Forest fires in California are raging for the fifth day in a row, the number of dead is increasing, there are new evacuations

Devastating wildfires in California began their fifth consecutive day on Saturday, and the officially confirmed death toll rose to 11. Los Angeles County The pathologist said Friday.

That number is expected to rise, however, as cadaver dogs make their way through flattened neighborhoods to assess the devastation in an area larger than San Francisco.

The situation remains volatile with the massive Palisades fire only 8% contained and the Eaton fire only 3% contained, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. More than 12,300 homes and buildings were engulfed in flames, and new evacuations were ordered Friday night in Mandeville Canyon and Interstate 405 after a blaze broke out on the east side of the Palisades Fire, FOX Weather reported.

FAILURES IN THE ELECTRIC NETWORK INCREASED JUST BEFORE LOS ANGELES FIRES STARTED: EXPERT

Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna compared the disaster to the explosion of an atomic bomb, but promised that the community would find a way to recover.

AccuWeather, a private company that provides data on weather and its impact, on Thursday raised its estimate of damage and economic loss to $135-150 billion.

So far, no official reason has been given.

A company that monitors electrical activity says faults along Los Angeles the power grid skyrocketed in the same areas where three large wildfires are currently raging.

Bob Marshall, CEO of Whisker Labs, he told Fox News Digital that the company saw a spike in breakdowns in the hours before the Eaton, Palisades and Hurst fires.

“Faults are caused by tree branches touching the strings or strings blowing in the wind and touching each other. That creates a spark in the fault, and we’re detecting all these things,” Marshall explained, adding that he can’t definitively say whether one of those faults caused the fire.

WATCH: Los Angeles power outages spiked before wildfires, expert says

There was a respite with the strong Santa Ana winds easing somewhat on Friday.

Winds helped the flames spread at an incredible speed. Although winds are calmer Saturday morning, new fire weather data has been released Saturday night into Sunday as stronger Santa Ana winds return, FOX Weather reports.

Firefighters are still battling the blaze, using helicopters and planes to douse the flames with water and fall retardant. Winds also pose a danger to flight crews, who must navigate at low altitudes over hilly terrain.

California Governor Gavin Newsom has dispatched the National Guard to support law enforcement efforts in the region. This brings the total number of field personnel working with local and federal agencies to 8,000.

More than 600 Guardsmen are assisting local authorities, the Pentagon said Friday. Marines and other military service members are on alert.

“More than 600 California National Guard personnel are currently activated, including 14 hand crews for fuel mitigation, 200 military police for security operations, and 10 helicopters for firefighting and search and rescue operations. This number is expected to increase over the next 24 hour,” Pentagon Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh told reporters.

In some parts of Los Angeles, residents have returned to their still-smoldering neighborhoods, even as the threat of more fires remains and the nation’s second-largest city remains unsettled. For some, it was their first glimpse of the stark reality of what has been lost as the region of 13 million people grapples with the enormous challenge of overcoming the disaster and rebuilding.

Bridget Berg, who was at work when she saw her Altadena home go up in flames on TV, returned for the first time with her family two days later “just to make it real.”

Her children searched through debris on the sidewalk, found a clay pot and a few mementos as they searched for the Japanese woodblock prints they hoped to find.

“It’s okay. It’s okay,” Berg said as much to herself as to others as she contemplated the devastation, recalling the deck and pool from which her family watched the fireworks. “It’s not like we just lost our house – everyone lost their house.”

Robbery also became a problem, with Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan Hochman warning the robbers that they will be punished.

Sheriff Luna said at a press briefing Thursday that at least 20 people had been arrested on robbery charges and warned potential copycats to stay away from evacuated homes.

HELP PEOPLE AFFECTED BY THE CALIFORNIA FIRES HERE

At the same time, private security firms are struggling to meet increased demand as flames and looters threaten Los Angeles’ upscale neighborhoods.

“We’re beaten,” said Herman Weisberg, director of SAGE Intelligence, which works with Hollywood stars and other high-profile individuals. “I can’t get guys there, and it’s almost impossible to fit them.”

A curfew went into effect Friday at 6 p.m. until 6 a.m. Saturday local time for all mandatory evacuation areas affected by the Palisades and Eaton fires.

The disaster swept away the homes of everyone from waiters to movie stars. The flames engulfed schools, churches, a synagogue, libraries, boutiques, bars, restaurants, banks and local landmarks such as Will Rogers’ western ranch home and the Queen Anne-style mansion in Altadena that dates to 1887 and was commissioned for wealthy cartographer Andrew McNally.

The leadership, both at the city and state level, has met with harsh criticism.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass was condemned for not paying attention letter from the fire department last month, raising concerns about the impact of budget cuts on the ministry’s bushfire response.

Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristin Crowley said Friday that the city has failed its residents. She also criticized the lack of water.

“When the firefighter gets to the hydrant, we expect there will be water,” she said.

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On Thursday, Newsom was confronted by a resident who demanded to know why the hydrants had emptied. On Friday, he invited Mr independent investigation in the loss of pressure on some fire hydrants used to extinguish forest fires.

He also ordered state officials to determine why the 117-million-gallon reservoir was not operational and some hydrants had run dry, calling it “deeply troubling.”

Meanwhile, Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristin Crowley said city leadership has failed her department by not providing enough money to fight the fires.

FOX Corporation has donated $1 million to the American Red Cross for California Wildfire Relief to support residents affected wildfires are raging across Southern California.

The donation will help the agency provide safe shelter, hot meals, emotional support and resources to aid recovery in the region.

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FOX Corporation continues to partner with the Annual Disaster Donation Program and encourages viewers to join them in helping families affected by the devastating wildfires in urgent need. Every donation it better enables the Red Cross to respond and help residents recover from this disaster.

The Walt Disney Company, based in Burbank, California, pledged $15 million for wildfire relief after thousands of people lost their homes and at least 11 people died in the fires.

Fox News’ Chris Pandolfo, Rachel Wolf, Ashley Papa and Michael Ruiz, as well as Fox Weather and The Associated Press contributed to this report.