Day 11 of LA wildfires: What’s the latest and what does research show? | Climate Crisis News

While the dangerous fire weather that fueled Los Angeles’ devastating fires has subsided, forecasters are warning that another round of Santa Ana winds is expected early next week.

The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner said Thursday evening that the death toll has risen to 27. Authorities warn that the number could rise as the search and rescue operation continues.

According to local media, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives received more than 150 tips. Palisades Fire.

Here’s what we know:

What’s the latest on earth?

Number of dead and missing

• As a result of the fires, at least 27 people died, and 31 people are still missing. All neighborhoods destroyedand officials said it would take months to clean them up.
• Of the deaths, 10 were related to the Palisades fire and 17 were related to the Eaton fire.
• About 82,400 people are still under evacuation orders, with another 90,400 under evacuation warnings.

Active fires

• Palisades Fire: About 9,596 hectares (23,713 acres) burned in and around Pacific Palisades, 27 percent contained.

No increase has been recorded in the last 72 hours.

• Eaton Fire: The fire has burned more than 5,713 hectares (14,117 acres) and is now 55 percent contained, up 10 percent from yesterday.

The City of Pasadena has declared a local public health emergency in response to the ongoing impact of the Eaton Fire.

Pasadena Public Health Department (PPHD) “Ash and debris pose a significant potential current and future risk to health, safety and the environment” said in a press release. “PPHD is declaring a local health emergency to ensure residents take appropriate precautions to protect themselves from toxic ash and debris.”

• Automatic fire: It started in Ventura County and is now 85 percent covered. Firefighters halted its progress, limiting the burn to 25 hectares (61 acres).

According to Cal Fire, more than 5,000 firefighters they struggle The fires, including reinforcements from Israel and crews from Canada and Mexico, arrived Thursday.

The fires were recently extinguished

• Hurst Fire: The 324-hectare (800-acre) fire in the San Fernando Valley is now fully contained.
• Small Mountain Fire: San Bernardino police officials investigating the Little Mountain Fire, which burned 14 hectares (34 acres), said a man has been arrested on two felony charges, including reckless arson. According to the local media, the fire was fully extinguished.

What is expected on Friday?

The Los Angeles area is seeing improved weather, which is helping firefighting efforts against the ongoing wildfires.

The National Weather Service said strong Santa Ana winds, which have contributed significantly to the rapid spread of the fires, are expected to subside by the end of the week. This shift is expected to bring increased moisture from the Pacific Ocean and create more favorable conditions for conservation.

Firefighters use this calm weather window to reinforce containment lines around large fires. However, officials caution that while progress has been made, the situation remains dynamic and residents should be aware of any changes.

Looking ahead, forecasters are warning of a potential return of strong winds early next week, which could further exacerbate fire conditions.

“Critical fire conditions are highly likely sometime next week,” Palisades Fire incident meteorologist Rich Thompson said at a news conference Wednesday evening.

The good news: We’re looking forward to a much-needed break from the fire weather concerns that will close this week. The bad news: Next week is worrisome. While we’re sure we won’t SEE a repeat of last week, dangerous fire weather is expected. #cawx #PalisadesFire #EatonFire pic.twitter.com/zhXmHUWtgp

— NWS Los Angeles (@NWSLosAngeles) January 15, 2025

What do we know about the investigation into what started the fires?

Utility equipment is under control

Southern California Edison (SCE) is Los Angeles’ electric utility is under investigation Because of its potential role in starting the Eaton fire.

At least four lawsuits have been filed alleging that SCE’s equipment may have caused the fire. Among the petitioners is Jeremy Gursey, whose Altadena home was destroyed by the Eaton fire, according to CNN. It filed a lawsuit Monday in Los Angeles County Superior Court, saying SCE is responsible.

Gursey cited photos taken by Altadena residents Jennifer Errico and Marcus Errico as evidence. They filmed a small fire under power lines in Eaton Canyon.

However, Marcus Errico said he wasn’t sure if SCE was responsible for the fire.

“I saw a glow on the hill above our house,” Errico told CNN. “As we got closer, I saw a row of transformer towers on the slope of Eaton Canyon right in front of us with power lines running up into the mountains. And the base of one had just a small ring of flames around the entire base,” he added.

The company defended its decision to keep the transmission lines operational, saying wind speeds were slightly below the threshold required for shutdown. However, safety auditors raised concerns about SCE’s fire risk modeling, suggesting their assessments may not adequately account for severe wind events.

Fire on New Year’s Day

Some Pacific Palisades residents have expressed concern that the devastating Palisades Fire may be related to a smaller blaze that broke out in the same area on New Year’s Day and was ignited by fireworks.

According to authorities, an earlier fire broke out in the same vicinity six days ago and was contained within hours by local firefighters.

The close timing and location of the two fires has raised questions about whether strong winds could re-ignite burning debris from New Year’s Eve fireworks, possibly sparking the Palisades Fire.

However, Los Angeles Fire Chief Christine Crowley said earlier this week that there is currently no evidence linking the two incidents. “We don’t have any data to suggest there’s a connection, but that’s the benefit of bringing in outside resources to investigate every detail,” he said.

According to Cal Fire officials, about 95 percent of wildfires in California are caused by human activities, such as arson, downed power lines or accidents such as backyard barbecues or fireworks celebrations.

Formation of the investigation operation group

In response to the complex nature of these investigations, federal and local law enforcement leaders have joined together to form the Joint Regional Fire Crimes Task Force.

This multi-agency team will investigate the origins of the fires, manage case outcomes, develop and share crime intelligence, and support the effective prosecution of wildfire-related crimes in Los Angeles County.

The task force will focus on four main areas: access crimes such as robbery, burglary and identity theft; crimes related to arson; illegal drone activity; and financial scams targeting disaster victims and individuals seeking to make charitable donations.