Residents of Los Angeles are bracing for further devastation as weather forecasts indicate the winds fueling the flames could reignite.
Three fires are still burning. The largest, the Palisades Fire, has burned more than 23,000 acres and remained 14% contained as of Monday night.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said “urgent preparations” were being made ahead of near-hurricane-force winds forecast to peak on Tuesday.
On Monday, authorities also announced that nine people had been arrested for robbery and one for arson.
At a news conference, LA District Attorney Nathan Hochman showed videos of some of the robberies and outlined the maximum penalties if convicted.
In some of the cases, the suspects could face life in prison under California’s “three strikes” law — under which repeat offenders can be sentenced to 25 years to life after a third conviction.
One arson suspect was arrested in the nearby city of Azusa, about 20 miles (32 km) east of downtown Los Angeles.
The arson is not related to any of the large fires, but was allegedly set in a local park.
Police also warned of price gouging, internet scams and the flying of drones, which can interfere with firefighting aircraft.
They said a number of ongoing investigations mean more charges could be filed.
Blake Chow, assistant chief of the Los Angeles Police Department’s special operations bureau, issued a stark warning to the robbers: “You’re not going to get away with it.”
Also Monday, two lawsuits were filed against power company Southern California Edison (SCE) by property owners who lost their homes in the Eaton fire.
They claimed the company had failed to shut down its electrical equipment despite warnings of high winds.
A company spokesman said SCE had not yet been served with the complaint, but would review it when it received it.
“The cause of the fire remains under investigation,” the spokesman said.
The Eaton fire, the second largest in a series of blazes that have broken out across the city in the past week, has burned more than 14,000 acres and is 33% contained, authorities said.
There was “very little fire growth” in the Palisades blaze Monday, said Jim Hudson, CalFire’s deputy chief.
The BBC Weather Center says Santa Ana’s winds – blowing from the east or north-east – could reach gusts of up to 70 mph (112 km/h) on Tuesday, potentially fueling new fires.
Weather officials say lighter winds are expected after Wednesday, giving firefighters a chance to further contain the blazes.
At least 24 people have died in the fires, and 23 are missing in the Eaton and Palisades fire zones.
A curfew remains in effect in the evacuation areas between 18:00 and 06:00 local time.
Adam Schiff, the Democratic senator-elect for California, told the BBC he hoped the new Trump administration would act quickly to provide disaster relief for the area.
President-elect Donald Trump reportedly plans to visit the area in the coming days.
Asked if wildfires have become increasingly politicized, Schiff said, “There have been people doing it since the fires started.”
“That’s not helpful right now, let’s just focus on putting these fires out, getting people the help they need.”
Federal lawmakers are scheduled to meet Tuesday morning to discuss disaster relief for the state.
President Joe Biden said he has sent hundreds of federal personnel, air and ground support to California, and his team will “quickly respond” to any request for more help.
“Our hearts ache for the 24 innocent souls we lost,” he said.
Meanwhile, as city fire crews continue to try to contain the blazes, local residents have joined the relief effort.
Actor and comedian Will Arnett told the BBC that he has friends who have lost their homes.
“I think everyone should help in any way they can,” said Arnett, who helped distribute water to those affected by the fires.
“It’s nice to see people coming together and volunteering as they are.”
Fardad Khayami, a 24-year-old restaurant owner in Pacific Palisades, delivered hundreds of meals to people affected by the fires.
He told BBC Newsday: “If you look, from the outside, it seems to offer a normal city where we are. But if you drive five minutes to the west, it seems like a different world.”
He hoped to provide the locals with 500 meals a day “as many as they need”.
Altadena resident Michael Storc, who lost his family home, said “rents have gone up a lot.”
“I grew up as a poor kid renting, so going back to renting is kind of nasty,” he said.
His family wonders if they will ever be able to build again on the land where their home once stood, he said.
“We don’t know if it will ever be safe,” he told the BBC.
Although many expensive mansions were lost in the fires, Pete Brown, a spokesman for a local councilor in Pacific Palisades, said many of the owners had bought the houses some 50 years ago, some for around $25,000 (£20,500).
He said those elderly homeowners are now left with nothing.
“Their fortune was in that house,” Mr Brown said.
With additional reporting by Helena Humphry, Christal Hayes, Regan Morris, Gabriela Pomeroy and John Sudworth in Los Angeles.
