Two people have been arrested on suspicion of looting amid the chaos caused by wildfires sweeping across Southern California.
The fires continue to ravage large swathes of Los Angeles County, including several luxury estates occupied by A-list celebrities. Two people have already died and authorities expect the toll to rise.
The fires have forced thousands to evacuate, with authorities now forced to focus some of their efforts on preventing looting in the affected areas.
One eyewitness said they saw cars pulled over full of people grabbing items in the heavily populated metropolis.
In a press conference Wednesday, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna confirmed the arrests and expressed disappointment at having to address the crime in the midst of a devastating natural disaster.
“It’s always sad when I have to say this, but part of our responsibility is to make sure no one loots or steals from our residents or our community members who are already being impacted,” Luna said.
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“And I’m sad to report we made two arrests this morning for looting.
“So if you are thinking about coming into any of these areas to steal from our residents, I’m going to tell you something: You’re going to be caught, you’re going to be arrested and you’re going to be prosecuted.”
The fires span across 3,000 acres in Palisades, over 2,000 acres in Eaton, and around 500 acres in Hurst.
They are still completely uncontained, with authorities struggling to gain ground as water and supplies dwindle.
By Wednesday morning, more than 80,000 people in the region were under mandatory evacuation orders with countless properties at severe risk of destruction.
Over 1,000 structures have already been destroyed, with more than 10,300 homes now threatened by the ongoing blazes according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department.
