Californians and Angelenos are temporarily escaping the danger of intense wildfires that have plagued the region for the past nine days, but thousands of evacuees are unable to return home amid gloomy news of a rising death toll. It remains unclear.
The Los Angeles County Coroner's Office currently reports 27 people are confirmed dead from the Palisades and Eaton fires, with 31 still missing.
Meanwhile, Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Malone said at a news conference Thursday morning that the return of population to all evacuated areas will not occur for at least another week.
“We continue to plan to repopulate evacuated areas as quickly as possible and when it is safe to do so,” he said. “Although one more week does not include the entire evacuation order area, we know this is a challenge for residents and we are doing our best.”
Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna stressed that his deputies continue to secure several locations and wait for appropriate resources to come in and recover the bodies.
“If I hadn't been outside, it would literally look like a bomb had been dropped,” Luna stressed. “Currently, there are areas that need to be kept away from employees so they can do their jobs properly.”
For affected communities around Los Angeles, the recovery process will be long and difficult. As the fire continues to burn, the focus remains on containment, search and rescue, and assisting those affected by the devastating event.
“The situation is not clear,” Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Kristen Crowley said. “Due to the extreme fire behavior currently occurring, we must not let our guard down and ensure our community remains informed. All evacuation warnings and directives must be followed without delay. Please follow.”
The FOX Forecast Center said winds had dropped significantly, giving firefighters their first real break since the initial outbreak on Jan. 7. This critical calm allows firefighters to make significant progress in suppressing fires and assessing damage.
The sigh of relief from the current strong winds is not expected to last long. Santa Ana's strong winds could return next week, reigniting fires and creating new challenges for firefighting efforts.
“It's a very tough mission.”
Tens of thousands of people remain evacuated in Los Angeles and Ventura counties under a state of emergency. The wildfires that destroyed countless homes, businesses and schools continue to take their toll. Sadly, the death toll is expected to rise further as search and rescue teams sift through the rubble.
“It's a very demanding mission, and unfortunately, every day we do this kind of work, we come across individual bodies of local residents,” said Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna. Ta. “It's not an easy job.”
Firefighters from across the country and around the world are engaged in a constant battle against the blaze, using a variety of tactics including aerial drops and ground crews.
Despite progress, the Palisades fire, the largest of the four fires, remains the most destructive in Los Angeles history. However, containment efforts are steadily improving.
The Palisades and Eaton fires have burned more than 5,000 and 7,000 structures, respectively, and are now two of the most destructive fires on record in Southern California. These numbers are still preliminary.
As the inferno rages on, containment efforts face major obstacles due to difficult terrain and extreme winds.
To reduce the risk of further fire ignition, pre-emptive power shutdowns are in place to prevent downed power lines from starting new fires.
Fire-related crime investigation special committee
Federal and local law enforcement leaders collaborated to create the Joint Regional Fire Crimes Task Force to investigate and prosecute fire-related crimes such as looting, arson, illegal drone flights, and fraud.
Los Angeles County officials said more than 30 people have already been arrested on various crimes in the fire-hit area.
“We will not allow the victims to be victimized again,” said U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada. “Our communities have suffered tremendous damage and we are here to support them…As the rebuilding process begins and donations and relief funds begin to collect, there are people seeking to profit through criminal activity. We have to ensure that people are held fully accountable.”
Authorities are also actively investigating the cause of the Palisades Fire and are interviewing hikers who were in the area at the time of the fire. The Eaton fire is also under scrutiny, with a lawsuit filed against Southern California Edison alleging negligence for its potential role in the fire.
Air quality issues across the Los Angeles Basin have improved significantly since the fires began. The FOX Prediction Center said winds were primarily from the northeast, with most of the smoke remaining offshore and likely to remain so for the next few days.
New fires or near ongoing fires could cause air quality issues, but much of the basin is returning to “good” air quality.
The FOX Prediction Center warns that the cycle of new fire threats will continue every few days until heavy rain hits the region. Unfortunately, no rain is expected for at least 7 to 10 days.
