The death toll from California’s firestorm was expected to rise, authorities said, as wildfires continued to burn out of control in Los Angeles. The “Palisades fire” between Malibu and Santa Monica and the “Eaton fire” near Pasadena were still uncontained as of Thursday morning.
Pacific Palisades / KLTV
LA County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said growth of the Eaton fire had been “significantly stopped,” while progress in Hollywood and Studio City allowed evacuation orders in the Hollywood Hills to be lifted.
Despite this, around 180,000 residents remained evacuated.
Pacific Palisades Source: KTLA /
The Palisades fire had destroyed “thousands” of properties, while over 1,000 were damaged or destroyed in the Eaton fire, said LA Fire Department Chief Kristin Crowley. “The Palisades fire is one of the most destructive natural disasters in Los Angeles’ history,” she said.
Source: KTLA
LA County Sheriff Robert Luna said five deaths had been linked to the Eaton fire, but it was “too early to release a death toll.”
Pacific Palisades Source: KTLA /
He added, “At some point, we’ll do a more thorough search of these areas—some look like a bomb was dropped—where we’ll use canines and other resources. Our prayer is to find as few fatalities as possible.”
Authorities also faced reports of looting, with 20 arrests made for burglary and related crimes. Sheriff Luna warned, “If you do not belong in these evacuation areas, you will be arrested.” LA County Board Chair Kathryn Barger condemned the looting, calling it “shameful” to target vulnerable communities during a crisis.
KTLA
The fires have devastated neighbourhoods spanning socio-economic groups, including properties owned by celebrities like Paris Hilton, who said her Malibu beach house was “burned to the ground.”
Some evacuees, returning to survey the damage, expressed disbelief. Marjie Blake said, “We never imagined the fire would get this far.” A neighbour, who lost a home and a Jaguar, criticised the lack of water available for fire crews. “They told us to leave and turned back because they had no water,” he said.
Analysts predicted the fires could cost up to $80 billion, potentially making them the costliest in US history.
