The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday
Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US
Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US
Gavin Newsom described the Los Angeles wildfires as the worst disaster in U.S. history as the county’s medical examiner confirms at least 24 people have died from the devastating fires.
Residents are preparing for the potential return of high winds that threaten to push the wildfires ravaging the city toward some of its most famous landmarks.
The fires have torched more than 40,000 acres, including more than 23,000 acres across the Pacific Palisades and along the Pacific Coast Highway. Only 11 percent of the Palisades fire was contained, as of Sunday night. The Eaton fire has burned more than 14,000 acres in Altadena and Pasadena. That fire is 27 percent contained.
Fierce Santa Ana winds are expected to return this week. The National Weather Service anticipates gusts of 30 to 50 mph in coastal areas and up to 70 mph in the mountains of Los Angeles and Ventura counties.
The blazes are on track to be among the costliest ever seen in the U.S., with losses expected to exceed $135 billion.
Landlords in Los Angeles have meanwhile been accused of “taking advantage” of victims who have lost their homes in the city’s wildfires, as they illegally gouge prices for those desperate for a place to stay.
In Photos: Fire retardant blankets parts of Los Angeles
Watch: Timelapse shows how quickly Palisades wildfires spread across Los Angeles
12 missing within Eaton Fire, four missing from Palisades
At least 16 people are missing in the Los Angeles area as firefighters work to battle the wildfires before the Santa Ana winds pick up again.
Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said 12 people were missing within the Eaton Fire and four were missing within the Palisades Fire. Luna said the sheriff’s office received more reports of missing individuals on Sunday but investigators had not determined if those people may be among the deceased.
No children are among those reported missing.
At least 24 people are confirmed dead from wildfires
The LA medical examiner said an additional four people were found deceased in Altadena and one in Malibu – bringing the total to 24.
Los Angeles Getty Center’s priceless collection braces for wildfires
The Getty Center and Villa, museums that house some of the most priceless pieces of art in the Los Angeles area, remain stable as wildfires continue, a museum representative said in an update on Saturday.
The Brentwood Getty Center was put under an evacuation order on Friday, while The villa, located in the Pacific Palisades, has been in an evacuation zone for days. The Palisades fire pushed eastward on Friday, prompting officials to expand mandatory evacuation orders into an area that encompasses the center.
“It was a watchful but fortunately uneventful night up here at the Getty Center,” Katherine E Fleming, president of the J Paul Getty Trust, the organization that operates the structures, said in a statement on Saturday.
The trust’s officials were told to anticipate stronger winds later in the day. Still, Fleming ensured that the museum’s galleries “are safe and protected.”
The Getty Villa, which houses the trust’s educational center, has not been harmed, though there are a few hot spots nearby. The structure has 1 million gallons of water on-site to prevent fires from setting it ablaze.
Newsom deploys 1,000 addtional National Guards service members
California Governor Gavin Newsom deployed an additional 1,000 National Guard service members on Sunday afternoon to help the communities affected by the wildfires in the Los Angeles area.
That is in addition to the 1,500 National Guard service members already deployed.
Evacuation order will remain in place until Thursday, at least
Evacuation orders will remain in effect until Thursday at the least due to red flag conditions, officials in California said on Sunday.
The forceful, dry winds that have escalated the fire in the Los Angeles area are expected to return this week. Combined with the low humidity and dry vegetation, it makes conditions preferable for fires.
Ashley Tisdale opens up about her mental health struggles during LA wildfires
Ashley Tisdale has candidly addressed her mental health less than a week after the first of several ravaging wildfires sparked across Los Angeles.
“There are times in life due to my mental health where I feel very alone when I’m out to dinner with friends,” she started in a message posted to her Instagram story on January 11.
“This experience has shown me how many amazing people I have in my life and I am far from alone,” she continued. “The amount of people checking in with each other is amazing. You realize in dark moments you have each other.
READ MORE:
Meghan Markle’s Netflix series ‘With Love, Meghan’ delayed by LA wildfires
Meghan Markle’s new Netflix series With Love, Meghan has been delayed due to the ongoing wildfire crisis in California, she has announced.
The US state has been devastated by wildfires over the past week, described by California governor Gavin Newsom as the worst natural disaster in the country’s history “in terms of the scale and scope”.
More than 12,000 homes have been destroyed in the blazes, with more than 150,000 people evacuated from their residences and at least 16 people confirmed to have died.
READ MORE:
Cal Fire warns of “critical fire weather” between tonight and Wednesday
Cal Fire warned that Southern California will face “critical fire weather” between Sunday night and Wednesday in a post on Facebook on Sunday evening.
High winds — reaching 70mph — are expected between later on Sunday evening through Wednesday. The winds can help spread and stoke existing fires and potentially start new ones by moving embers to previously untouched parts of the region.
“Life-threatening winds and dangerously low humidity are forecast for much of Southern California – from Ventura to San Diego – creating a significant risk of rapid fire spread,” Cal Fire warned. “The winds will cause increased fire activity.”
Source: independent.co.uk
