A day after firefighters received a respite from lighter-than-expected winds, gusts reached 35 mph (56 km/h) on the coast and valleys and 55 mph (88 km/h) in the mountains before dawn, said National Weather Service meteorologist Todd Hall.
The latest developments as of January 15, 2025:
Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristin Crowley said Wednesday that there will be lessons to be learned from responding to the fires, but stressed that her department did everything in its power to quickly get resources there where they were needed.
Kristin Crowley said her department followed the system in place to call off-duty firefighters and send additional fire trucks to help.
Other area fire departments also sent help quickly after Los Angeles requested it.
Help from the federal government
The Federal Emergency Management Agency received more than 53,000 requests for assistance and distributed $12 million to meet basic needs, such as food and shelter, for people affected by the California wildfires.
Government assistance is intended to cover part of the needs that insurance does not cover.
In addition to FEMA grants, the Small Business Administration offers low-interest loans to help individuals and businesses get back on their feet. Additionally, more than 70 organizations are also helping fire survivors.
SEE ALSO | Forest fires in Los Angeles: thousands of people threatened with evacuation
Karen Bass, the mayor of Los Angeles, acknowledged that it was impossible to replace much of what was lost in the fires.
“You lost memories, families. All the experiences that took place there disappeared, unexpectedly and quickly.”
-Karen Bass, Mayor of Los Angeles
Earlier this week, Ms. Bass issued an executive order aimed at speeding up reconstruction by eliminating certain administrative formalities.
“As we prepare to deal with the rest of the emergency, we must also begin to put in place what we need to do to rebuild,” she added.
Several arrests for fraud and looting
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman promised that consequences would be “swift and significant” for anyone who breaks the law.
Mr. Hochman said his office also investigates issues of price gouging. He called the practice “particularly despicable” because offenders take advantage of desperate people who need somewhere to stay.
Hochman said cases of charity and insurance fraud have also been reported. He encourages people to check charities before donating to them and to avoid sending cash or bitcoin.
Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell said one person admitted to starting a fire “because they liked the smell of burning leaves.” Another person said “she liked to cause chaos and destruction,” he said.
Dozens of other people were arrested for looting, burglary, curfew violations or other offenses. A person was arrested Tuesday evening for posing as a firefighter.
Threat of evacuation for thousands of people
Evacuations could be ordered if strong winds spread existing fires or help start new ones, authorities said Wednesday morning.
Authorities warn that it could be dangerous for residents to return to the different areas, even if evacuation orders have been lifted.
Kristin Crowley, Los Angeles city fire chief, said there remained significant safety zones in the burned areas, including downed power lines and ruptured gas lines.
More than two dozen people are still missing, according to the sheriff.
Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said Wednesday that his deputies had searched 78 percent of the Eaton Fire area, or more than 5,500 properties.
According to Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna, the toll is likely to rise. Nearly 30 people are still missing, he said Tuesday. Some people previously reported missing have been found.
Mr Luna added that around 82,400 people were still under evacuation orders as of Wednesday morning.
SEE ALSO | “There is nothing left”: the testimony of a Quebec woman victim of the forest fires in Los Angeles
The fight against fires continues
A new brush fire was quickly extinguished Tuesday, according to the fire chief. The fire threatened homes, but firefighters responded aggressively and put it out in 34 minutes, Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristin Crowley said Wednesday morning.
Infrared flights indicated there were still “many hot spots” in the Palisades Fire zone, Kristin Crowley said. “The danger has not yet passed,” she added.
Fire tornadoes possible in extreme California wildfire conditions
As if they weren’t faced enough already, California firefighters could also face fire tornadoes – a rare, but dangerous phenomenon in which wildfires create their own weather.
The National Weather Service warned Tuesday that the combination of high winds and extremely dry conditions has created a “particularly dangerous situation” in which any new fires could grow.
The advisory, which applies until Wednesday, does not mention tornadoes, but meteorologist Todd Hall says they are possible given the extreme conditions.
Just under 90,000 people in the county are still under evacuation orders, half as many as last week.
More than 94,000 customers were without power as of Wednesday morning, according to PowerOutage.us, a website that tracks outages. Southern California Edison said it cut power to 71,000 customers due to fire risk and could cut 266,000 more.
Difficult conditions
The National Weather Service is forecasting another day of strong winds that could spread existing fires and start new ones.
The wind will be less strong than last week’s gusts which fueled the fires, but it will remain powerful. Ventura County is expected to see some of the strongest winds.
However, the weather service said the strongest winds will be far from the massive Palisades fire, and Wednesday is expected to be the last truly windy day this week.
Firefighters are facing difficult conditions and terrain, according to Todd Hall, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.
Critical fire weather conditions were still expected Wednesday with some of the driest fuels, it said. There have been four episodes of Santa Ana winds, causing firefighters to deal with very dry fuels amid low humidity and gusty winds.
Firefighters are also battling blazes in a location where altitude can change quickly from the coast to the mountains.
“To put it in perspective, these firefighters, when they arrive at these fires, they are faced with flames three to five stories long,” he said. Firefighters will use bulldozers if they can get them through logging roads, but Hall said many crews have to hike up to 4,000 feet above sea level to set up perimeters around fires.
“There will be delicate situations for some firefighters,” he said. “So we will have to monitor the situation and stay in constant contact with them to inform them of the latest forecast and when this transition is supposed to occur, because this change in wind can essentially bring the fire back towards them as they build these lines.
Hollywood on hold
The Hollywood awards season has been suspended due to the crisis. Oscar nominations have been delayed twice, and some organizations have postponed their awards ceremonies and announcements without rescheduling them.
