Two people have been killed and more than 1,000 homes and other structures have been torched in the wildfires plaguing Southern California — which spread over 5,000 acres overnight, with the largest blazes remaining at 0% containment, Los Angeles County fire officials said.
The cause of the deaths is “unknown at this time,” LA County Fire Chief Anthony C. Marrone told reporters Wednesday morning.
Eaton Fire engulfs home in Altadena, Calif. on Jan. 8. Getty ImagesSeveral major fires have burned over 5,000 acres in LA County as of Wednesday morning. The Palisades Fire, west of Downtown Los Angeles, burned about 4.5 square miles while the Eaton Fire, north of Pasadena, exploded to over 3.1 square miles, destroying over 100 structures in its path. Meanwhile, the Hurst Fire in San Fernando Valley has burned about 500 acres.
While only two deaths have been reported so far, a “high number of significant injuries” among first responders and those who did not evacuate have been reported, Marrone said.
Firefighters battle Eaton Fire in Altadena, Calif. on Jan. 8. Getty ImagesStay up to date with the NYP’s coverage of the terrifying LA-area fires
- A timeline of the LA Fires — from early weather warnings to rampant blazes
- ‘Extreme’ risk of LA fires spreading, new blazes sparking with return of dangerous 75 mph Santa Ana winds
- Trump anticipates rising death toll in LA wildfires: ‘We’re gonna find many bodies and many more, many more dead’
- Deadly Palisades Fire set ‘maliciously’ by Florida firebug Jonathan Rinderknecht, feds say
The three fires still burning in LA as of Tuesday — Hurst, Palisades and Eaton — and the acreage they have burned. New York PostThe three major fires, formed under dangerous weather conditions caused by strong winds and low humidity are all 0% contained. Their exact causes are currently unknown, Marrone said.
The LA County Fire Department, which consists of 29 separate fire departments, is at a “drawdown” with all their trucks and personnel working to combat the growing blazes, Marrone said.
Marrone has requested assistance from neighboring Orange, Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties and contacted the state’s office of emergency services to request 50 engine strike teams composed of 250 fire engines and 1,000 personnel.
A home is destroyed in Altadena, Calif. on Jan. 8. Getty ImagesFirst responders from Nevada, Oregon and Washington have also rushed in to help local firefighters take down the fires, Marrone said.
The National Weather Service predicts red flag weather with strong winds and low humidity will persist, likely putting all residents of LA County in danger, Marrone warned.
More than 80,000 residents were under evacuation orders Wednesday and nearly 400,000 customers were without power early in the morning, according to poweroutage.us.
Most of the people being required to evacuate were located in the Pacific Palisades area, but others were in parts of Santa Monica and Altadena.
During Wednesday morning’s briefing, Los Angeles City Fire Chief Kristin Crowley noted the Pacific Palisades fire “continues to demand a significant amount of resources and attention.”
“These fires are stretching the capacity of emergency services to their maximum limits,” Crowley said.
The largest of the fires, the Pacific Palisades fire, has spread to over 3,000 acres and continues to grow, as approximately 400 LAPD firefighters work to stifle the flames, according to Crowley.
All aircraft were grounded Tuesday night due to “hurricane force” Santa Ana winds in the region, which have been fueling the fires.
“We want to make sure everybody understands we are absolutely not out of danger yet with the strong winds,” Crowley warned. “We continue to push through the city and the county today. We are all committed to our first responders and our firefighters remain focused on protecting lives and property.”
