The death toll in California fires rises to at least 16, and more than 37,000 hectares have burned

Number of deaths from California wildfires rose to 16, according to the Los Angeles Medical Examiner.

Crews are scrambling to contain the spreading fires before potentially strong winds return that could push the flames toward some of the city’s most iconic landmarks.

The medical examiner’s office says five of those deaths were in the Palisades fire, while 11 people died in the Eaton fire.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department has imposed a curfew on authorized evacuated areas affected by the Palisades and Eaton wildfires from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. local time.

“Law enforcement will strictly enforce this curfew for your protection and to allow emergency personnel to work efficiently,” the department said on X. “Your safety is always our priority.”

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The previous number of confirmed deaths before Saturday was 11, but officials said they expected the number to rise as cadaver dog teams conducted systematic searches of the immediate neighborhoods. Authorities have set up a center where people can report missing persons. There were fears that winds could push the fires toward the J. Paul Getty Museum and UCLA, while new evacuation warnings left more homeowners on edge.

By Saturday evening, Cal Fire reported that the Palisades, Eaton, Kenneth and Hurst fires had consumed about 62 square miles, an area larger than San Francisco. The Palisades and Eaton fires burned 59 square miles.

Officials estimate that at least 37,000 hectares have burned.

In a briefing posted online Saturday night, Michael Traum of the California Office of Emergency Management said 150,000 people in Los Angeles County were under evacuation orders and more than 700 people were sheltering in nine shelters.

Crews from California and nine other states are part of an ongoing response that includes 1,354 fire engines, 84 aircraft and more than 14,000 people, including newly arrived firefighters from Mexico, he said.

With Cal Fire reporting the Palisades fire at 11% containment and the Eaton fire at 15% containment Saturday night, the fight continues.

“Weather conditions are still critical and another round of strong winds is expected from Monday,” Traum said.

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As of Saturday, the unincorporated community of Altadena remained closed to residents due to the fire in Eaton. The department has changed evacuation orders to evacuation warnings for the following areas located within the city of La Canada Flintridge: north of Knight Way, Gould Canyon Trail and east of Oakwood Avenue, Angeles Crest Highway at the turnoff to Gould Mesa Road and Starlight Crest Drive, as well as NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

“The evacuation order is mandatory: you will need to leave immediately due to imminent danger (eg forest fire or flood). Ignoring it puts lives at risk and may hinder emergency efforts,” the ministry wrote on X. “The evacuation warning is a precautionary measure : be prepared to evacuate if conditions worsen. It is recommended that you prepare to leave solely for your own safety and to protect lives.”

The orders have been lifted for other areas located within the city of La Canada Flintridge, including all residences within city limits from Angeles Crest Highway east to Oakwood Avenue, north of Angeles Crest Highway at the bend West to Haskel Street, north of Foothill Boulevard to Knight Way and intersection of Gould Canyon Trail at Crown Avenue, and east to Varo Road, the department said.

The department also announced the resettlement of communities affected by the Eaton fire from 3pm local time on Friday. The orders have been lifted and reopened for residents of the City of Bradbury and Bradbury Estates, as well as the City of Duarte. The department said it “will have a strong presence in resettled and evacuated areas over the next several days to ensure the protection of our residents and their property.”

“All other road closures and evacuation areas due to the EATON FIRE remain in effect,” the ministry wrote on Facebook.

The National Weather Service warned that strong Santa Ana winds could return soon. Those winds are largely blamed for turning wildfires into an inferno that flattened entire neighborhoods in a city that hasn’t seen significant rainfall in more than eight months. The fire also threatened to jump Interstate 405 and engulf densely populated areas in the Hollywood Hills and San Fernando Valley.

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More than 12,000 structures have burned in the fires that began Tuesday north of downtown LA. Firefighters made their first progress Friday afternoon on the Eaton Fire north of Pasadena, which has burned more than 7,000 structures, including homes, apartments, commercial buildings, outbuildings and vehicles. Most evacuation orders for the area have been lifted, officials said.

AccuWeather’s preliminary assessment damage and economic losses so far between 135 and 150 billion dollars.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.