At least 16 dead in LA fires as dangerous winds could persist; crews douse roads in retardant
Editor's Note: This page is a summary of news on Los Angeles area wildfires for Saturday, Jan. 11. For the latest, view our story for Sunday, Jan. 12.
LOS ANGELES ? The death toll from a devastating series of fires in Los Angeles County rose to 16, officials announced, as air crews used fire retardant and water to battle the Palisades Fire that threatened homes even closer to the heart of the city on Saturday.
On the fifth day since the Palisades Fire began, the largest of four active wildfires in Los Angeles County was encroaching on a major Southern California artery as the flames expanded to the northeast and officials warned of more extreme fire weather conditions this weekend. Meanwhile, 11 deaths had been attributed to the Eaton Fire, which had scorched more than 14,000 acres and was 15% contained Saturday evening.
Fire retardant, in a distinctive hot pink shower, blanketed houses, streets and fire trucks in Mandeville Canyon, tucked in the Santa Monica Mountains, not far from the 405 freeway. Several other aircraft gushed water throughout the hillside neighborhood as the encroaching fire neared an electric tower.
The Palisades Fire, which has killed five people, grew another roughly 1,000 acres on Saturday, and had burned 23,654 acres by afternoon with 11% containment. An expansion of the flames to the north and east prompted officials to issue more mandatory evacuation areas to the west of the 405 freeway as it threatened parts of Encino and Brentwood.
In total, more than 153,000 Los Angeles County residents were under active evacuation orders and 57,000 structures were at risk, Sheriff Robert Luna said at a news conference Saturday. Another 166,000-plus were under evacuation warnings, meaning they should be prepared to leave their homes.
"Los Angeles County Fire will be prepared," Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said. "These winds combined with dry air and dry vegetation will keep the fire threat in Los Angeles County high."
The fires have consumed about 38,000 acres of land total, according to Cal Fire. The Palisades Fire became the most destructive in Los Angeles history. Of the over 5,000 structures it destroyed, 426 are homes, Todd Hopkins with Cal Fire said. On Saturday the flames threatened the iconic Getty Center, while areas just east of the 405 were under evacuation warnings.
How to protect yourself: Scammers may be taking advantage of the California wildfires
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Developments:
? There were over 48,000 homes and businesses without power across California as of Saturday afternoon.
? Gov. Gavin Newsom announced an investigation into water supply issues that may have impeded firefighters' efforts.
?The Los Angeles Police Department said it arrested a possible arson suspect Thursday afternoon near the Kenneth Fire in the Woodland Hills neighborhood but ultimately did not have probable cause for the incident. Read more.
Death toll rises to 16
At least 16 people have died between the Eaton and Palisades fires, the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner announced Saturday evening.
In total, 11 people have died in the Eaton Fire, the medical examiner department listed. That's a rise from six deaths listed by the county medical examiner on Friday.
The Palisades Fire had at least five deaths, according to medical examiner records.
Of the 16 total deaths in both fires, the only victim identified by officials was Victor Shaw, 66, who died Wednesday protecting his home in Altadena. Another victim was man in his 80s, but authorities did not release his name, pending notification of next of kin.
Air quality advisories extended as wildfire smoke pollutes LA region
Wildfire smoke advisories extended through Sunday night as toxic air continued to choke large swaths of Southern California, air quality regulators said.
Smoke from the Palisades and Eaton fires is expected to heavily pollute coastal and central LA County Saturday into Sunday, the South Coast Air Quality Management District forecasted Saturday. Unhealthy levels of fine particulate matter ? small enough to lodge in people’s lungs ? are projected from Malibu to in and around Pasadena. Downtown Los Angeles, roughly between the two fires, is also expected to see unhealthy air quality levels. Smoke may also spread to adjacent Orange, San Bernardino and Riverside counties.
Wildfire smoke can be dangerous for all, though some people are at even greater risk, such as children, older people, those who are pregnant or have lung or heart conditions, and others who are immunocompromised. There are short-term health issues of coughing, chest pain, wheezing and asthma attacks. But wildfire smoke has been linked to increased risk of asthma, premature birth, cancer and even dementia.
