The Palisades and Eaton fires, which have trapped thousands of Los Angeles County residents, some for more than a week, were put out overnight after winds that had plagued the region began to die down. It gained momentum.
The Eaton Fire, which has burned more than 14,100 acres in Pasadena and Altadena, was 55% contained by Thursday morning, up from 45% the day before. The Palisades Fire, which has burned 23,700 acres, was 22% contained as of Thursday morning, up from 17% the day before, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
Containment refers to the extent to which a fire is surrounded or surrounded to the extent that firefighters believe they can stop the fire from spreading. But officials stressed there is still much work to be done in the fire zone before residents can return. More than 150,000 Angelenos remain under evacuation orders or warnings.
Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Malone said at a news conference Thursday that it will be at least another week before some people begin returning to their homes within the evacuation zone.
“Even if we say one more week, that doesn’t include the entire evacuation order area,” Marrone said. “We recognize this is a challenge for our residents and we are doing our best.”
Power companies are working to restore power and water, and authorities are clearing debris from the burn area. Search and recovery of bodies is still ongoing.
The confirmed death toll in the fire rose to at least 27 after authorities said they found bodies in the Palisades and Eaton fire zones on Wednesday. Officials say that number could rise further in the coming days as they continue to search destroyed properties. Officials said 39 people were reported missing from both fires.
Officials estimate the fires destroyed more than 12,000 structures, including many homes, making them two of the most destructive and deadliest wildfires in California history.
A house that survived the Palisades fire was destroyed this week when the hillside behind it collapsed, seemingly cutting the property on Calle Castellammare in half, photos from the scene show.
The exact cause of the landslide is not clear, but authorities said it was likely caused by large amounts of water entering the area due to firefighting efforts and water outages.
“We’ve got some water in the system, and you can imagine the amount of water that was put into the firefighting effort,” said Los Angeles County Public Works Director Mark Pestrella. “There were also gas and water pipes destroyed within the system.”
He warned residents whose homes are on slopes in the fire area that there could be a risk of debris flows even before heavy rains arrive.
More than 8,600 firefighters are battling the fire, with the focus in the coming days being on building containment lines and extinguishing hot spots to prevent the fire from spreading. At the Eaton Fire, crews applied flame retardant around the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and cleared brush in the danger area of La Cañada, Cal Fire said.
Los Angeles County Sheriff’s officials arrested 47 people in the fire zone, Sheriff Robert Luna announced Thursday. About 14 people were arrested on suspicion of robbery, and another 17 on suspicion of violating the curfew. Other arrests were made on suspicion of drug possession, firearm possession and identity theft, authorities said.
Winds are expected to continue to subside this week, but it will likely be a short-lived recovery for the region. The risk of severe fire weather returning to Los Angeles and Ventura counties is increasing starting early next week. The region also faces continued risks from extremely dry conditions and lack of rain.
Southern California is experiencing the start of its driest winter on record. Many parts of the region have received just 5% or less of the average precipitation for this point in the water year, which began Oct. 1, said Alex Tardy, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in San Diego. Orange County and the Inland Empire.
Downtown Los Angeles has received just 0.16 inches of rain since October 1st. This is 3% of the average rainfall of 5.56 inches at this point in the season. In many other parts of Southern California, “this is the driest start of the water year and we’re seeing extreme fire activity with ignition,” Tardy said.
The National Weather Service says the most concerning days ahead will be Monday and Tuesday, with a 70% chance of a red flag warning being issued for Los Angeles and Ventura counties, meaning there is a chance of significant fire if ignited. It shows that it is high.
Relative humidity could drop below 10% next week, meaning plants will be particularly dry and vulnerable. As for the winds, there is growing confidence that a mild Santa Ana will develop.
“There’s still a lot of unburned, dry, low-humidity fuel remaining,” Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Christine Crowley said. “More polar winds are expected next week and our community must continue to prepare.”
Officials confirmed that 2,869 structures were destroyed in the Palisades fire. An additional 508 structures were damaged, according to Cal Fire. That number is likely to rise further as authorities continue to assess the damage. Officials estimate that 5,300 structures were destroyed in the fire.
According to Cal Fire, damage assessments confirmed that 5,718 structures were destroyed and 679 structures damaged in the Eaton Fire, but inspection teams assessed only 60% of the structures in the fire’s wake. It is said to have been completed. Officials estimate that 7,000 structures were damaged or destroyed. Buildings can include homes, businesses, small outbuildings, sheds, and even vehicles.
The causes of both large fires are under investigation.
Investigators investigating the Eaton Fire are focusing on the area around the Southern California Edison power transmission tower in Eaton Canyon.
Southern California’s Mayor Edison said Wednesday that the winds that blew through Eaton Canyon on Jan. 7 were not strong enough to meet the criteria the company uses to shut down powerful power lines.
As for the Palisades fire, a source familiar with the investigation told the Times that the blaze, which started in the Skull Rock area north of Sunset Boulevard, appears to be human-caused. Authorities are investigating whether a small fire that may have been started by New Year’s Eve fireworks may have somehow reignited on January 7th.
Times staff writers Noah Goldberg, Matt Hamilton, Salvador Hernandez and Jenny Jarvie contributed to this report.
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