Firefighters rushed to contain the Los Angeles fires, two of which burned for the sixth consecutive day on Sunday, the 12th of January, in a brief respite before strong Santa Ana winds are expected to fan the flames again. California Governor Gavin Newsom said it was possibly the worst natural disaster in US history, with at least 24 people killed, some 12 300 homes destroyed by fires and 100 000 people forced to evacuate, according to Reuters and the BBC.
Firefighters were successful in containing the fires, receiving help from crews from eight US states, Canada and Mexico.
The Palisades fire in western Los Angeles has burned 96 square kilometres and 13% is under firefighters’ control. The Eaton fire in the east has burnt 57 square kilometres and 27% of the area is under control. To the north, the Hearst fire is 89% contained, while three other fires in the area are fully contained, although some areas within their boundaries may still be burning, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire).
Firefighters had a brief respite over the weekend as hurricane-force winds Santa Ana from the inland deserts eased, but the National Weather Service predicts they will return between Sunday evening and Wednesday, reaching speeds of 80-112 km/h. The dry winds come after several months of drought and little rain in the area.
While crews have managed to contain the major fires, authorities have warned that the wind gusts could lead to “potentially devastating wind conditions”, with fires threatening the entire Los Angeles area.
“While we have made some progress, the end is not near,” said Pasadena Fire Chief Chad Augustin.
Officials warned all Los Angeles County residents, nearly ten million in total, that anyone could be ordered to evacuate from the flames and toxic smoke.
By Sunday, more than 100 000 Los Angeles County residents had been ordered to evacuate, while another 87 000 residents had been warned to evacuate.
California Governor Gavin Newsom told NBC News that the fires were likely to be the worst natural disaster in US history, “considering the costs alone”.
On Sunday, the private forecasting company Accuweather increased its preliminary estimate of the financial damage caused by the fires to between 250 and 275 billion US dollars.
The Los Angeles County medical examiner reported on Sunday that the death toll had risen to 24, but officials said at least 16 more people were still missing.
Sixteen of the dead were found in the Eaton fire area and eight in the Palisades area.
Despite the dire predictions, all schools except those in mandatory evacuation zones will reopen on Monday, the Los Angeles Unified School District said.
In addition, at least 29 people have been detained for looting in mandatory evacuation zones. Two people were caught posing as firefighters to rob evacuated residents.
Los Angeles Sheriff Robert Luna requested more National Guard troops and Governor Newsom announced that 1 000 more troops would be sent to help maintain order, in addition to the 400 already in the area.
There are currently 14 000 firefighters in the Southern California region, assisted by 84 aircraft and 1 354 fire engines, Sheriff Luna said.
Officials have also warned of scammers trying to exploit the vulnerability of victims and issued a stern warning that anyone caught price gouging will be prosecuted.
Meanwhile, the dispute between Governor Newsom of California and President-elect Donald Trump, who will take office on the 20th of January, continues.
Trump, who has been invited by the governor to inspect the fire damage, on Saturday blamed “incompetent” politicians for “one of the worst disasters in our country’s history”.
Newsom, a Democrat, attacked Trump for sharing “inexcusable” misinformation about the fires.