Increasing winds bring potential for ‘explosive fire growth’ across L.A. County this week
A day after making some progress containing the Eaton fires and protecting Brentwood and Encino from the Palisades fire, firefighters across Los Angeles County were bracing for another round of powerful winds that could threaten new communities and hamper efforts to contain the firestorms.
“There will be the potential — especially late Monday night through Wednesday — for explosive fire growth as those winds pick back up,” said Ariel Cohen, the meteorologist in charge of the National Weather Service office in Oxnard. “In the case of an evacuation order being issued, you have to follow that immediately. Seconds could save your life.”
There have been at least 24 deaths and more than 12,000 structures damaged or destroyed in the L.A.-area fires. After a day of progress in containing the Eaton and Palisades fires, crews are bracing for several days of winds that could hamper efforts to contain the firestorms.
Gusts of 50 to 65 mph are expected Monday, with the strongest winds arriving before dawn Tuesday and peaking through Wednesday. Areas north of the fire line from Point Dume to Glendale will be particularly at risk, Cohen said. The brewing wind conditions are generally expected to push existing fires at a south and westward angle.
Although these winds will not be as powerful as those that fueled last week’s fires, Cohen emphasized that they still presented “an extremely dangerous situation.”
The fires have claimed at least 24 lives and burned more than 12,000 structures, making them probably the most destructive wildfires in U.S. history. In the Eaton fire alone, more than 39,400 structures are still under threat.
The Palisades fire has burned 23,713 acres and was 13% contained as of Sunday morning, while the Eaton fire in the Altadena area has charred 14,117 acres and is 27% contained, officials said. The Hurst fire in Sylmar burned nearly 800 acres and was 89% contained; evacuation orders were lifted early Sunday.
More than 105,000 residents in the county remain under evacuation orders as of Sunday morning, and an additional 87,000 residents are under evacuation warnings.
In an update Sunday morning, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said deputies have started a search-and-rescue operation in the Eaton fire. After doing a grid search across more than 350 properties in the Altadena area, three more people were found dead.
On Sunday evening, the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner reported eight more deaths, bringing the total to 24 from 16. Of those confirmed killed, eight died in the Palisades fire and 16 in the Eaton fire.
In addition, at least 16 people have also been reported missing, Luna said Sunday morning. “But I know, just coming here this morning, it sounds like we just got dozens and dozens more.”
There have been at least 24 deaths and more than 12,000 structures damaged or destroyed in the L.A.-area fires. After a day of progress in containing the Eaton and Palisades fires, crews are bracing for several days of winds that could hamper efforts to contain the firestorms.
Both Los Angeles County and city fire chiefs said all crews are gearing up for the dangerous increase in winds. More power shutoffs, they warned, probably will be necessary to prevent new fires from sparking in the coming days.
Firefighters also have been shoring up protections around any remaining structures in the evacuation zones and clearing away dry brush and dousing hot spots. Crews also are preparing for a worst-case scenario in which extreme winds might prevent the use of firefighting aircraft, such as what happened Tuesday when 80-mph gusts grounded all aircraft and rapidly fanned the Palisades fire.
Evacuation orders and warnings also remain in place for areas devastated by the Eaton and Palisades fires, frustrating many residents who have been anxious to get past police checkpoints so that they can grab medications and check on what personal items might be left. On Sunday afternoon, one man stood at the corner of Sunset Boulevard and Allenford Avenue desperate to check on his mother’s home because her two cats were trapped inside.
Fire authorities acknowledge the frustration but emphasized the continued dangers. They said that letting people back into the evacuated areas is a priority — but that it would not be possible until the next round of dangerous fire weather ends Wednesday.
“I know this is incredibly frustrating, but ... there are still active fires that are burning within the Palisades area, making it extremely, extremely dangerous for the public,” L.A. Fire Chief Kristin M. Crowley said. “There’s no power there. There’s no water, there’s broken gas lines, and we have unstable structures.”
Overnight curfews have been in place to protect against vandalism and robberies, as well as to keep the areas clear for firefighters who have to continue working in the dark, authorities said.
At least 29 arrests had been made in just one night, authorities said in a briefing Sunday. In Malibu, one man was allegedly caught dressed as a firefighter and burglarizing a home.
“We have people who will go to all ends ... to exploit the victims of this tragedy,” said Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell.
Gov. Gavin Newsom said Sunday that an additional 1,000 members of the California National Guard will be deployed to support wildfire suppression efforts, traffic control points and additional public safety needs.
Firefighters from nine other states, as well as from Canada and Mexico, are also assisting firefighting efforts. Volodymyr Zelensky, the president of Ukraine, even offered Sunday to help with rescues and said that 150 firefighters were prepared to help.
Calmer winds and higher humidity had given firefighters the ability to make some much-needed progress Saturday, but a shift in winds also sent flames north and east through the Santa Monica Mountains, forcing evacuations of Brentwood and the hills of Encino and Tarzana.
Firefighting helicopters and airplanes dropped water and fire retardant on fire lines not far from the 405 Freeway in an attempt to prevent flames from engulfing more neighborhoods. The drops seemed productive, but still it appeared that at least two remote hillside homes in Mandeville Canyon had burned, according to aerial video on local TV stations.
Wildfire expert Jack Cohen and fire historian Stephen Pyne felt despair this week watching the devastation wrought by Los Angeles fires. The two have traveled the country providing fire prevention advice while earning the respect of fire agencies nationwide.
On Sunday, Robert Lempert said that he and his wife, Nancy Perloff, had lost their four-bedroom Palisades home of 31 years when the fire broke out Tuesday. They had seen the smoke immediately and fled; as they drove east, Lempert watched the home go up in flames through their remote security system footage.
“The smoke alarm in the house went off around 1:15 and then you could see all the windows pop,” Lempert, a climate risk analyst, said. “Best as I could tell, it was gone by 2 o’clock.”
The couple have since had to relocate three times. The first night they stayed with their son in Los Feliz, then they moved into their nephew’s apartment in West Hollywood. By Sunday, they were at a friend’s house in Westwood, where they plan to stay for the next month before looking for a more permanent place.
Lempert, 67, is not certain whether they will rebuild. They loved their home but were long aware of the risks.
“It was on a ridge overlooking the ocean, utterly beautiful,” he said. “But a location where fire was always on one’s mind.”
Times staff writers Julia Wick, Teresa Watanabe, Richard Winton, Colleen Shalby and Rong-Gong Lin II contributed to this report.
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