California wildfires kill at least 16, burn more than 37,000 hectares
Death toll California wildfires According to the Los Angeles Medical Examiner, it rose to 16.
Crews are battling to contain the spreading flames before the return of potentially strong winds that could push the flames toward some of the city’s most popular landmarks.
The medical examiner’s office says five of those deaths were in the Palisades fire and 11 were in the Eaton fire.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department has imposed a curfew forced evacuation areas The Palisades and Eaton wildfires were affected from 6pm to 6am local time.
“Law enforcement will strictly enforce this curfew for your protection and to allow emergency responders to operate efficiently,” said X. “Your safety is always our priority.”
The previous number of confirmed deaths before Saturday was 11, but authorities said they expected the number to rise as teams with cadaver dogs carried out systematic grid searches of flattened neighborhoods. Authorities have set up a center where people can report missing persons. There were fears that winds could push the fires toward the J. Paul Getty Museum and the University of California, Los Angeles, while a new evacuation alert left more homeowners stranded.
Firefighters monitor the Palisades Fire in Mandeville Canyon, Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
As of Saturday evening, Cal Fire reported that the Palisades, Eaton, Kenneth and Hurst fires had burned about 62 square miles, an area larger than San Francisco. The Palisades and Eaton fires burned 59 square miles.
Officials estimate at least 37,000 acres have burned.
In a briefing posted online late Saturday, Michael Traum of the California Office of Emergency Services said 150,000 people were under evacuation orders in Los Angeles County, with more than 700 people sheltering in nine shelters.
Crews from California and nine other states are part of an ongoing response that includes 1,354 fire engines, 84 aircraft and more than 14,000 personnel, including firefighters who recently arrived from Mexico, he said.
The fight will continue, with Cal Fire reporting the Palisades Fire 11% contained and the Eaton Fire 15% contained Saturday night.
“Weather conditions are still critical and another round of strong winds is expected from Monday,” Traum said.
Kevin Marshall sifts through his mother’s fire-ravaged property in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025. (AP Photo/John Locher)
KEY PHONE NUMBERS FOR LOS ANGELES AREA RESIDENTS AND HOW YOU CAN HELP THEM
As of Saturday, the unincorporated community of Altadena remained closed to residents According to the Eaton Fire. The department has amended evacuation warnings for the following areas within La Canada Flintridge: north of Knight Road, east of Gould Canyon Road and Oakwood Avenue, Angeles Crest Highway at the intersection of Gould Mesa Road and Starlight Crest Drive, as well as NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
“An Evacuation Order is mandatory: you must leave immediately because of an imminent danger (such as a forest fire or flood). Ignoring it puts lives at risk and can hinder emergency efforts.” He wrote in Department X. “An Evacuation Alert is a precautionary measure. : if conditions worsen, be prepared to evacuate just to save lives.”
Orders have been lifted for other areas within the city of La Canada Flintridge, including all residential areas within the city limits from Angeles Crest Highway east to Oakwood Avenue, Angeles Crest Highway north to West Haskel Street, and Foothill Boulevard to the north. The intersection of Gould Canyon Trail at Knight Way and Crown Avenue and eastbound Varo Road, the department said.
The Palisades Fire burns south of the Encino Reservoir in Los Angeles, upper left, in this photo provided by Maxar Technologies, Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025. (Maxar Technologies via AP)
The department also announced the repopulation of communities affected by the Eaton Fire, effective at 3:00 p.m. local time on Friday. The orders have been lifted and reopened to residents of the City of Bradbury and Bradbury properties, as well as the City of Duarte. The department said it “will have a strong presence in populated and evacuated areas over the next several days to ensure the protection of our residents and their property.”
“All other road closures and evacuation areas remain in effect for the EATON FIRE,” the department said on Facebook.
The National Weather Service warned that strong Santa Ana winds could return soon. Those winds are largely blamed for wildfires turning entire neighborhoods into inferno around the city, which has been without significant rain for more than eight months. The fire also threatened to cross Interstate 405 into densely populated areas in the Hollywood Hills and San Fernando Valley.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
More than 12,000 buildings have been burned by the fires that broke out north of Los Angeles on Tuesday. Firefighters first made progress Friday afternoon on the Eaton Fire, which has burned more than 7,000 structures north of Pasadena, including homes, apartments, businesses, outbuildings and vehicles. Most evacuation orders for the area have been lifted, officials said.
Preliminary calculation by AccuWeather damages and economic losses so far it is between 135-150 billion dollars.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
English