LOS ANGELES (NEXSTAR) – Additional water tankers and a large number of firefighters have arrived in the Los Angeles area after another round of strong winds was expected to threaten progress on previous plans. two huge hells Thousands of homes were destroyed and at least 24 people were killed.
On Monday, planes doused houses and hillsides with bright pink flame retardant, while crews and fire engines positioned dry brush near particularly dangerous areas. Dozens of water tankers arrived to replenish supplies. fire hydrant has run out Two of the largest fires broke out last week.
Tabitha Trosen and her boyfriend said they felt “teertering” on the brink, living in constant fear that their neighborhood might be the next to be threatened.
“My cats are ready to go. I have a carrier bag by the door with little stuffed animals and things like that,” Trosen said, thinking about what she could lose as she packs her belongings. He added that he was putting it together. “It's like, how do I take care of myself? What grounds me as a human being and reminds me of my background, my life, my family.”
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and other officialsfaced criticism for initial responseIn response to the wildfires that started last week, the region on Monday dispatched additional firefighters from across the United States, Canada and Mexico, and expressed confidence it was ready to face the new threat.
“We are fully prepared,” Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Malone said when asked what was different from a week ago, when hurricane-force winds sparked multiple fires. .area covered with dry bushesIt hasn't rained in over 8 months.
Since January 1, more than a dozen wildfires have broken out in Southern California, most of them in the greater Los Angeles area. The latest one broke out late Monday in a riverbed in Oxnard, about 55 miles (89 kilometers) northwest of Los Angeles, burning in an agricultural area.
Live video from alert california Autofire flames were shown spreading near the River Ridge Golf Course around 8 p.m.
There are no homes in the evacuation zone, but Ventura County spokesman Andrew Dowd said, “Anyone who is in or around the riverbed needs to evacuate to a safe location.”
Winds are expected to pick up early Tuesday morning and continue until midday Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service. Marrone said fire planes may be able to land, although it is not expected to reach hurricane strength like last week, adding that if wind speeds reach 112 km/h, “it will be difficult to contain the fire. “It's going to be very difficult,” he warned.
Fire officials advised residents of high-risk areas to simply leave their homes if they feel unsafe without waiting for an official evacuation order.
That's exactly what La Crescenta's Tim Kang did last Wednesday. Feeling sick from the smoky air and fearing the fire would spread nearby, Kang and his siblings packed up their belongings and left the neighborhood.
“Everything was like, 'Oh, the world is ending,'” said Kang, who was staying in Pasadena with his girlfriend.
In less than a week, four fires have broken out around the nation's second-largest city, scorching more than 62 square miles (160 square kilometers), an area roughly three times the size of Manhattan.
The National Weather Service has warned that the weather will:“It's especially dangerous.”Wind gusts could reach 105 km/h on Tuesday. Much of Southern California around Los Angeles is under this extreme fire danger warning until Wednesday, including the heavily populated areas of Thousand Oaks, Northridge and Simi Valley.
The Eaton Fire near Pasadena is roughly contains one thirdMeanwhile, the largest fire in the Pacific Palisades along the coast is far from contained.
Search for victims continues
Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said Monday that the death toll could rise. At least 20 people are said to be missing.
Luna said he understands people want to return to their homes and neighborhoods to assess the damage, but asked for patience. “There are people literally looking for the bodies of their neighbors,” he said.
At a community meeting about the Palisades fire Monday night, Los Angeles Police Department officials said many people who had been reported missing had been found. It is not clear whether there are any duplicates in the numbers shared by the sheriff.
check their house
As the winds eased over the weekend, some people were able to return to areas they had previously evacuated to. Many did not know whether their homes or neighborhoods were still standing.
Jim Orlandini lost his hardware store in Altadena.Areas severely affectedHe says the house he lived in for 40 years next door in Pasadena has survived.
“I kept thinking, 'If I come back here after 40 years, I don't know what I'll find. There's a lot of stuff I've forgotten. If the house burns down, it'll be gone.' So I'm glad it wasn't. ”
Warning to stay away from disaster areas
Los Angeles Fire Chief Christine Crowley urged people to stay away from burned-out areas filled with broken gas lines and unstable buildings.
Just under 100,000 people remain under evacuation orders in Los Angeles County, half as many as last week.
Fighting flare-ups on various fronts
Firefighters battled a blaze in Mandeville Canyon, home to Arnold Schwarzenegger and other celebrities, over the weekend after the Palisades Fire spread and new evacuation orders were issued. Crews continued to battle there Monday before strong winds could push the flames toward the famous J. Paul Getty Museum and the University of California, Los Angeles.
Beyoncé, Disney, etc.celebrities and entertainment groupsPledged millions of dollars to help victimsEvacuate or lose your home.Other stars and ordinary people also donated tons of clothing and other items to street corners across the city.
Investigation into looting and donation fraud
Dozens of people have been arrested for looting after the wildfires. Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said authorities are now starting to see price gouging and fraud in hotels, short-term rentals, medical supplies and more.
Count and investigate destruction
The fire broke out Tuesday north of downtown Los Angeles.12,000 homes, cars, and other structures.
Authorities have not determined an official cause for either fire. Southern California Edison confirmed that authorities are investigating whether its equipment may have started the small fire.
aThe lawsuit will be filed on MondayThey claim the power company's equipment caused the much larger Eaton fire. Edison did not respond to requests for comment and said last week that it had not received any indication that its equipment ignited the fire.
Early estimates from AccuWeather suggest the fire could be a national fire. most expensive everincluding those that will occur in the next few days, will exceed $250 billion. The cost to rebuild commercial properties and homes in the fire-hit areas could be $14.8 billion, according to real estate data tracking firm CoreLogic.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