In a separate advisory, the district said Santa Ana winds are also blowing unhealthy levels of dust throughout the Los Angeles region. Winds are expected to be between 30 and 40 mph with gusts up to 60 mph. These winds can dislodge ash from recent fires, the advisory said.
UCLA extends remote learning as Palisades Fire moves closer
UCLA extended remote learning through Jan. 17 due to the encroaching Palisades Fire, Chancellor Julio Frenk said Saturday. The decision applies to undergraduate and graduate courses, Frenk said in a campus update.
Evacuation zones have gradually moved closer to UCLA, located in Los Angeles' Westwood neighborhood, with warnings and orders in place near the campus, as of Saturday afternoon. Evacuation orders have been issued in the Brentwood neighborhood, just over the 405 freeway from Westwood.
More power shutoffs expected as fire conditions, including Santa Ana winds, persist
Los Angeles County is expected to see more power shutoffs as dangerous Santa Ana winds and dry conditions continue through next week that risk sparking even more blazes, county officials warned.
Despite some progress made fighting fires Saturday, the notorious Santa Ana winds ? a driving force for many of the fires ? are set to kick back up through Wednesday, Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said Saturday afternoon in Pasadena. Firefighters also face low humidity and low vegetation moisture in the region, which could add to wildfire threats. The National Weather Service issued red flag warnings through Wednesday.
Public safety power shutoffs, in which utility companies turn off power, will be inevitable to prevent new fire starts, he said.
“They help save lives,” Marrone said. “Yes, they’re a challenge to deal with, but it’s certainly better than having another fire start.”
In the Eaton Fire, which had its death toll raised Saturday, firefighters are also battling a mix of canyon fires as they also face several residential areas in hard-hit Altadena under threat from the fire. Conditions around NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, in La Ca?ada Flintridge, and in the mountains above in the Angeles National Forest have improved, according to Don Fregulia, operations section chief for the California Interagency Management Team Five.
ATF takes lead on investigation into cause of Palisades Fire
The U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives announced Saturday that the agency would take the lead in the investigation into what sparked the Palisades Fire.
Archer and Lidia fires contained
As crews battled five fires on Friday, a sixth – the Archer Fire – ignited near the Granada Hills area of the county, not far from the already blazing Hurst Fire. Since then, firefighters have 100% contained both the Archer Fire and Lidia Fire that was burning hundreds of acres near the Antelope Valley.
“One of the issues we’re having right now is we can’t tell where the fire is going to be in 30 minutes," Cal Fire Battalion Chief David Acu?a told USA TODAY on Friday.
Curfews net arrests in Eaton Fire as officials warn against looters
Curfews enacted Friday night by Los Angeles County law enforcement in evacuation zones have already resulted in arrests.
Violating the overnight curfew, 6 p.m. to 6 a.m., can result in a misdemeanor charge and $1,000 fine, said Plunkett in a briefing Saturday in Pasadena. Only authorized personnel and emergency responders are allowed in evacuation areas.
So far, 19 people have been arrested since the Eaton Fire’s start on Tuesday, including four for curfew violations the night before, she said. Three arrests were made in the Palisades Fire, Sheriff Robert Luna said Saturday morning.
While Pasadena has no curfew in place yet, Mayor Victor Gordo warned of arrests for people coming to loot.
“I would discourage anyone from even thinking about coming and victimizing our residents,” he said.
Cause of Hurst brush fire under investigation
Fire agencies are investigating whether Southern California Edison's utility infrastructure sparked the Hurst brush fire that is still burning in a Los Angeles suburb, SCE said Friday, adding no determination has been made. SCE, a unit of Edison International, said in a filing to its regulators that a downed conductor was discovered at a tower associated with its Eagle Rock - Sylmar 220 kilovolt circuit.
"That is a big line, 220 kilovolts is a big line. We're talking now about serious amounts of energy, a transmission line. It's the equivalent of a lightning bolt," said Robert McCullough, a veteran energy industry analyst, based in Portland, Oregon, who has studied the Maui, Hawaii, wildfire and other disasters linked to power lines.
The Hurst fire, which was reported Tuesday at 10:59 pm, began near Diamond Road in Sylmar, has scorched 799 acres and is 76% contained, according to Cal Fire.
