The Palisades fires expanded east quickly, threatening an area near the Getty Center. Gov. Gavin Newsom said he wanted answers about whether there had been enough water to fight the initial fires.
Latest Developments in L.A. Wildfires
Mandatory evacuation orders were issued Friday evening for parts of Brentwood, a wealthy Los Angeles neighborhood, as the Palisades fire rapidly expanded. The threatened areas include the Getty Center and parts of Brentwood and Encino.
This week, wildfires have burned over 35,000 acres across the Los Angeles area, claimed at least 11 lives, and forced hundreds of thousands to evacuate.
California Governor Gavin Newsom has ordered an independent review to investigate why firefighters ran out of water in the early stages, calling the situation “deeply troubling.” President Biden warned that the death toll may rise, with many still unaccounted for.
The Palisades fire, located between Santa Monica and Malibu, was 8% contained as of Friday, while the Eaton fire near Altadena and Pasadena was 3% contained. Both fires are now among the five most destructive in California’s history.
The cause of the fires remains unclear, and investigations may take months to yield answers. However, power lines near the Eaton and Palisades fires were active when the blazes began on Tuesday. This has raised concerns, as electrical equipment has frequently been linked to wildfires during high-wind events. Dry and windy conditions are expected to continue, worsening the situation.
Key Updates:
- Victims: The victims include a man in his 60s who lived in his childhood home and drove a bloodmobile, an 80-year-old retired aerospace engineer and active church deacon, and a retired pharmacy technician known as “an angel” by her neighbors.
- Scale of Destruction: The fires have scorched an area larger than the combined footprint of cities like San Francisco, Pittsburgh, Boston, or Miami. As of Friday, around 100,000 people were under evacuation orders, and hundreds of thousands of electricity customers remained without power.
- False Alerts: Los Angeles County emergency officials confirmed that an erroneous evacuation alert was sent to nearly 10 million residents — the entire county population. They cited the fires’ impact on cellphone towers as a likely cause and described the error as a “serious breach of public trust.”
- Federal Response: President Biden assured residents that federal resources would aid in rebuilding efforts. FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell stated that the agency is well-funded and prepared to assist displaced residents.
- Arrests: Authorities have arrested 18 individuals in connection with the fires, charging them with crimes such as looting, identity theft, narcotics possession, and possession of burglary tools. National Guard units have been deployed to secure evacuation zones and ensure public safety.
Firefighters continue battling the blazes under challenging conditions, with containment efforts ongoing.
