Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office announced on Saturday evening (January 11) that the death toll from the Los Angeles wildfires has risen to 16. Firefighters are still working tirelessly to extinguish the spreading wildfires, in order to prevent potential strong winds from pushing the fires towards some of the city’s most iconic landmarks.
According to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office, of the 16 fatalities, 5 are from the Palisades Fire and 11 are from the Eaton Fire.
Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said that at least 13 people have been reported missing, but it is still unclear if these missing cases are related to the fires.
As the search and rescue operations continue, the death toll is expected to rise.
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection reported that as of Saturday evening, the containment rates were 11% for the Palisades Fire, 15% for the Eaton Fire, 90% for the Kenneth Fire, and 76% for the Hurst Fire. Firefighting efforts are still ongoing.
The wildfires have burned approximately 62 square miles of land, larger than the area of San Francisco. The Palisades Fire and the Eaton Fire alone have scorched an area of nearly 59 square miles.
On Saturday evening, due to the winds, the Palisades Fire spread northeast towards the Mandeville Canyon area, prompting authorities to issue new evacuation orders. Celebrities including Arnold Schwarzenegger have homes in the Mandeville Canyon.
Michael Traum from the California Office of Emergency Services stated in a briefing on Saturday evening that 150,000 people in Los Angeles County have been issued evacuation orders, with over 700 evacuees staying in 9 shelters.
Traum mentioned that rescue efforts involve personnel from California and nine other states, including 1,354 fire engines, 84 aircraft, and over 14,000 personnel, including firefighters from Mexico.
“Weather conditions remain severe, with another round of strong winds expected to begin on Monday (January 13),” Traum said.
Los Angeles County Fire Department Chief Anthony Marrone stated in a press conference on Saturday that in the coming days, the strong winds will continue to pose challenges to firefighting efforts. Marrone warned that the combination of winds, dry air, and vegetation will keep the fire threat at a high level.
Los Angeles and Ventura Counties have issued red flag warnings indicating the possibility of “extreme fire weather conditions,” which will remain in effect until 6 PM on Wednesday (January 15) local time. Extreme weather conditions are expected to be caused by moderate to locally strong Santa Ana winds.
Several other regions, including the Inland Empire and Orange County, have also issued similar warnings.
Preliminary estimates suggest that this wildfire could be one of the costliest in American history. AccuWeather estimates that the total losses and economic damages so far range between $135 billion and $150 billion.
Sheriff Luna of Los Angeles County warned residents not to take risks by returning to their destroyed homes to search for memorabilia in the rubble.
“People have been driving by to try and go in and see things. Do not go close,” Luna said, urging people to adhere to the curfew.
Officials warned on Saturday that the dust from the debris may contain lead, arsenic, asbestos, and other hazardous substances.
Chris Thomas, a spokesperson for the Palisades Unified Incident Command, warned, “If you kick up those elements, you are going to inhale them.” He cautioned that these substances are “toxic.”
Thomas added that once the assessment of residents’ properties is conducted by the relevant teams, residents will be allowed to return with protective gear.
(Reference from the Associated Press)