LA fires latest: Death toll rises to 16 as firefighters brace for intense winds

Summary

Four wildfires are currently burning around Los Angeles
At least 16 people have been killed so far - 11 attributed to the Eaton Fire and five to the Palisades, while 13 others are missing
Malibu has lost one-third of its eastern edge, the city's mayor says - and a resurgence of winds could complicate efforts to knock back the flames
The largest fire, Palisades, is spreading east and now threatens the wealthy neighbourhood of Brentwood - where evacuation orders have been issued

Live Reporting

Edited by Jenna Moon

Kamala Harris among those with property in Brentwood suburbpublished at 09:40 Greenwich Mean Time
Image source, Reuters
As we've been reporting, parts of the upscale area of Brentwood are under evacuation orders after becoming threatened by the spreading Palisades Fire.
Among those who are reported to have homes in the suburb are US Vice-President Kamala Harris, basketball star LeBron James, actor and former California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, Disney CEO Bob Iger, and rapper and producer Dr. Dre.
The Pasadena local fire chief, Chad Augustin, says residents should be prepared to leave the area if advised to do so.
California's neighbours dispatch reinforcementspublished at 09:20 Greenwich Mean Time
California's neighbouring states have dispatched crews to help Los Angeles battle the four fires that continue to ravage the city.
Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, Arizona, Oregon and Washington have sent firefighters to Los Angeles, according to a report from the BBC's US partner CBS.
The US's closest neighbouring countries, Canada and Mexico, have also dispatched crews.
More than 70 firefighters and disaster relief workers from Mexico's National Forestry Commission and Ministry of Defence were deployed to Los Angeles yesterday to help bolster efforts to contain the fires. That is in addition to another group of Mexican firefighters who reportedly arrived in Los Angeles on Friday.
Canada is preparing to send firefighters and specialist equipment to the area and coordinators say fire crews could arrive as soon as Monday.
"These reinforcements are crucial not only for containment efforts but also to provide much-needed relief to the brave firefighters on the frontlines," says the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection in a post on X.
Approximately 14,000 personnel are currently battling the Palisades fire, according to California Governor Gavin Newsom.
Image source, Reuters
Image caption,
A Mexican military and fire aid team gather before boarding a plane bound for California to help fight wildfires
LA water department says reports of broken fire hydrants are 'false'published at 09:01 Greenwich Mean Time
Image source, Reuters
The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) says claims that fire hydrants in Pacific Palisades were broken before the fires are "misleading and false".
In a statement, the department says it "repaired every hydrant needing repairs as reported by LA Fire Department inspectors".
The LADWP says it had an updated list of all hydrants needing repairs ahead of the fire and that they were all operational.
It adds that about 20% of fire hydrants in the Palisades area - and mostly in the higher elevations - lost water pressure "due to unprecedented and extreme demand to fight the wildfire without aerial support". In those cases, water tankers were dispatched to help firefighters.
The update comes amid claims that firefighters had run out of water or that fire hydrants had low pressure, hampering their efforts to tackle the blazes.
Displaced Californians face steep costs as officials warn against price gougingpublished at 08:42 Greenwich Mean Time
Image source, Getty Images
People who have either lost their homes or are displaced by fire evacuation orders say price gouging incidents are preventing them from finding new accommodation.
Maya Lieberman, a 50-year-old stylist, tells AFP news agency that price gouging is "going haywire", and that she is unable to find anywhere to live.
"We put in an application at a house... that was listed at $17,000 (£14,000) a month, and they told us if we didn't pay $30,000, we weren't going to get it. They told me they have people ready to offer more and pay cash. It's absolutely insane," Lieberman says.
TV producer Alex Smith, who has been forced to leave his home, says he has friends who booked hotels outside Los Angeles but were asked to pay more upon arrival.
