The death toll rose to at least six amid a still-unfolding disaster on Thursday as 0% contained fires continued to ravage the Los Angeles area.
Officials said the number of fatalities would likely rise as a series of major fires reduced hundreds of homes and businesses to ash, setting an apocalyptic backdrop for first responders and firefighters still working to contain the flames.
President Biden said Thursday he had told local officials to “spare no expense” in getting the situation under control, adding, “We’re doing everything we can at the federal level” and said officials were discussing what more was possible.
Five victims’ bodies were discovered inside three different buildings in Altadena, where the Eaton Fire continued to rage on Thursday. The remains of a sixth person were found Wednesday night in a Malibu home that had been destroyed in the Palisades Fire, KNBC reported Thursday.
Dangerous conditions were hampering search efforts, said Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department communications director Nicole Nishida. She confirmed to the L.A. Times that there have been “multiple deaths in the fire areas,” but that information “is still very preliminary.”
The Eaton Fire’s flames have consumed some 10,600 acres, ripping through thousands of structures since they first sparked on Tuesday, according to the L.A. County Fire Department. While the conflagration was officially 0% contained on Thursday, its growth had been “significantly stopped,” Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said at a morning news conference.
Winds that had been fueling the fires and lofting embers died down on Thursday, giving firefighters a bit of a break. But the National Weather Service was predicting the winds would pick up Thursday night, bringing “damaging wind gusts across the mountains into the foothill areas again tonight and into Friday.”
With no rain expected through at least the middle of next week, the NWS expressed “great concern that fire weather conditions could become exacerbated” again next Tuesday and Wednesday.
At least another 1,000 homes and businesses have been either damaged or destroyed by the Palisades Fire, including Palisades Charter High School, which has been featured in many Hollywood productions, including the 1976 horror movie “Carrie” and the MTV series “Teen Wolf.”
The fire has also claimed the homes of several celebrities, including those of Paris Hilton, “Scary Movie” star Anna Faris and Oscar winners Anthony Hopkins and Jeff Bridges.
The blaze initially broke out around 10:30 a.m. local time on Tuesday, just southeast of Palisades Drive, per the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Fueled by dry conditions and fierce Santa Ana winds, the fast-moving Palisades Fire has since scorched more than 17,000 acres, making it the most destructive fire in Los Angeles’ history.
Crews on Thursday were also working to contain the Sunset Fire, which erupted Wednesday night in the Hollywood Hills, not far from the Hollywood Bowl and the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
In total, more than 7,500 firefighters have been deployed to battle the blazes, according to California Gov. Gavin Newsom. The response has also grown to include 300 firefighters from Oregon and another 146 personnel Washington State personnel. Utah, New Mexico and Arizona said they too would be dispatching teams.
“Southern California residents — please remain vigilant,” Newsom said in a post on X. “Listen to local officials and be ready to evacuate if you’re near impacted areas.”
So far, some 130,000 people are under evacuation orders, including Hollywood stars like Mark Hamill, Mandy Moore and James Woods.
With News Wire Services
