By Chad Terhune and Jorge Garcia
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Los Angeles firefighters are bracing for high winds overnight on Tuesday, gusts that could fuel two monstrous wildfires that have already leveled entire neighborhoods, killed at least two dozen people and burned an area the size of Washington, D.C.
Dry, dangerous Santa Ana winds gusted to 30 to 50 mph (48 to 80 km/h) later Monday, but the red flag warning was not due to begin until 10 p.m. Pacific Standard Time (0600 GMT) with the highest winds expected to could reach 75 mph (120 km/h) starting around 4 a.m. Tuesday (1200 GMT), said David Roth, a meteorologist with the National Weather Center for weather forecast service.
More than 8,500 firefighters attacked the fires from the air and from the ground, preventing the fires on both sides of Los Angeles from spreading overnight.
“This setup is as bad as it gets,” and Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristin Crowley told Angelenos, “We’re not clear.”
Officials said the state was pre-deploying fire crews to vulnerable areas, not only in Los Angeles but also in other Southern California counties that were also under increased fire danger.
Two major wildfires broke out last week, fueled by hurricane-force winds that brought dry air from deserts inland.
Since then, at least 24 people have died in the fires, Los Angeles County Medical (TASE:) Examiner’s report.
The wildfires destroyed or damaged more than 12,000 structures, turning entire neighborhoods into smoldering ash and piles of rubble, leaving behind an apocalyptic landscape.
As of Monday, more than 92,000 people in Los Angeles County had been ordered to evacuate — down from the previous record of more than 150,000 — while another 89,000 were under evacuation warnings.
The Palisades fire, which wiped out upscale communities on the western edge of Los Angeles, has burned 23,713 hectares (96 square kilometers) and is 14% contained, a figure that represents the percentage of the fire’s extent that firefighters have under control.
The Eaton (NYSE: ) The fire in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains east of the city has consumed another 14,117 acres (57 square kilometers) and is 33% contained, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) reported.
A third blaze of 799 hectares (3.2 square kilometers) north of the city is 95% contained, and three other fires in the district have been fully contained in recent days.
The Eaton fire damaged the Altadena home of Lorraine Bryan, 63, and destroyed two other homes on her property. She told Reuters she worries about getting the extra doses of insulin she needs to manage her diabetes.
“I’m worried about insurance and about rebuilding and getting back on my feet,” Bryan said Monday, standing in the doorway of her burned home. “I need my medicine. I’m trying to see who can help us.”
DEATH AND ARREST
Deputies are finding human remains every day as they search burned parts of Altadena, where the Eaton fire first started, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said.
“It’s a very difficult task,” Luna said, adding that he expected the confirmed death toll to rise in the coming days.
California Governor Gavin Newsom said the firestorm could be considered the most destructive natural disaster in US history. It is already the most expensive forest fire in terms of insured damages.
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said Monday that 10 people have been arrested in connection with the fires. Nine people were arrested for breaking into apartments in the areas affected by the fires. Another person was arrested for arson after allegedly trying to set fire to a tree in the town of Azusa, about 20 miles northeast of downtown Los Angeles.
U.S. Sen. Adam Schiff, Democrat of California, said during a news conference Monday that there is a “special place in hell” for looters.
Escorted by law enforcement personnel, he added, “And if the people behind me have anything to say about it, there will be a special place for you in prison, too.”
Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power was sued Monday over claims it failed to properly manage water supplies critical to fighting the deadly Palisades Fire, a court filing showed. The residents who sued allege the department was supposed to maintain water in a nearby reservoir, which was dry when the fire first broke out last Tuesday.
AID AND POLICY
“Our hearts ache for the 24 innocent souls we lost in the wildfires across Los Angeles,” said US President Joe Biden, who announced additional disaster aid for California, covering debris removal costs and emergency protective measures.
But top Republicans in the US Congress are considering imposing conditions on disaster relief, accusing the state’s Democratic leadership of mismanaging water resources and forests.
California Governor Newsom and other leading Democrats in the state have come under fire for their handling of the fires.
President-elect Donald Trump planned to visit the disaster zone after he is inaugurated next week, a source familiar with the planning said.
With thousands of homeowners facing expensive rebuilding, major commercial banks including JPMorgan Chase (NYSE: ) and Bank of America announced plans to ease mortgage repayments for the vulnerable. Insurers look at historical losses.
