As weather forecasters once again warn of strong winds expected to strike this week, firefighters in the Los Angeles area are working tirelessly on Sunday (January 12) to extinguish local wildfires. The ongoing wildfire has already claimed the lives of 16 people, with an additional 16 people reported missing, and authorities anticipate the number of missing persons to increase.
The National Weather Service has issued a Red Flag Warning effective until Wednesday (15th), predicting severe fire conditions to persist until then, with sustained wind speeds reaching up to 50 miles per hour and mountain gusts reaching up to 70 miles per hour. Meteorologist Rich Thompson from the agency mentioned that the most dangerous day would be Tuesday (14th).
Thompson stated during a community meeting on Saturday (11th) night, “You are facing very strong Santa Ana winds, very dry atmospheric conditions, and still very dry brush, so we still face extremely critical fire weather conditions.”
Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna announced on Sunday morning that 12 people are missing in the Eaton Fire area, and 4 people are missing in the Palisades Fire area. Meanwhile, the death toll has risen to 16. The County Coroner’s Office stated in a Saturday evening release that 5 people died in the Palisades Fire and 11 died in the Eaton Fire.
Officials are setting up an online database for evacuees to check if their homes are damaged or destroyed. Meanwhile, Los Angeles City Fire Department Chief Kristin Crowley urged people to stay away from the burned communities.
Crowley stated in Sunday’s briefing that there are still active fires in the Palisades area, which are extremely dangerous for the public: no electricity, no water, gas lines ruptured, and unstable housing structures.
Approximately 150,000 people in Los Angeles County are still under evacuation orders. Luna also mentioned that over 700 residents are taking shelter in 9 evacuation centers.
As of Sunday morning, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection reported that the burned area of the Palisades Fire, Eaton Fire, Kenneth Fire, and Hurst Fire has exceeded 62 square miles (160 square kilometers), surpassing the size of San Francisco. The containment rate of the Palisades Fire is 11%, while the Eaton Fire is at 27%. Both blazes have consumed a total of 59 square miles (nearly 153 square kilometers).
Teams from California and nine other states are participating in ongoing response efforts, mobilizing 1,354 fire engines, 84 aircraft, and over 14,000 firefighters, including firefighters newly arrived from Mexico.
Several wildfires that occurred north of downtown Los Angeles on Tuesday have destroyed over 12,000 buildings, with the Eaton Fire alone consuming over 7,000 buildings; the cause is yet to be determined.
These wildfires could potentially become the deadliest in American history. AccuWeather’s preliminary estimates indicate that the destruction and economic losses caused by the wildfires range between $135 billion and $150 billion to date.