Los Angeles Wildfires Death Toll Rises To 16, Dozens Missing As Flames Devastate Neighbourhoods

Last Updated:January 12, 2025, 08:41 IST

Wildfires across Los Angeles County have claimed 16 lives, left 13 missing, and destroyed nearly 12,000 structures, making it the most destructive fire event in the region's history.

Fire crew battle the wildfires in California (Photo: AP)

At least 16 people have been killed, while 13 others were estimated missing after six simultaneous fires ripped across Los Angeles County neighbourhoods since last week. Nearly 12,000 structures were reported damaged or destroyed too, and the death toll was expected to mount.

The fire, the most destructive in the history of Los Angeles, has razed whole neighbourhoods to the ground, leaving just the smouldering ruins of what had been people’s homes and possessions.

Media reports suggested that before the latest flare-up, the firefighters had been able to control the Palisades Fire and the Eaton Fire in the foothills east of the metropolis after it burned out of control for days.

PALISADES FIRE SPREADS TO MORE HOMES

On Saturday, the Palisades Fire was 11 per cent contained and the Eaton Fire in the east was 15 per cent contained, Reuters quoted state agency Cal Fire as saying.

Aircraft dropped water and fire retardant on steep hills on Saturday to stem the eastward spread of the Palisades wildfire in Los Angeles. On-the-ground firefighting efforts also intensified amid warnings of wind gusts of up to 70 miles per hour that could make matters worse.

Over the past 24 hours, the Palisades Fire spread over an additional 1,000 acres, officials reported and consumed more homes.

Pacific Palisades residents who ventured back to their devastated neighbourhoods on Friday were shocked to find brick chimneys looming over charred waste and burnt-out vehicles as acrid smoke lingered in the air.

A fire official told reporters at a press conference that the Palisades Fire has burned over 22,000 acres (8,900 hectares). He also said the Palisades Fire had spread into the Mandeville Canyon neighbourhood and threatened to jump into Brentwood, an upscale neighbourhood where celebrities live, and the San Fernando Valley. It also inched towards the north-south 405 freeway.

The Weather Service warned of worsening Santa Ana winds that it predicted would pick up Saturday night into Sunday morning in Los Angeles and Ventura counties, and again late Monday through Tuesday morning, bringing sustained winds up to 30 mph and wind gusts up to 70 mph.

Evacuation orders throughout the Los Angeles area now cover 153,000 residents, putting 57,000 structures at risk. Another 166,000 residents have been warned that they may have to evacuate, said Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna.

However, significant progress was reported in bringing electrical power back to Los Angeles neighbourhoods.

JOE BIDEN SPEAKS TO OFFICIALS

As state and local officials grappled with the worst cluster of fires in Los Angeles history, President Joe Biden spoke by phone with some of them to get an update on their efforts and he also was briefed by his senior aides on federal resources that were being dispatched.

He also declared the fires a major disaster and said the US government would reimburse 100 per cent of the recovery for the next six months.

Biden’s major disaster declaration unlocked federal assistance for those affected by the wildfires, clearing the way for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to provide support.

Meanwhile, California Governor Newsom said firefighters from Mexico had arrived in Los Angeles to join the personnel already battling the Palisades fire.

Los Angeles Board of Supervisors Chair Kathryn Barger told reporters that she invited President-elect Donald Trump to visit the county to get a first-hand look at the destruction.

Seven neighbouring states, the federal government and Canada and Mexico have rushed aid and firefighters to California, bolstering aerial teams dropping water and fire retardant on the flaming hills and crews on the ground attacking fire lines with hand tools and hoses.

Officials have declared a public health emergency due to the thick, toxic smoke.

BILLIONS IN LOSSES

In Altadena, beyond those who lost their homes, tens of thousands remained without power, and millions of people were exposed to poorer air quality, as the fires lofted traces of metals, plastics and other synthetic materials.

Private forecaster AccuWeather estimated the damage and economic loss at $135 billion to $150 billion, portending an arduous recovery and soaring homeowners’ insurance costs.

California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara called on insurers on Friday to suspend pending non-renewals and cancellations that homeowners received before the fires began and to extend the grace period for payments.

Meanwhile, law enforcement officials were warning residents to adhere to curfews, amid arrests with charges of burglary, looting and the possession of concealed firearms.

News world Los Angeles Wildfires Death Toll Rises To 16, Dozens Missing As Flames Devastate Neighbourhoods