The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner was working with local law enforcement and fire departments to respond to reported fatalities from the ongoing wildfires.
All deaths were pending investigation, which could take several more weeks. The coroner’s office is not able to respond to all death locations because of the fire conditions and safety concerns, the department said.
“Please also keep in mind [that] traditional means of identification, such as fingerprinting and visual identification, may not be available and will add more time for naming these decedents,” the coroner wrote in a statement.
A suspect was interrogated Thursday for allegedly starting the Kenneth Fire after a 911 call about a suspicious person who was trying to start a fire, according to Los Angeles Police Department Assistant Chief Dominic Choi.
After interviewing the suspect and reviewing the evidence, officers determined they did not have probable cause to arrest him, Choi said. The suspect was arrested, however, on a felony probation violation, and the fire investigation is ongoing, according to Choi.
The Palisades Fire grew to nearly 20,500 acres Friday morning and was 8 percent contained, fire officials reported.
The fire that started Tuesday morning destroyed at least 85 structures, while nearly 11,500 others remain threatened. Twelve homes were also damaged.
Three people have been injured in the fire that is mostly in the coastal cities of Pacific Palisades and Malibu.
According to fire officials, someone illegally flying a drone over the Palisades Fire on Thursday damaged the wing of a superscooper aircraft from Canada. The pilots were unaware of the drone strike until they landed at Van Nuys airport. The damage will be fixed, but the aircraft has been grounded until Monday.
The Eaton Fire, burning since Tuesday evening east of Los Angeles in Altadena and Pasadena, was nearly the same size as the coastal blaze, reaching nearly 13,700 acres.
More than 1,500 firefighters were battling the fire Friday, with some teams expected to arrive from Canada later in the day. Crews have reached 3 percent containment on the Eaton incident, according to Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone.
Marrone estimated that from 4,000 to 5,000 structures were damaged or destroyed Friday.
Fueled by strong winds on Thursday, flames reached Mount Wilson, but there was no damage to the observatory at the site, Marrone said.
One firefighter suffered injuries from a fall Thursday. He is in stable condition and is expected to make a full recovery, Marrone said.
Officials have toured the fire-stricken areas this week and talked with residents.
“I’ve been out, and I’ve heard from my residents,” said Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger. “I’ve talked to families that have lost everything, and they don’t know where to go.”
Mayor Karen Bass said fire crews were working around the clock battling several blazes.
The LAPD family assistance center will have 10 officers available on Friday to help people find missing loved ones possibly lost in the Palisades Fire, according to Choi.
California National Guard troops arrived Thursday night to help first responders at the Eaton Fire. Starting Friday, they are expected to assist with traffic control and other security measures in the burn area of the Palisades Fire.
Officials say that looting of vacated homes continues to be an issue and warned that anyone taking advantage of the evacuated buildings and homes will be arrested and prosecuted.
Several suspects have already been detained for looting, according to Sheriff Robert Luna.
Some closures were implemented in the area, including those of Angeles National Forest, Griffith Park, and Runyon Canyon Park.
“The last thing you should be worrying about is insurance,” Lara said.
The moratorium, enacted by state law, will be in place for one year.
Lara said residents can get help from the state’s insurance agency to file claims and get answers about their coverage.
