L.A. wildfires devour thousands of homes as death toll rises to 10
Officials concerned about possible resurgence of strong winds on Friday
Firefighters hoped for a break Friday from fierce winds that have fuelled massive blazes in the Los Angeles area, killing 10 people, obliterating whole neighbourhoods and setting the nation's second-largest city on edge.
The fires have burned more than 10,000 homes and other structures since Tuesday, in a densely populated, 40-kilometre expanse north of downtown Los Angeles.
No cause has been identified for the largest fires.
Officials said winds intensified again overnight, and red flag conditions were expected until Friday afternoon.
The level of devastation overall is jarring even in a state that has grown used to massive wildfires. Dozens of blocks of scenic Pacific Palisades were flattened to smouldering rubble. In neighbouring Malibu, blackened palm strands were all that was left above debris where oceanfront homes once stood.
As well, new blazes continued to crop up. On Thursday afternoon, the Kenneth Fire started in the San Fernando Valley and moved into neighbouring Ventura County, requiring an aggressive response by firefighters to stop the flames from spreading.
National Guard troops have arrived in Los Angeles, to be deployed near fire-ravaged areas to protect property.
At least 20 arrests have been made for looting. The city of Santa Monica, which is next to Pacific Palisades, declared a curfew because of the lawlessness, officials said.
The federal government in Ottawa on Friday announced that Canadian military resources would be sent to help firefighters in California.
I have approved a request to deploy <a href="https://twitter.com/RCAF_ARC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RCAF_ARC</a> assets to transport firefighters, equipment, and other resources to California, to assist in fighting the devastating wildfires.<a href="https://twitter.com/CanadianForces?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CanadianForces</a> stand ready to transport personnel and equipment to support our American neighbours.
—@BillBlairSenior reportedly died with garden hose in hand
Of the 10 deaths so far, Los Angeles fire Chief Kristin Crowley confirmed two were in the Palisades Fire. County officials said the Eaton Fire had killed five. Cadaver dogs and crews are searching through rubble to see if there are more victims.
Two of the dead were Anthony Mitchell, a 67-year-old amputee, and his son, Justin, who had cerebral palsy. They were waiting for an ambulance to come and did not make it to safety when the flames roared through, Mitchell's daughter, Hajime White, told the Washington Post.
Victor Shaw was identified as one of the other victims, in the Eaton Fire.
Shari Shaw told KTLA that she tried to get her 66-year-old brother to leave Tuesday night but he wanted to stay and fight the fire. A family friend, to the same media outlet, said Victor Shaw was found with a garden hose still in his hand.
Containment of fires remained far out of reach in most cases. At least 180,000 people were under evacuation orders in the fires that have consumed about 145 square kilometres.
The Eaton Fire near Pasadena that started Tuesday night has burned more than 5,000 structures, a term that includes homes, apartment buildings, businesses, outbuildings and vehicles.
Crews knocked down a blaze in the Hollywood Hills with the help of water drops from aircraft, allowing an evacuation order to be lifted Thursday.
But elsewhere, a firefighting plane from Quebec had to be grounded Thursday after it was struck by a drone flown by a civilian, the Los Angeles County Fire Department said. Nobody was injured. It's a federal crime to fly a drone during firefighting.
At least five churches, a synagogue, seven schools, two libraries, boutiques, bars, restaurants, banks and grocery stores have been burned.
All schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District, the nation's second largest, will be closed again Friday because of the heavy smoke and ash affecting city air.
Incorrect alert sent countywide
Many celebrities have lost homes in the blazes including Jeff Bridges, Mandy Moore and Paris Hilton.
Jamie Lee Curtis pledged $1 million US to start a "fund of support" for those affected by the fires that touched all economic levels from the city's wealthy to its working class.
The fires have also led to cancellations and adjustments to sports schedules. Instead of hosting, the Los Angeles Rams will now play their NFL playoff game on Monday night against the Minnesota Vikings at the stadium home to the Arizona Cardinals in Glendale, Ariz.
The government has not yet released figures on the cost of the damage. AccuWeather, a private company that provides data on weather and its impact, on Thursday increased its estimate of the damage and economic loss to $135-$150 billion US.
California's wildfire season is beginning earlier and ending later due to rising temperatures and decreased rainfall tied to climate change, according to recent data. Several weather monitoring agencies announced Friday that Earth recorded its hottest year ever in 2024.
Rains that usually end fire season are often delayed, meaning fires can burn through the winter months, according to the Western Fire Chiefs Association. Dry winds, including the notorious Santa Anas, have contributed to warmer-than-average temperatures in Southern California, which has not seen more than 2.5 millimetres of rain since early May.
President Joe Biden promised on Thursday that the federal government would reimburse 100 per cent of the recovery for the next 180 days to pay for debris and hazard material removal, temporary shelters and first responder salaries.
With nerves on edge, Los Angeles County mistakenly sent an evacuation notice countywide Thursday to a population of 9.6 million, even though it had been meant only for the area of the Kenneth Fire, officials said.
A correction was quickly sent.