Officials in California warn that people engaging in price gouging, looting, and scamming are breaking the law and will be held accountable. "We've seen businesses and landlords … jack up the price," California Attorney General Rob Bonta told a news conference on Saturday.
"It's called price gouging. It is illegal. You cannot do it. It is a crime punishable by up to a year in jail and fines," he said, adding prices can only surge by 10% or less during disaster situations.
"This is California law [and] it's in place to protect those suffering from a tragedy," he said.
At least 35,000 still without power in Los Angelespublished at 08:22 Greenwich Mean Time
Image source, Reuters
About 35,000 homes and businesses have no electricity in Los Angeles, according to a site that tracks blackouts.
The latest estimates from Poweroutage.us shows that about 17,500 customers of electricity provider Southern California Edison are without power.
In addition, about 17,700 customers of Los Angeles Department of Water & Power and about 100 customers with Pasadena Water and Power have no electricity.
In an update a few hours ago, the LA Department of Water & Power says since the fires started on Tuesday, its teams have restored power to more than 350,000 customers, with more than 100 crews prioritising repairs on downed wires.
'Everything is gone': Agony on a tight-knit LA street razed by infernopublished at 08:09 Greenwich Mean Time
Max Matza & Christal Hayes
Reporting from Altadena, Caifornia
It all started on Tuesday night. The Santa Ana winds had been fierce much of the day.
Professional chef Daron Anderson was in his front yard just after 18:00 local time trying to secure items from flying away.
Across the street at 296 West Las Flores Drive, Rachel Gillespie was taking down Christmas decorations, concerned about her plastic icicles and patio furniture.
They exchanged worried glances. "This doesn't look good, does it?" she remarked.
Residents on this tight-knit Altadena street, where neighbours have watched each other start families and the children who once played in the streets grow up, have had their worlds upended, and say they now barely recognise the area.
"God, everything is gone," says Daron, his voice cracking.
But some things remain amidst the ruins. A scorched lemon tree sits in the lawn, some fruit still warm to the touch.
"If I can get a seed, we can replant one," he says, grabbing a handful.
"It's like a way you can start over."
- You can read our full story about Daron and his neighbours who lived on an Altadena street
Winds expected to surge in LApublished at 07:43 Greenwich Mean Time
Simon King
BBC weather presenter and meteorologist
Winds are picking up again around Los Angeles into early Sunday.
Santa Ana winds with north or north-easterly wind gusts up to 60-70mph (96-112kph) are expected over the high ground. Around the more prone coastal and valley areas, there will be gusts of 35-55mph (56-88kph).
By Sunday afternoon, an onshore wind - a switch in direction - will develop around coastal areas.
Another round of strong Santa Ana winds is expected on Tuesday and Wednesday.
While there is still a bit of uncertainty in the detail, there is concern that wind speeds could be higher than the last few days and possibly as strong as the initial Santa Ana wind event last Tuesday when the Palisades fire first started.
Beyond that, a significant break of the strong winds could be likely from Wednesday but long-range forecasts are hinting at yet another Santa Ana wind event by next weekend.
Fire authorities warn against flying unauthorised dronespublished at 07:21 Greenwich Mean Time
Image source, Getty Images
Image caption,
A Super Scooper drops ocean water on a hillside
US media reports that privately-owned civilian drones are being flown in areas impacted by the fires and causing disruption to aircraft battling the flames.
More than 30 drones flying within the temporary flight restriction area of the Palisades fire have been detected over the past 24 hours, according to a statement from the Los Angeles County Fire Department spokesperson Sheila Kelliher.
Officials note that it is illegal to fly drones in areas where there is a temporary flight restriction in place.
A large Super Scooper aircraft named Quebec 1 on loan from Canada was damaged and grounded last week after hitting an unauthorised drone near the Palisades fire. The aircraft sustained wing damage and remains grounded and out of service. There were no reported injuries.
If drones are detected near firefighting aircraft, it means operations have to be suspended, Kelliher says. "This disruption compromises structure defence and critical life saving efforts", she says.
