(Los Angeles) Los Angeles is preparing for a return of violent winds threatening to fan the fires which have left scenes of desolation in its metropolitan area and have now left 24 dead, according to a new report Sunday evening.
Besieged by flames since last Tuesday, the second most populous city in the United States continues to count its dead: the toll rose Sunday evening to 24 dead, according to the county’s forensic medicine service.
The efforts of thousands of firefighters have made it possible at this stage to contain the progression of the fire which had spread over the weekend to the northwest of the city and particularly threatened the densely populated San Fernando Valley.
But after a short lull, the situation will deteriorate in the coming days, with hot and dry winds expected to regain strength until Wednesday.
The American Weather Service is therefore forecasting “extreme fire behavior” and a “particularly dangerous” situation, with winds peaking at 110 km/h from Tuesday morning, said meteorologist Rose Schoenfeld.
Reinforcements
PHOTO RINGO CHIU, REUTERS ARCHIVES
Firefighters attempt to clear a firebreak as the Palisades Fire burns in Mandeville Canyon, a neighborhood in Los Angeles, January 12, 2025.
Videos filmed in the area showed “fire tornadoes,” which only occur in the most intense fires.
Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said his crews had received new equipment, including dozens of tanker trucks, as well as human reinforcements, and said they were ready to deal with the situation.
Firefighters in any case warned that the strengthening wind would prevent any return of evacuees before Thursday, calling for patience from the tens of thousands of residents queuing, sometimes for hours, in the hope of collecting medicine or clothes at home, or simply to see if their house was destroyed or not.
“A lot of areas still look like they’ve been bombed,” Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said.
In these areas from which the flames have retreated, the housing estates are now nothing more than piles of ashes and rubble, AFP journalists noted on site.
In the Altadena neighborhood, Jannell Gruss said she was afraid of dying as she evacuated horses from her stables after dark.
“There was a lot of smoke, it was dark, I couldn’t see anything,” she told AFP. “I thought maybe I was going to be one of those victims that we hear about,” she adds, making the sign of the cross.
PHOTO DAVID RYDER, REUTERS ARCHIVES
A woman looks at the rubble after the Palisades fire in Los Angeles, January 12, 2025.
One hundred thousand people remain affected by evacuation orders.
The Los Angeles Times reported that the University of California (UCLA) campus, adjacent to the Palisades area where the fire killed eight people, was virtually empty, with the majority of students having left.
The influx of evacuees and people to be housed is another challenge for the city, and there are reports of opportunistic landlords raising their rent.
Reviews
More than 12,000 homes or buildings were destroyed or damaged by the fires, according to initial estimates.
Many residents are beginning to question the management of local authorities, in particular because firefighters have sometimes had to deal with inoperative fire hydrants or with low pressure.
The state’s Democratic governor, Gavin Newsom, has called for “a comprehensive independent review” of the city’s water services.
Donald Trump also once again attacked the management of fires by local leaders on Sunday. “Incompetent politicians have no idea how to turn them off,” he said on his Truth Social platform.
Faced with looting, a curfew between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. is now in effect in the areas of Pacific Palisades and Altadena, the most ravaged.
Authorities announced Sunday the arrest of several individuals, one of whom was wearing a firefighter’s uniform.
PHOTO NOAH BERGER, ASSOCIATED PRESS ARCHIVES
A car drives past homes and vehicles destroyed by the Palisades Fire on January 12, 2025, in Los Angeles.
The fires have already caused damages amounting to tens of billions of dollars, and could be the costliest ever.
The state’s governor declared on Sunday that he wanted to launch a “Marshall Plan” to rebuild California, by reducing certain regulations.
Search for bodies
In the ravaged neighborhoods, rescuers assisted by dogs continue to inspect the rubble in search of bodies.
An investigation involving the FBI to determine the causes of the fires is underway, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna recalled on Saturday.
The Santa Ana winds that fanned the fire are a classic of Californian autumns and winters. But this time they reached an intensity not seen since 2011, according to meteorologists, with gusts of up to 160 km/h this week.
Enough to spread the fire very quickly, especially since two very rainy years had given rise to luxuriant vegetation which then dried up during eight months without precipitation.
