LOS ANGELES. Firefighters in Los Angeles worked tirelessly on Sunday to contain two massive wildfires that had been raging for six days. The effort took advantage of a brief lull in severe weather before high Santa Ana winds threatened to reignite the flames.
The fires have caused catastrophic damage, with California Governor Gavin Newsom calling it possibly the most devastating natural disaster in U.S. history. At least 24 lives have been lost, thousands of homes destroyed, and over 100,000 residents forced to evacuate.
“This is an unimaginable tragedy for Los Angeles County,” said County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath. “Whole neighborhoods have been reduced to smoldering ruins.”
The Palisades Fire, threatening affluent neighborhoods like Brentwood, has scorched 23,713 acres (96 sq km) and is only 13% contained. Meanwhile, the Eaton Fire in the eastern foothills has burned through 14,117 acres (57 sq km), with containment at 27%, up from 15% the previous day.
According to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire), the Hurst Fire north of the city is now 89% contained, while three other blazes have been fully controlled. However, smoldering hotspots within containment lines continue to pose risks.
Aerial crews have dropped water and fire retardant on advancing flames, while ground teams have worked to hold firelines. “These winds combined with low relative humidities and low fuel moistures will keep the fire threat in all of Los Angeles County very high,” warned Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone.
The Santa Ana winds, which had subsided temporarily, are expected to return Sunday night with gusts of 50 to 70 mph (80 to 112 kph) and persist through Wednesday. These dry, powerful winds have already fanned flames and carried embers miles ahead of the firefront.
The National Weather Service and local officials have warned that evacuation orders could expand to cover all of Los Angeles County’s nearly 10 million residents. Already, more than 100,000 people are under mandatory evacuation orders, with another 87,000 facing evacuation warnings.
“We will not reopen evacuated areas until red flag conditions are lifted on Thursday,” said Marrone.
The fires have claimed 24 lives, as confirmed by the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner, and caused an estimated $135 billion to $150 billion in damages, according to private forecaster AccuWeather.
Governor Newsom signed an executive order on Sunday to expedite rebuilding efforts, temporarily suspending environmental regulations for destroyed homes and businesses.
Federal assistance has also been mobilized. “Active duty military personnel are ready to support firefighting efforts,” said FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell, urging residents to file for disaster relief.
Amid the devastation, stories of resilience have emerged. Tristin Perez, a resident of Altadena, defied evacuation orders to protect his property and neighbors’ homes. “Your front yard is on fire, palm trees lit up – it looked like something out of a movie,” he said. Perez’s efforts saved his duplex and several neighboring homes, though many across the street were reduced to ashes.
Meanwhile, hundreds of displaced residents sought solace at St. Monica Catholic Church in Santa Monica. Kathleen McRoskey, whose Pacific Palisades church was destroyed, described the experience as healing. “It was the first offer of support that would heal us spiritually and physically and emotionally,” she said.
For evacuees like Zuzana Korda, the uncertainty is overwhelming. Speaking outside a temporary assistance office, Korda revealed her family had no insurance. “We’ve left everything behind. We stand to lose everything,” she said.
As Los Angeles braces for the return of fierce winds, officials and residents alike hope for containment and recovery amid this unprecedented disaster.
Gary P Hernal started college at UP Diliman and received his BA in Economics from San Sebastian College, Manila, and Masters in Information Systems Management from Keller Graduate School of Management of DeVry University in Oak Brook, IL. He has 25 years of copy editing and management experience at Thomson West, a subsidiary of Thomson Reuters.
