US officials warned that “dangerous and gusty” winds on Sunday would fan deadly wildfires in residential areas of Los Angeles as firefighters struggled to bring the blaze under control.
At least 16 people have been confirmed dead in the fire that engulfed the city, reducing entire areas to ashes and leaving thousands homeless.
Despite massive efforts, including precision flights by aircrew, the Palisades Fire continued to grow, spreading east toward the priceless collection of the Getty Center Art Museum and north into the densely populated San Fernando Valley.
“The winds are becoming potentially dangerous and strong again,” Dean Creswell, head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), told CNN.
“The biggest thing people need to know is that it’s still dangerous.”
After a brief lull in the air, strong winds began to blow, with forecasters warning that winds could reach 50 mph (80 kph) early Sunday, fanning the fires in the coming days.
The National Weather Service said winds weakened Sunday and became stronger again overnight.
nowhere to live
The Palisades fire was 11 percent contained but had grown to 23,600 acres (9,500 ha), while the Eaton fire was at 14,000 acres and 15 percent contained.
Official figures show more than 12,000 structures burned, although Cal Fire’s Todd Hopkins said not all were homes and the number included outbuildings, trailers and sheds.
In some areas, massive fires left streaks of molten metal from burned cars.
The sudden influx of evicted people looking for a place to live created a growing problem for the city.
“I’m back on the market with thousands of people,” said a man who gave his name as Brian, whose rent-controlled apartment burned down. “It’s not a good sign.”
Due to incidents of looting and a nighttime curfew, police and the National Guard set up checkpoints to prevent people from going to disaster areas.
Two people were arrested near Vice President Kamala Harris’ Brentwood home for violating a curfew order after police received a report of a theft.
A handwritten sign reading “Looters will be shot” was hung on a tree next to an American flag outside a home in Pacific Palisades.
But security checkpoints have frustrated residents as they queued for up to 10 hours to try to get back and see what was left of their homes, or to check on family.
Blocked from entering the evacuation zone, Altadena resident Bobby Salman, 42, said: “I have to be there for the safety of my family, my wife, my children, my mother, and I can’t even go see her.”
The queues left some angry about poor management, the latest complaint from a population already angry at hydrants running dry in the initial shelling.
City officials have united after reports of a behind-the-scenes dispute between the mayor and the fire chief.
But President-elect Donald Trump accused California officials of incompetence.
“This is one of the worst disasters in the history of our country. They can’t put out the fire. What’s the matter with them?” Trump said on his Truth social platform.
Teams with cadaver dogs are searching the debris, many people are reported missing and there are fears that the death toll could rise.
Among those killed in the tragedy was former Australian child actor Rory Sykes, who appeared in the British TV show “Kiddy Capers” in the 1990s.
climate impact
A major investigation is underway by federal and local authorities to determine the cause of the fire.
California Governor Gavin Newsom told the press that he was also launching a “Marshall Plan” to rebuild the state.
“We already have a team reimagining LA 2.0,” he said.
He also stressed the immediate problem of weather conditions, saying, “The challenge is the winds. We’ve got these winds coming back this evening, Sunday night. We’ll get peak winds on Monday.”
Although wildfires may be started intentionally, they are often natural, and are an important part of the environmental life cycle.
But urban sprawl harms people more, and the changing climate – driven by humanity’s uncontrolled use of fossil fuels – is exacerbating the conditions that lead to devastating fires.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
