While Californians and Angelenos are experiencing a temporary reprieve from the intense wildfire danger that has plagued the region for the past nine days, the return home for thousands of evacuees remains uncertain amid the somber news of a rising death toll.
The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office reports that 27 people have been confirmed to have died in the Palisades and Eaton fires, with 31 people still missing.
Meanwhile, Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said during a morning news conference Thursday that the repopulation of all evacuated areas will not occur for at least one more week.
“As fast as we can, we continue to plan for the repopulation of evacuated areas when safe,” he said. “When I say one more week, that does not include the entire evacuation order area, we’re doing our best as we know that this is a challenge for our residents.”
Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna stressed that his deputies continue to hold several locations, where they are waiting for the appropriate resources to come in and recover human remains.
“If you haven’t been out there, it literally looks like a bomb dropped,” Luna stressed. “There are areas right now that we have to hold people away from so our people can do their job appropriately.”
The recovery process will be long and arduous for the affected communities surrounding Los Angeles. As the fires continue to burn, the focus remains on containment, search and rescue, and supporting those impacted by the devastating event.
“We are not in the clear,” Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristen Crowley said. “We must not let our guard down as we have, right now, extreme fire behavior. And we need to make sure that the community is staying updated with the most information. Follow all evacuation warnings and orders without delay.”
The FOX Forecast Center said winds have significantly weakened, providing firefighters with their first substantial break since the initial outbreak on Jan. 7. This crucial window of calmer conditions allows crews to make significant progress in containing the blazes and assessing the damage.
The current sigh of relief from high winds is expected to be short-lived. Strong Santa Ana winds return next week, potentially reigniting the fires and posing new challenges to firefighting efforts.
‘A very grim task’
Tens of thousands remain displaced in Los Angeles and Ventura counties, still under a state of emergency. The wildfires, which have destroyed countless homes, businesses and schools, continue to inflict devastation. As search and rescue teams sift through the rubble, the death toll is expected to rise.
“It is a very grim task. And unfortunately, every day we’re doing this, we’re running across the remains of individual community members,” Luna said. “That is not easy work.”
Firefighters from across the nation and globe are engaged in the relentless battle against the flames, employing a diverse range of tactics, including aerial drops and ground crews.
Despite the progress, the Palisades Fire, the largest of the four conflagrations, has become the most destructive in Los Angeles history. However, containment efforts are steadily improving.
The Palisades and Eaton fires — which have burned over 5,000 and 7,000 structures, respectively — are now the two most destructive fires on record in Southern California. These numbers are still preliminary.
As the inferno rages on, containment efforts face significant obstacles due to challenging terrain and erratic winds.
To mitigate the risk of further fire ignitions, preemptive power shutoffs have been implemented to prevent downed power lines from sparking new blazes.
Task force to investigate fire-related crimes
The leaders of federal and local law enforcement agencies have joined together to create the Joint Regional Fire Crimes Task Force to investigate and prosecute any fire-related crimes, including looting, arson, illegal drone flights and fraud.
Los Angeles County officials said more than 30 people have already been arrested in the fire-damaged area for various crimes.
“We will not permit victims to be re-victimized,” US Attorney Martin Estrada said. “Our community has suffered tremendously, and we are here to support them … As the rebuilding process begins and donations and relief funds come in, we must ensure that those seeking to take advantage through criminal activity are held fully accountable.”
Authorities are also actively investigating the cause of the Palisades Fire, interviewing hikers who were in the area at the time of ignition. The Eaton Fire is also under scrutiny, with lawsuits filed against Southern California Edison alleging negligence in its potential role in the blaze.
Air quality issues across the Los Angeles Basin have drastically improved since the fire outbreak. Winds have been primarily out of the northeast, keeping most of the smoke offshore, and that will likely continue for the next several days, the FOX Forecast Center said.
Air quality issues could arise if new fires form and near the ongoing fires, but much of the basin is making progress back down to “good” air quality.
The FOX Forecast Center warns that the cycle of new fire threats will persist every few days until significant rain arrives in the region. Unfortunately, no rain is expected for at least seven to 10 days.
