Six days after the start of the fires ravaging Los Angeles, the toll rose further on Sunday January 12, rising to at least 24 dead, according to the Los Angeles County forensic medicine service. He published a list of victims, of whom eight died due to the Pacific Palisades fire and 16 due to the Eaton fire.
Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert G. Luna said his office had received “dozens and dozens” of missing person reports. The authorities nevertheless say that they are not yet in a position to assess the real number of deaths. According to images broadcast in the American media, including the channel CNNthe housing estates where the fire passed are nothing more than piles of ashes and debris. “Many areas still look like they were bombed,” said Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna.
Strong winds expected
Firefighters are in a critical phase of their fight against the flames. Crews are reporting progress, but officials say the fire threat will remain very high due to the return of dangerous winds this week. After a short lull, hot and dry winds are expected to gain strength until Wednesday.
The US Weather Service is forecasting “extreme fire behavior and life-threatening conditions”, which will peak with winds of 110 km/h in a “particularly dangerous situation (PDS)” starting Tuesday morning, said meteorologist Rose Schoenfeld. These gusts of wind combined with very dry air and persistent drought will worsen conditions for firefighters who are desperately fighting to reinforce containment, underlines CNN. There is a chance the forecast center will issue “extremely critical” fire weather conditions for parts of Ventura County on Tuesday.
The return of compromised evacuees
While thousands of evacuees are expected to return to devastated neighborhoods this week, firefighters have warned that these winds will prevent any return before Thursday, calling for patience from residents who sometimes queue for hours in the hope of collecting medicine. or clothes at home, or simply to see if their house was destroyed or not. Authorities have stressed that downed power lines, gas leaks and smoldering fires make devastated areas very dangerous for evacuees to return. “They can’t go home, simply because it’s dangerous,” said Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone.
The evacuated areas currently concern around 100,000 people compared to a peak of 180,000 in recent days. Damages from the fires are expected to be in the tens of billions of dollars, and some experts already fear these fires could be the costliest on record. According to the latest information, the Palisades fire has ravaged 23,713 hectares, the Eaton fire, 14,117 hectares and 799 hectares in Hurst. The investigation to determine the causes of these multiple fires, in which the FBI is participating, is still ongoing, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna recalled on Saturday.