The death toll from the Los Angeles fires rises to at least 16. Firefighters are still mobilized to try to contain the four fires still in progress. Flames have been ravaging Los Angeles since Tuesday January 7.
The Los Angeles fires continue to cause material and human damage. The provisional report from the fires carried out by the Los Angeles County Forensic Institute now shows 16 deaths in a press release published on Sunday January 12. A figure that is likely to continue to increase. “This is a crisis and we don’t know what to expect, but we are prepared for anything,” the Los Angeles sheriff said Thursday evening. Around 180,000 residents are under evacuation warning.
“These are the most widespread, devastating fires in the history of California,” said US President Joe Biden on Thursday evening during a crisis meeting at the White House. The president assured that the images which reached him made him think of “war zones, with bombings”, Friday evening. In total, six major fires have already burned more than 10,000 hectares in several sectors of the city. Four fires are still in progress. These are the Palisades Fire, the largest of the fires, which burned 96km² (11% content), the Eaton Fire, which burned 57km² (15% content), the Kenneth Fire, which burned 4km² ( contained at 90%) and the Hurst Fire, which burned 3km² (contained at 76%). Thursday evening, Joe Biden announced that the federal government will cover 100% of the costs linked to fires, such as debris collection or management of temporary shelters, for six months.
Accidental or arson fires?
The Los Angeles fires were able to progress at full speed thanks to the weather conditions of the last few days in Los Angeles. After two rainy years which allowed the vegetation to reform densely, these last months of drought – the last rain dates back to May 2024 and only offered a few millimeters of water – have made the bushes very flammable. The violent winds that have been blowing and expected to continue this weekend, according to the National Weather Service, are allowing the fires to gain ground very quickly. A lull was felt Friday evening, but the wind should pick up again on Sunday. But the question is how the fires started. On Radio 4, the Los Angeles fire chief said there was “no conclusive evidence” that the fires were set deliberately. He said the investigation was just beginning: “Now that people’s safety is a priority and we have sufficient resources to help them, they can start digging into the investigation and see what they can find out.” .”
Despite the lack of evidence, a man was arrested on suspicion of lighting an arson fire, as the BBC reported this Friday, January 10. The fire in question would be that of Kenneth, the last to have broken out on the evening of Thursday January 9.
Looting in disaster areas
Areas that have been evacuated are now subject to a curfew, from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. local time. The aim is to protect the houses which have remained intact from looting. Indeed, the areas in question are now deserted and the residents subject to an evacuation order have left, leaving all their belongings behind. Enough to delight the looters who enter these houses without witnesses, and with alarms which sometimes no longer work due to power cuts. The neighborhoods are then closed off at night, except for law enforcement, firefighters and the press. 20 people have already been arrested for this looting.
15:45 – What are the consequences of air quality?
Health authorities have warned about the air quality in Los Angeles, which is more than degraded due to smoke from the fires ravaging the city. Fragile people are asked to stay at home to limit the risks. Exposure to smoke for a long time can cause lung problems, including persistent coughing. It can also aggravate already present health problems, such as asthma, according to ANSES, the national health security agency (France). But these effects only concern forest fires. The structures that burned in Los Angeles are homes in which burning objects can release even more dangerous toxic fumes. There are also many cars that were reduced to smoke, along with the gasoline they contained.
2:54 p.m. – Four fires still in progress
Of the six fires in Los Angeles, four are still ongoing. These are the Palisades Fire, which is the largest fire and which has burned 9,600 hectares and is only 11% contained, the Eaton Fire which has burned 5,700 hectares and is 15% contained, the Kenneth Fire, which burned 400 hectares and is 90% known and the Hurst Fire which burned 300 hectares and is 76% contained.
2:03 p.m. – The Kenneth Fire is almost completely contained
This fire is not the most devastating: it burned around 4 km² and did not destroy any homes. It is located northwest of the Palisades Fire, the largest. The Kenneth Fire was 80% contained Saturday night and was 90% contained Sunday, according to the LA Times. The firefighters should quickly succeed in putting it out, so that mobilized teams can come to support the areas most at risk.
13:41 – Donald Trump’s repeated attacks
The president-elect and soon to be inaugurated does not budge: the devastation caused by the fires in Los Angeles is due to the incompetence of the policies of the State of California: “The fires are still raging in Los Angeles. Incompetent politicians n “have no idea how to turn them off,” he wrote on his Truth Social network. “What is wrong with them,” the billionaire indignantly, in a tone that has become habitual over time, assuring that “death is everywhere” in Los Angeles, the country’s second city.
13:07 – Billionaire couple accused of monopolizing water reserves
While every liter of water must be used to try to put out fires and residents of Los Angeles are called upon to save this precious resource as much as possible, a billionaire couple is accused of consuming too much. Firefighters are having difficulty finding the water needed to put out the flames, as the fire hydrants are sometimes dry or without pressure.
Stewart and Lynda Resnick don’t seem very concerned about saving water. The billionaire couple heads a group that owns Wonderful pistachios, Fiji Water and Pom Wonderful pomegranate juice. They are the world’s largest producers of pistachios and almonds, water-intensive crops. In 2016, they would have consumed “more water than all of Los Angeles”, according to Mother Jones magazine, relayed by Courrier International, with 450 million m3 of water used each year. An agreement made in 1994, called the “Monterey Agreement” allows them to use these resources. In California, 80% of water resources are used for agriculture.
12:26 – Damage estimated at $150 billion
The fires caused widespread damage, destroying more than 10,000 buildings and cars. Water and electricity infrastructure was also damaged. An estimate of the damage has been made at 150 billion dollars, and the outbreaks have not yet been extinguished. The flames threaten universities and museums which contain equipment and works that could drastically increase the bill.
11:54 – How is the search for victims going?
Emergency services are searching for victims in the rubble of the buildings while firefighters continue to battle the flames. They are accompanied by sniffer dogs to find missing people, who may be injured or dead.
11:23 – The disaster victims’ puzzle to find rehousing
People who have lost everything, their homes, their belongings, their cars, must now find solutions to find new housing. Rentals seem the simplest solution, but the urgency of the situation tempts some owners to artificially inflate their prices. The state’s Democratic governor recalled that this practice was a “crime punishable by one year in prison and a $10,000 fine.”
10:55 – An investigation is carried out to find out the causes of the fire
Los Angeles Sheriff Robert Luna recalled Saturday that the investigation was still ongoing to determine the causes of these fires. The FBI is participating in this investigation. “We will leave no stone unturned,” explained the sheriff, “if it is a criminal act, and I am not saying that it is, we must get our hands on the person(s) responsible.”
10:31 – City water distribution service singled out
There are many criticisms regarding fire management. In fact, the city’s fire department budget was drastically reduced and the fire hydrants were not effective. Although they should have been filled with water in this dry and windy season, firefighters discovered that they were empty or with too little water for there to be enough pressure. The state’s Democratic governor, Gavin Newsom, has called for a “comprehensive independent review” of the city’s water services.
10:07 – Increasing damage
Images of the Los Angeles fires show flames ravaging everything in their path. 12,000 structures have been destroyed or damaged since the beginning of the phenomenon on Tuesday, as specified by local authorities. This figure takes into account buildings and cars.
09:39 – The Palisades Fire spreads towards San Fernando
The wind is back in California this weekend. Gusts pushed the flames toward northwest Los Angeles. The Palisades Fire continues to grow and now threatens the San Fernando Valley.
09:16 – A new report shows 16 dead
Flames have been ravaging Los Angeles for five days now. Authorities have reported 16 deaths as the fires continue to spread.
