Three wildfires are still roaring their way across Los Angeles County nearly a week after igniting — but firefighters struggled to make progress in containing them on Monday as strong winds returned to the area after a brief weekend respite.
Large swaths of the upscale Pacific Palisades neighborhood have burned to the ground — an area nearly three times the size of the island of Manhattan — and more than 153,000 residents remain under mandatory evacuation orders.
Meanwhile, questions have begun to swirl about the origins of the Palisades Fire — the largest of the three– which has claimed eight lives, destroyed more than 5,000 structures and incinerated 24,000 acres.
At a press conference Monday, LA officials warned hurricane-force winds would soon be coming back, which will likely make it more difficult for fire crews to extinguish the blazes. They also sought to reassure the public they were putting “urgent preparations” in place to keep residents and communities safe.
They said the combined death count from the Palisades and Eaton fires stands at 24, with nine others reported missing as of Monday morning.
Although a half-dozen smaller blazes have been declared knockdowns by fire officials, it will take more time to get a handle on the three that remain.
The impact is going to be catastrophic. A new estimate from AccuWeather puts the damage from the blazes at $250 billion to $275 billion — which would make the fire storm the most expensive natural disaster in US history.
It’s all the more significant considering LA County — where the blazes are located — has nearly 9.7 million residents, more than all but 10 US states.
Here’s where the remaining LA wildfires stand as of Monday evening.
Palisades Fire
The official burn total for the Palisades Fire — which has devoured entire neighborhoods and reduced thousands of homes to charred rubble — remained steady on Monday, according to CalFire.
The third most destructive fire ever to hit California stood at just 14% contained — a meager improvement from 11% Sunday — as gusting winds picked up Monday and are expected to continue through midweek.
LA fire officials say the cause of the Palisades Fire is still under investigation, and that nothing is being ruled out, including arson.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is leading the investigation.
However recent media reports point to two potential causes.
The Washington Post conducted a forensic analysis of an area in the foothills of the Pacific Palisades where the fire is believed to have started, which experts say indicates the deadly blaze could have been a “reignition” caused by smoldering embers from another, much smaller fire that started on New Year’s Eve.
A source speaking under condition of anonymity told the Los Angeles Times that officials currently believe the fire — which started on a popular hiking trail — might have had “human origins.”
Eaton Fire
The Eaton Fire has torched 14,117 acres (22 square miles), and is the deadliest of the blazes still burning in LA County as of Monday evening, claiming 16 lives so far, according to officials, and burning 1,213 structures.
Fire crews made some progress despite worsening conditions Monday, bringing the percentage contained to 33%.
Hurst Fire
The Hurst Fire in the northern San Fernando Valley inched closer to being knocked down Monday, with officials saying the blaze is 95% contained, up from 89% on Sunday.
Read the full article here
