Wildfires ravaging Los Angeles have killed at least 16 people and destroyed 12,000 buildings, with six blazes burning on the fifth night.
The 23,000-acre Palisades Fire between Santa Monica and Malibu on the city’s west side and the Eaton Fire near Pasadena on the east have become among the most destructive fires in Los Angeles history, burning covering an area of more than 53 square miles and reducing entire communities to ashes.
The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner said late Saturday that the death toll from the fire now stood at 16. Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said earlier he expected the number to increase. Wildfires have now burned more than 39,000 acres in Southern California.
“It looks like an atomic bomb was dropped on these areas. I don’t expect good news, and we don’t expect these numbers,” Luna said.
A building burns in Altadena, California, as wildfires scorch much of the Los Angeles area. If left unchecked, fires can quickly spread to other areas (Invision)
Forecaster AccuWeather estimated damages and economic losses at $135 billion to $150 billion and warned that recovery would be difficult and home insurance costs would soar.
President Joe Biden, who declared a major disaster on Tuesday, pledged Thursday that the federal government will reimburse 100% of recovery costs over the next 180 days to cover debris and hazardous material removal costs, temporary shelters and first responder wages.
Where is the fire currently burning?
Mapping: Los Angeles wildfires (Datawrapper/The Independent)
A total of six wildfires were burning in Los Angeles County as of Saturday afternoon, with the largest, the Palisades Fire, only 11% contained, while the Eaton Fire was 15% contained. The sky buzzed as planes dropped retardant and water on the burning hills.
The Los Angeles County Fire Department said a large Super Spoon aircraft leased from Canada was damaged and grounded after it struck an unauthorized civilian drone near the Palisades Fire. No one was injured.
A fast-moving fire broke out Thursday near Calabasas, one of the wealthiest cities in the United States and home to many celebrities and gated communities. The Kenneth Fire grew to 1,052 acres in a matter of hours.
Officials said the Eaton Fire damaged or destroyed 4,000 to 5,000 structures, while the Palisades Fire destroyed or destroyed another 5,300 structures.
Firefighters battle a blaze in the Angeles National Forest near Mount Wilson as wind blows through embers (Reuters)
Some Pacific Palisades residents ventured back into areas where fires had swept through, where brick chimneys loomed over charred debris and burned vehicles.
Winds dropped Thursday from 100 mph gusts earlier in the week, providing critical aerial support to crews on the ground.
Firefighters successfully contained the Sunset Fire in the Hollywood Hills Wednesday night as flames raged on a ridge overlooking Hollywood Boulevard’s Walk of Fame.
Where will the wildfires move next?
Winds on Friday are not expected to be as strong as during the storm earlier this week, AccuWeather forecasters said. Parts of Southern California could see wind gusts of 40-50 mph on Friday.
Forecasters said offshore winds were expected to pick up again on Sunday before another area of low pressure moved south across California.
Offshore winds are expected to pick up again on Sunday before another area of low pressure moves south across California (AccuWeather)
Santa Ana winds are expected to return early next week, weather channel Famous. Los Angeles County remains under a red flag warning, indicating dangerous fire conditions, through at least Friday night.
AccuWeather expects wind gusts of 40-60 mph Monday into Tuesday night.
AccuWeather expects wind gusts of 40-60 mph Monday through Tuesday night (AccuWeather)
AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist Jonathan Porter said the wildfire disaster in Southern California is the latest weather disaster in the United States to cost billions of dollars, putting pressure on state and federal firefighting and emergency resources.
“Much of the world faces severe impacts and threats from climate warming and changing extreme weather patterns. California is at the forefront of climate change in the United States, and this tragic disaster is the latest in a series of devastating extreme weather events that have resulted in billions of dollars in disasters. The latest one,” Porter said.
LIVE: Los Angeles County evacuation order areas
What causes fires?
The fast-moving wildfires are fueled by a weather phenomenon known as Santa Ana winds.
Santa Ana is a dry, warm and gusty northeasterly wind blowing from Nevada and Utah to the Southern California coast. They move in the opposite direction of normal land currents, which bring moist air from the Pacific into the region.
The name is understood to be associated with Orange County’s Santa Ana Canyon, but the weather has other nicknames, such as “devil’s wind” or “red wind.”
