Death toll from fires rises to 24, says coroner
The number of people confirmed dead in fires that are burning through the US city of Los Angeles rose to 24 on Sunday, authorities said.
The County of Los Angeles medical examiner published a list of fatalities without giving details of any identities. Eight of the dead were found in the Palisades Fire zone, and 16 in the Eaton Fire zone, the document said.
Hello, it’s almost 9pm in Los Angeles and we are closing our live blog for the evening.
For all our coverage of the wildfires, which California governor Gavin Newsom has said could be the “most devastating natural disaster in US history,” please see here.
For now, here is a quick summary of the most important developments from a disaster that has so far killed 24 people, displaced up to 100,000 and reduced entire neighbourhood to ash.
Firefighters are focusing on two of the worst fires in the county: the Palisades fire, which is 11% contained, and the Eaton Fire, which is 27% contained, according to Cal Fire, California’s department of forestry and fire prevention.
Firefighters have had some success over the weekend, with the Hurst fire now 89% contained having destroyed 799 acres, while a fourth fire, Kenneth, burned just over 1,000 acres before it was brought under control early on Sunday.
However, officials have warned that the Santa Ana winds could return, with Cal Fire, warning of “critical fire weather” through to Wednesday. In a post on BlueSky, CalFire said: “Life-threatening winds and dangerously low humidity are forecast for much of southern California – from Ventura to San Diego – creating a significant risk of rapid fire spread. The winds will cause increased fire activity.”
The death toll has risen to 24, according to the Los Angeles medical examiner, although officials acknowledge it is certain to rise. At least another 16 people are missing, according to Los Angeles county sheriff Robert Luna, who said search and rescue efforts were ongoing.
California governor Gavin Newsom said he will suspend a number of environmental laws to allow rebuilding across southern areas of the state destroyed by the wildfires. He said more than 50 teams of inspectors had been assigned to evaluate the damage, and hoped to complete the work in two weeks.
At least 20 arrests have been made for looting. Among them were two burglars who posed as firefighters when entering houses, according to the police.
Rob Bonta, the attorney general of California, has warned against scammers attempting to prey on victims amid the wildfires. Speaking at a press conference, Bonta said: “[In] emergencies like this, in addition to bringing out the best in so many, [it] also brings out bad actors who seek to use the trauma, the chaos of moments like this for their own gain.”
Schools, except some in mandatory evacuation zones, will reopen on Monday, after closing for all 429,000 students in the Los Angeles unified school district on Thursday and Friday, Superintendent Alberto Carvalho announced. Even still, tens of thousands of people forced from their homes by the enormous fires raking will not be able to return for at least four days, officials said on Sunday.
What started the fires?
Investigators are considering an array of possible ignition sources for the huge fires that have killed at least 24 people and destroyed thousands of homes and businesses in the Los Angeles area. The Associated Press reports:
In hilly, upscale Pacific Palisades, home to Hollywood stars like Jamie Lee Curtis and Billy Crystal who lost houses in the fire, officials have placed the origin of the wind-whipped blaze behind a home on Piedra Morada Drive, which sits above a densely wooded arroyo.
While lightning is the most common source of fires in the US, according to the National Fire Protection Association, investigators were able to rule that out quickly. There were no reports of lightning in the Palisades area or the terrain around the Eaton Fire, which started in east Los Angeles County and has also destroyed hundreds of homes.
The next two most common causes: fires intentionally set, and those sparked by utility lines.
John Lentini, owner of Scientific Fire Analysis in Florida, who has investigated large fires in California including the Oakland Hills Fire in 1991, said the size and scope of the blaze doesn’t change the approach to finding out what caused it.
“This was once a small fire,” Lentini said. “People will focus on where the fire started, determine the origin and look around the origin and determine the cause.”
So far there has been no official indication of arson in either blaze, and utility lines have not yet been identified as a cause either.
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