While the winds spread this weekend northwest of Los Angeles, now threatening the San Fernando Valley, the human toll this Monday morning reported 24 deaths according to the authorities.
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 24 deaths in a press release published on Sunday January 12. After a slight pause, the hot and dry winds are expected to regain intensity until Wednesday, not making the task of the firefighters on site any easier.
“Extreme fire behavior and life-threatening conditions” is forecast by the U.S. Weather Service. Gusts could reach 110 km/h from Tuesday morning. Direct consequence: the evacuees will not be able to return to the area until Thursday at the earliest, as indicated by the fire brigade. “They can’t go home, simply because it’s dangerous,” said Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone.
Santa Ana winds complicate firefighters’ task
Over the past weekend, the Palisades Fire spread northwest of Los Angeles and is now threatening the San Fernando Valley. In total, 12,000 structures were destroyed or damaged by the fire according to official estimates. A phenomenon accentuated by the Santa Ana winds, known to dry out the hills and make its soils highly flammable. In neighboring states, such as Nevada or Utah, cold air accumulates and moves towards the west and the Californian mountains, warming up, which once again accentuates this drying phenomenon. 23,700 hectares went up in smoke in the Palisades fire and 14,000 in the Eaton fire.
“These are the most extensive, devastating fires in the history of California,” American President Joe Biden already estimated on Thursday, January 9, during a crisis meeting at the White House. On Radio 4, the Los Angeles fire chief said there was “no conclusive evidence” that the fires were set deliberately. He said the investigation is 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 reported by the BBC 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.
A strict curfew
A curfew between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. is in effect in the Pacific Palisades and Altadena sectors to deal with looting in the disaster areas, particularly those most ravaged by the flames. This Sunday, the authorities announced the arrest of several people suspected of burglaries “one of whom was wearing a firefighter costume”, specifies Le Parisien. According to American authorities, these fires could be the most costly – in terms of damage – ever recorded in the United States.
Latest updates
08:42 – In California, “the situation is still critical”
This week, the U.S. Weather Service is forecasting “extreme fire behavior and life-threatening conditions.” Winds of up to 110 km/h are expected, in a “particularly dangerous situation”, according to meteorologist Rose Schoenfeld, particularly from Tuesday morning. For her part, Deanne Criswell, of the Federal Natural Disaster Response Agency (FEMA), considers the situation “still critical”.
08:26 – New human toll: 24 dead
According to the Los Angeles County Forensic Medicine Department, the human toll from the fires raging in the region was 24 dead this Monday morning. 8 people died in the Pacific Palisades fire and 16 perished in the Eaton fire.
