.