The death toll from California wildfires has risen to 16, according to the Los Angeles Coroner's Office.
Workers are battling to stop the fire from spreading before another strong wind blows and could push the flames into the city's most famous landmark.
The coroner's office said five people died in the Palisades fire and 11 died in the Eaton fire.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department has imposed a curfew from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. local time in areas under mandatory evacuation due to the Palisades and Eaton fires.
“Law enforcement will strictly enforce this curfew to protect you and allow first responders to work effectively. Your safety is always our top priority,” the department told X. .
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By Saturday, the confirmed death toll was 11, but officials say the number will rise as teams with cadaver dogs conduct systematic grid searches in cleared areas. He said he expected that. Authorities have established a center where people can report missing persons. There were concerns that winds would move the fire toward the J. Paul Getty Museum and the University of California, Los Angeles, while new evacuation orders put more homeowners at risk.
Firefighters watch as water is sprayed on the Palisades Fire in Mandeville Canyon on Saturday, January 11, 2025 in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
By Saturday evening, Cal Fire reported that the Palisades, Eaton, Kenneth, and Hearst fires had burned approximately 62 square miles (an area larger than San Francisco). The area of the Palisades and Eaton fires was 59 square miles.
Officials estimate at least 37,000 acres have been burned.
Michael Traum of the California Department of Emergency Services said in a briefing posted online Saturday evening that 150,000 people in Los Angeles County are under evacuation orders, with more than 700 evacuated to nine shelters. said.
He said crews from California and nine other states are involved in the ongoing response, which includes 1,354 fire trucks, 84 aircraft and more than 14,000 personnel, including newly arrived firefighters from Mexico. He is said to be participating.
Cal Fire reported Saturday night that the Palisades Fire was 11% contained and the Eaton Fire was 15% contained, and the battle is expected to continue.
“The weather situation remains critical and strong winds are expected to return from Monday,” Traum said.
Kevin Marshall inspects his mother's property destroyed by fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles on Saturday, January 11, 2025. (AP Photo/John Locher)
Los Angeles area residents need phone numbers and how to get help.
As of Saturday, the unincorporated community of Altadena remained closed to residents due to the Eaton Fire. The department has changed evacuation advisories to evacuation advisories for the following areas within La Cañada Flintridge: north of Knightway, Gould Canyon Trail, east of Oakwood Avenue, and Angeles Crest Highway. Gould Mesa Road and the curve to Starlight Crest Drive, as well as the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
“Evacuation orders are mandatory. If there is an imminent danger (such as a wildfire or flood) you must evacuate immediately. Ignoring this can put lives at risk and impede emergency operations. ” the ministry wrote to X. “An evacuation advisory is a precautionary measure”: Be prepared to evacuate if the situation worsens. Although not mandatory, we strongly recommend that these decisions are made solely to save lives. ”
The order for other areas located within the City of La Cañada Flintridge has been lifted. This includes from Angeles Crest Highway east to Oakwood Avenue, from Angeles Crest Highway west to north of the curve toward Haskell Street, and from Foothill Boulevard north to La Cañada Flintridge. The agency said it includes all homes in the city, including the intersection of the Gould Canyon Trail at Knight Way and Crown Avenue and from the east to Borough Road.
In this photo provided by Maxar Technologies, the Palisades Fire burns south of Encino Reservoir, upper left, on Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025, in Los Angeles. (Maxar Technologies via AP)
The department also announced the repopulation of communities affected by the Eaton Fire at 3pm local time on Friday. The order has been lifted and reopened to residents of the City of Bradbury, Bradbury Mansions, and the City of Duarte. “We will maintain a strong presence in the repopulated and evacuated areas in the coming days to ensure the protection of residents and their property,” the ministry said.
“All other road closures and evacuation areas due to the Eaton Fire remain in place,” the department said on Facebook.
The National Weather Service warned that strong Santa Ana winds could return soon. These winds are largely blamed for turning the wildfires into an inferno that has devastated entire areas around the city, which had not seen significant rain for more than eight months. The fire also threatened to jump Interstate 405 and into the densely populated areas of the Hollywood Hills and San Fernando Valley.
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A fire that broke out Tuesday just north of downtown Los Angeles has destroyed more than 12,000 buildings. Firefighters made their first efforts to extinguish the Eaton Fire in north Pasadena Friday afternoon. The fire destroyed more than 7,000 structures, including homes, apartments, businesses, outbuildings and vehicles. Most evacuation orders for the area have been lifted, officials said.
AccuWeather's preliminary estimates put the damage and economic losses to date at $135 billion to $150 billion.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