"Please remember, when you fly we can’t, it truly puts us all in danger," she says.
Evacuation order extends to Brentwoodpublished at 07:05 Greenwich Mean Time
Image source, Reuters
Late on Saturday local time, authorities issued new evacuation orders for eastern communities threatened by the Palisades fire.
The latest orders include parts of the Brentwood area, a quintessential upscale LA neighbourhood with tree-lined streets and Italian eateries.
It's also home to the world-famous Getty Center art museum, which has now been evacuated.
Pink fire retardant blankets LA as crews try to halt inferno's spreadpublished at 06:49 Greenwich Mean Time
Crews have been dropping fire retardant over the Palisades Fire in an effort to stop its spread. The chemical is coloured bright pink to help crews see where it has been dropped.
It is made of salts - normally fertilizers - which slow the spread of a fire by changing the way it burns.
Image source, Reuters
Image caption,
In preparation for desert winds that are forecast to pick up today, aerial crews have been bombarding the Palisades fire with fire retardant to hold it back
Image source, Reuters
Image caption,
Retardant speckles flowers and coats a vehicle on a residential street
Image source, EPA
Image caption,
The foamy substance was dropped over leafy areas, homes and backyards in a bid to halt the spread of the flames
Image source, EPA
Image caption,
Retardant covers the foliage where exhausted firefighters took a break
Image source, Getty Images
Image caption,
The bright pink colouring helps crews see where they've dropped the substance
One third of eastern Malibu is 'gone', mayor sayspublished at 06:12 Greenwich Mean Time
Malibu has lost one-third of the eastern edge of the city, Mayor Doug Stewart says.
Addressing a community meeting on Saturday evening local time, Stewart says that Malibu has faced three fires in three months, but the Palisades blaze has been the most destructive.
He says the "beautiful homes" along the Pacific Coast Highway are gone, and so too is the Big Rock community.
"We have a tremendous rebuilding ahead of us but we are not out of the fire-fight front yet," Stewart says, explaining that forecast gusty desert winds would complicate the efforts of crews tackling the blaze on Sunday.
Which fires are burning right now?published at 05:55 Greenwich Mean Time
Authorities in Los Angeles are currently managing four main blazes around the city.
The largest is the Palisades fire, which is 11% contained and covers 23,654 acres, according to Cal Fire, external. This fire is threatening the affluent enclave of Brentwood, home to the Getty art museum, as well as parts of Encino and Mandeville Canyon.
The second largest is the Eaton fire in the north of the city around Pasadena, covering 14,118 acres of which 15% is contained.
The Kenneth fire is 1,052 acres and 90% contained, while the Hurst fire is 799 acres and 76% contained.
'Critical' fire weather conditions expected in coming dayspublished at 05:40 Greenwich Mean Time
Image source, EPA
Firefighters and aircraft have been attacking the fires around LA with a real sense of urgency, because winds across the region are already picking up and meant to strengthen in the coming days.
Officials say strong desert winds, known as Santa Anas, will strengthen on Sunday and into the first half of the week.
LA County fire chief Anthony Marrone said those winds will create "elevated critical fire weather conditions" until Wednesday.
That's heightened fears the blazes could spread into densely populated communities as they did last week.
Death toll rises to 16published at 05:36 Greenwich Mean Time
A few hours ago the LA Medical Examiner's Office released an update on the number of fire-related fatalities it is investigating.
So far there are 11 deaths linked to the Eaton fire, and five to the Palisades fire, bringing the death toll to at least 16. Officials say that number is likely to rise.
You can read what we know about some of the victims here.
Winds pick up again as death toll risespublished at 05:34 Greenwich Mean Time
Image source, Getty Images
We're resuming our live coverage of the fires in Los Angeles as crews scramble to contain several blazes around the city.
The death toll from the fires rose to 16, the LA medical examiner said. Eleven were killed in the Eaton fire near Pasadena and five in the Palisades fire.
Water bombing aircraft have been working throughout the night trying to bring the infernos under control, ahead of an expected return of strong winds that brought wide-spread destruction last week.
Stay with us as we bring you the latest.