Authorities in the Los Angeles area expanded the evacuation zone for the Pacific Palisades fire overnight on Jan. 10, as shifting winds expanded the blaze toward the northeast.
Todd Hopkins, the incident commander from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, said the Palisades Fire has grown beyond 21,500 acres and is just 11 percent contained.
Speaking at a Jan. 11 press briefing, Hopkins said preliminary estimates indicate approximately 5,300 structures have been damaged or destroyed in the Palisades fire area, including 426 homes. Other damaged structures may include vehicles, sheds, and other outbuildings.
More than 105,000 residents in the Palisades Fire evacuation zone have been evacuated, as of Jan. 11.
The Palisades Fire is one of several separate blazes that fire authorities are still fighting to contain.
Speaking at the Saturday press conference, Los Angeles County Fire Department Chief Anthony Marrone said the fire in Eaton Canyon is now more than 14,000 acres, and is just 15 percent contained. Marrone said some 2,832 fire personnel are currently engaged in fighting the blaze.
Marrone said high winds will continue to challenge firefighting efforts for the next several days.
“These winds, combined with dry air and dry vegetation, will keep the fire threat in Los Angeles County high,” Marrone said.
Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said there have been 11 deaths within his area of responsibility during the ongoing fires, including eight in the Eaton Fire area and three in the Palisades Fire area. He said another 13 individuals have been reported missing.
Luna said 153,000 residents in the areas of the Palisades, Eaton, Hurst, Kenneth, and Lidia fires are under mandatory evacuation orders, and around 166,000 are in evacuation warning areas. Luna said around 57,000 structures are also at risk at this time.
The sheriff reiterated that residents must leave their homes if a mandatory evacuation order is issued. Those under an evacuation warning are advised to be prepared to leave quickly if a mandatory order comes down.
“Every miraculous story of a rescue or tragedies that we’re encountering, the majority are people who did not heed the warning to leave or the order to leave,” Luna said.
Authorities are also enforcing a curfew to prevent looting in the evacuation areas. Curfew violations may be punished with a $1,000 fine or jail time.
Luna reported that authorities have made 22 arrests so far, including 19 in Eaton and three in the Palisades neighborhoods. He said most of these individuals are suspected of burglary, looting, or trespassing, and others have been identified for possession of narcotics and identify theft attempts. One arrested suspect was on active parole and has been charged with possessing a concealed firearm.
“We’ve directed our deputies that, under these circumstances, if you get arrested for a curfew violation, you are not going to be cited and released,” Luna said.
Federal resources have been deployed to assist in fighting the California wildfires.
President Joe Biden canceled a planned visit to Italy this week to monitor the ongoing wildfires. He has issued a major federal disaster declaration, freeing up federal funds to assist in the firefighting efforts.
Singh said another 10 U.S. Navy helicopters are also being fitted with water delivery buckets for aerial firefighting efforts. Eight C-130 cargo planes equipped with aerial firefighting systems have also been activated to assist in the wildfire response.
Luna said around 400 National Guard members have been deployed in the Los Angeles area to augment law enforcement agencies, amid the fires.
Marrone said he has called on California’s Office of Emergency Services to supply an additional 250 engine companies from across the state—around 1,000 additional firefighting personnel total—to assist with the Los Angeles fires. Marrone said firefighting personnel from the surrounding states, as well as from Mexico and Canada, have also arrived to provide additional manpower.
Authorities are continuing to investigate the cause of the various fires, including the possibility the fires were started as an intentional act.
Luna said his office is coordinating with Los Angeles city and county fire officials, the Los Angeles Police Department, the FBI, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives in the ongoing investigation. Luna asked anyone who might have evidence the fires were started intentionally, be it an overheard conversation or social media post, to pass such information to the investigating authorities.
“If this is a criminal act, if—I’m not saying it’s going to be—if it is, we need to hold whoever did this or groups responsible, but we’re not there yet. This could have been caused by other causes, but everything is absolutely on the table,” he said.
