What to know about the devastation from the Los Angeles-area fires
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Fires burning homes and businesses in Los Angeles for a week have killed at least 25 people, displaced thousands of others and destroyed more than 12,000 buildings in what might be the most expensive set of conflagrations in the nation's history.
The blazes started Jan. 7, fueled by fierce Santa Ana winds that have posed problems for the large forces of firefighters deployed across several areas of the sprawling city. Cal Fire reported that the Palisades, Eaton, Kenneth and Hurst fires have consumed a total area of about 63 square miles (163 square kilometers). Cal Fire reported containment of the Palisades Fire at 19% and the Eaton Fire at 45% on Wednesday.
The Palisades Fire, along the coast, has been blamed for eight deaths, while the Eaton Fire farther inland has been blamed for 17 others, the LA County medical examiner's office said. Nearly 30 people were missing.
Investigators are still trying to determine what sparked the fires. They could be the nation's costliest ever. Government agencies haven't provided preliminary damage estimates yet, but AccuWeather, a company that provides data on weather and its impact, puts the damage and economic losses at $250 billion to $275 billion.
Here's a closer look at what to know about the fires.
Winds gusted up to 35 mph (56 kph) before dawn Wednesday along the coast and in the valleys, and up to 55 mph (89 kph) in the mountains around LA, said National Weather Service meteorologist Todd Hall.
A red-flag warning, which notes the increased risk of fire danger, was already in effect, but the weather service issued a rare warning about a “particularly dangerous situation” related to severe fire conditions.
The Santa Ana winds have turned seasonal wildfires into infernos that have leveled neighborhoods in and around Los Angeles, where there has been no significant rainfall in more than eight months.
Southern California’s winds typically flow onshore from the Pacific, carrying moist air onto land. The Santa Ana winds are warm currents that move in the opposite direction. They usually occur from September through May.
The wind was expected to switch directions on Friday and blow from the coast to the desert, which would bring more moisture off the Pacific Ocean, Hall said.
Firefighters got a reprieve Tuesday when winds were unexpectedly light, and they were able to make progress battling the two huge blazes and quickly snuff out several new ones.
About 40,000 people have applied for assistance from Federal Emergency Management Agency, which has already disbursed more than $8 million for immediate needs like water, food, baby formula and gas. The initial money goes directly into bank accounts, regional FEMA administrator Robert J. Fenton, Jr. said Tuesday, denying misinformation about vouchers.
President Joe Biden did say that the federal government would pay 100% of the firefighting and recovery costs in the first 180 days. But that doesn’t mean FEMA will cover 100% of individual families’ costs — the maximum amount FEMA can provide is $43,600, Fenton said.
Representatives from FEMA, the Small Business Administration, the state and several charities gathered to explain the process at a disaster recovery center at UCLA Research Park West and Pasadena City College Community Education Center.
FEMA offers up to $770 to help cover the evacuees' immediate needs, but its larger grants generally aren’t available until after insurance companies pay out. Someone who receives a maximum grant from FEMA might be eligible for another $10,000 grant from the state.
For other needs beyond what insurance and FEMA covers, the Small Business Administration offers low-interest loans: Businesses can borrow up to $2 million, while homeowners can borrow up to $500,000 for rebuilding and another $100,000 for personal property.
LA County Recovers, a government-run program, posted interactive maps on its website that show the damage.
The maps for the Eaton and Palisades fires allow users to click on an icon and get a description of the type of structure, such as a home or commercial building, and the type of damage, such as “major” or “destroyed.”
Addresses may be entered into a search bar to find a specific location. Users can also see photos of the damaged buildings.
Nine people have been charged with looting, including a group that stole an Emmy award from a house that had been evacuated, said Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman.
Another pair took more than $200,000 worth of items in a neighborhood filled with mansions, he said.
Price gouging has become an issue with hotels, short-term rentals and medical supplies. Scammers are also soliciting donations for bogus relief efforts, authorities said.
And three people were arrested outside the fire zones since Sunday for starting small fires, Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell said. The fires were spotted by alert citizens and quickly extinguished. One person was using a barbecue lighter to start fires. Another lit a trash can on fire. The third was caught lighting brush on fire. All were arrested on suspicion of arson, McDonnell said.
Sewer, water and power infrastructure across the region has been significantly damaged, and several utilities have declared their drinking water unsafe until extensive testing can prove otherwise.
Toxic chemicals from the fires can get into damaged drinking water systems. Experts say filtering or boiling won’t help.
Los Angeles County has more than 200 water service providers, but so far only a handful believe that damage or loss of pressure may have resulted in chemical contamination and have issued “Do Not Drink” notices.
Utilities are focused on ensuring there’s enough water for fighting fires, though some are beginning to test for contaminants. It can take weeks to months of testing before water can be declared safe for drinking.
About 88,000 people from highly populated neighborhoods including Pacific Palisades, Altadena and others remained under evacuation orders Tuesday. Another 84,800 might be ordered to evacuate. An overnight curfew remains in effect for evacuated areas, and violators have been arrested, authorities said.
Around 850 patients and residents of nursing homes, assisted living facilities and group homes were evacuated after the blazes last week, according to the California Department of Public Health.
More than 96,000 customers, more than half in Los Angeles County, were without power across California on Wednesday, according to PowerOutage.us, which tracks outages nationwide.
Thousands have fled and many have lost their homes, including Hollywood stars Billy Crystal and Mandy Moore, and Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick.
Although the fires have reduced a number of celebrity mansions and movie landmarks to ashes, they also burned through more affordable communities such as Altadena, which has served generations of Black families who might have faced discriminatory housing practices elsewhere.
The fires have also destroyed several places of worship, including a mosque, a synagogue, a Catholic parish and a half-dozen Protestant churches.
Investigators haven't determined the cause. But a person whose home was destroyed in the Eaton blaze claims in a lawsuit filed Monday that Southern California Edison’s equipment sparked it. Gabriela Ornelas, an Edison spokesperson, said the utility is aware that a lawsuit has been filed, but has not yet reviewed it.
Lightning is the most common source of fires in the U.S., according to the National Fire Protection Association, but investigators quickly ruled that out. There were no reports of lightning in the Palisades area or the terrain around the Eaton Fire, which started in eastern Los Angeles County.
The next two most common causes are fires that are intentionally set or caused by electricity lines.
© Copyright The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in this news report may not be published, broadcast or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.
