Amid growing concerns about looters targeting the homes of wildfire victims, some residents are ignoring evacuation orders and choosing to protect their property instead.
Homeowners said they chose to stay put, taking safety measures into their own hands and putting out any embers that could ignite.
Eveanna Manley moved to Altadena 20 years ago and said she tried to prepare her home for natural disasters such as the Eaton Fire.
As of Wednesday, about 50 people had been arrested on suspicion of looting in wildfire evacuation zones across Los Angeles.
Manley said he is ready to confront looters if they appear on his property.
“I have a firearm, so I’m calling a friend to find out how to legally carry a firearm,” she said.
Eveanna Manley chose not to evacuate her home in Altadena to protect the property from looters and a possible flare-up from the Eaton Fire. (KTLA) A sign posted on Eveanna Manley’s front window warned trespassers that she was armed. (KTLA) A sign posted on Eveanna Manley’s front lawn warns trespassers that she is armed. (KTLA) Evianna Manley spoke with KTLA’s Mary Beth McDade to explain how she did not evacuate her Altadena home to protect her property from looters and a possible flare-up from the Eaton Fire. (KTLA) Evianna Manley’s Altadena neighborhood remains closed to traffic and protected by local authorities and the National Guard. (KTLA) Evianna Manley’s Altadena neighborhood remains closed to traffic and protected by local authorities and the National Guard. (KTLA)
Manly’s street is one of many that remain closed to traffic as authorities guard against trespassers.
“It’s hard not to be in lockdown, but I’m glad about it,” she said. “I want to say no flatly because I don’t want anyone else to come here. There have been reports of looting, which is scary. We don’t want that here.”
Manley said her neighbors inspired her to prepare her home for future disasters like the Eaton Fire.
“He had a 55-gallon drum,” she recalled of her neighbor. “He had a reload center. He installed generators throughout the house and I followed suit. I learned from him.”
She removed the wooden shingles on the exterior of the house and replaced them with concrete shingles.
“After all, we live in California, so earthquakes and landslides can happen,” Manley explained.
She said she didn’t feel the need to evacuate when the Eaton Fire reached her neighborhood because she had been preparing for years.
After the area lost power, Manley has focused on helping other neighbors who also chose to stay, including providing hot showers, access to washing machines, and hot meals.
As of Wednesday night, the Eaton Fire had burned 14,117 acres and was 45% contained.
Local and fire authorities continue to advise all residents to heed evacuation warnings during the activity.
On Tuesday, Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman and Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer proposed a bill that would make looting during a community emergency a felony punishable by state prison time.
Additionally, looting is classified as a strike under California’s three-strikes law, making it difficult to have it removed from a criminal record.
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