- Janet Wilson and Reuters
What role does climate change play in the LA fires?
As California fire officials are still getting to the bottom of what sparked the wildfires raging across Los Angeles, and politicians point fingers at one another, climate change is helping drive an increase in large wildfires in the U.S.
"Climate change is leading to larger and more severe wildfires in the western United States," the latest National Climate Assessment previously reported. These fires have “significant public health, socioeconomic, and ecological implications for the nation.”
But is climate change the main factor in California? It's not quite that simple. Reporters from the Arizona Republic, part of the USA TODAY Network, dive into this topic:
Scientists are still uncertain as to a link between climate change and the intensity of the current Santa Ana winds, which firefighters are struggling against. What an overwhelming majority of climate scientists are certain about is that global warming – caused by humans burning fossil fuels for energy – has resulted in longer, more severe droughts and drier, more flammable vegetation, which create much greater risk for catastrophic wildfires across the Southwest, including in Southern California. "It's not just climate and it's not just a policy problem. It is both," Hannah Safford, associate director of climate and environment at the Federation of American Scientists, told the Republic. Read more.
If residents in the Pacific Palisades and Altadena/Pasadena areas are to rebuild, they'll have to do it with climate change in mind. Experts say it will take more than fire extinguishers and hoses to prevent recurring disasters in these hills. It will take fire-resistant building materials, arterial roads that can fit both evacuee traffic and fire trucks, adequately pressurized water systems and residents who work together to reduce fuel loads at all times, said Monalisa Chatterjee, an environmental studies professor and community resilience specialist at the University of Southern California. Read more.
Veterans evacuated from LA medical center
About 120 veterans living at the Community Living Center at the North Campus of the West Los Angeles VA Medical Center were relocated "out of an abundance of caution" on Friday, the Department of Veterans Affairs Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System said in a statement.
The West Los Angeles VA Medical Center sits just outside areas that are under mandatory evacuation orders and evacuation warnings.
"This proactive measure is being taken to ensure the continued safety and well-being of our Veterans, staff, and visitors," the statement said.
They made it out of the LA fires alive, but uncertainty swirls
Richard and Cathryn Conn evacuated from the Pacific Palisades neighborhood earlier this week, only to find out that much of their neighborhood had been decimated. But they still aren't sure about their four-bedroom house where they'd lived for over a quarter-century.
“You can visualize every room,’’ Richard Conn, 75, said, “and then you know there’s a 50 percent chance it doesn’t exist anymore."
“If you have ever wondered what it was like living in Dresden after the World War II firebombing, you should come to the Palisades," he said.
They also don't know what's going to happen next, as dangerous weather conditions have made it difficult to contain the fires, and more brush fires seem to keep popping up all over the county.
"I feel like people are panicking,'' said Gary Baseman, 64. Read more.
? Josh Peter, USA TODAY
See a map of Los Angeles wildfires
Simple actions can make a big difference to protect homes from fire
The thousands of structures destroyed by the Los Angeles wildfires are a reminder of a new but growing reality for Americans living in hotter, drier and more fire-prone areas – the need to create defensible space and fire-harden their homes.
This doesn't mean cutting down every tree and surrounding a home with a desert of pea gravel, wildfire safety and insurance experts are careful to say. Instead it's implementing the tenets of this new-to-many concept to give homeowners in fire-prone areas a fighting chance when firestorms swoop down on their neighborhoods.
Remove anything flammable from within a 5 feet perimeter of your home and any detached buildings, such as dry leaves and pine needles.
Cut trees growing near your roof line.
Remove jute and other flammable doormats, brooms from the porch and flammable outdoor furniture. "They're like kindling," said Todd Lando, a Battalion Chief wildfire specialist with Central Marin Fire Department in Marin County, California.
The bottom 6 inches of a home should be built with brick, concrete or other non-flammable materials.
? Elizabeth Weise
Contributing: Brandon Loomis, Paul Albani-Burgio, Isaiah Murtaugh, Jose Quintero and Joan Meiners, Arizona Republic; Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA TODAY
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Los Angeles fire updates: Death toll at 16 in Eaton, Palisades fires