Death toll from Los Angeles fires rises, with dangerous winds incoming

by Andrew MARSZAL

The death toll from massive wildfires that have ravaged Los Angeles rose to 24 on Sunday, with officials warning of incoming dangerous winds that could whip the blazes up further.

The fires continued to rip through the United States' second-largest city for the sixth day, reducing whole communities to scorched rubble and leaving thousands without homes.

Massive firefighting efforts have staunched the spread of the Palisades Fire, which was looming toward upscale Brentwood and the densely populated San Fernando Valley.

But conditions are set to dramatically worsen, with "extreme fire behavior and life threatening conditions" over the coming days.

Winds up to 70 miles (110 kilometers) per hour mean a "particularly dangerous situation (PDS)" will be declared from early Tuesday, said National Weather Service meteorologist Rose Schoenfeld.

These gusts could fan flames and whip up embers from existing burn zones into new areas, firefighters warned.

Los Angeles County Fire Department chief Anthony Marrone said his department had received resources including dozens of new water trucks and firefighters from far afield and was primed to face the renewed threat.

Questioned whether hydrants could run dry again, as they did during the initial outbreak of fires last week, Mayor Karen Bass replied: "I believe the city is prepared."

There was frustration for evacuees who were told they would not be returning home until at least Thursday when winds subside.

Some have queued for hours in the hope of getting back to homes they fled to pick up medication or a change of clothes.

- Search for bodies -

But Sheriff Robert Luna said escorts into these areas were being suspended Sunday because of the winds and dangerous conditions among the wreckage, as well as the need to retrieve victims' bodies.

Teams with cadaver dogs were carrying out grid searches with the grim expectation that the confirmed death toll would rise.

Several more arrests of looters were made, including one burglar who had dressed as a firefighter to steal from homes.

Nighttime curfews in evacuated zones have been extended, and additional National Guard resources have been requested.

Prevented from entering an evacuation zone, Altadena resident Bobby Salman, 42, said: "I have to be there to protect my family, my wife, my kids, my mom and I cannot even go and see them."

- Fire tornado -

The Palisades Fire has now consumed 23,700 acres (9,500 hectares) and was just 11 percent contained.

Video footage showed "fire tornadoes" -- red-hot spirals that occur when a blaze is so intense it creates its own weather system.

The ferocious fire also left streaks of molten metal flowing from burnt-out cars.

But containment of the 14,000-acre Eaton Fire in Altadena had improved, figures showed, with 27 percent of its perimeter controlled.

The County of Los Angeles Medical Examiner published a list of fatalities without giving details of any identities. Eight of the dead were found in the Palisades Fire zone, and 16 in the Eaton Fire zone, the document said.

The total number of residents under evacuation orders dropped to around 100,000, from a peak of almost 180,000.

The sudden rush of people needing somewhere to live has posed a growing problem for the city, with reports of illegal price gouging from opportunistic landlords.

"I'm back on the market with tens of thousands of people," said a man who gave his name as Brian, whose rent-controlled apartment had burned. "That doesn't bode well."

California Governor Gavin Newsom vowed the city would rebuild, saying there would be a "Marshall Plan" -- a reference to the US support that put Europe back on its feet after World War II.

"We already have a team looking at reimagining L.A. 2.0," he said.

- 'Worst catastrophes' -

President-elect Donald Trump has accused California officials of incompetence.

"This is one of the worst catastrophes in the history of our Country. They just can't put out the fires. What's wrong with them?" Trump said on his Truth Social platform.

A heroic firefighting operation that has operated 24/7 since the first flames erupted was bolstered Sunday with the arrival of crews from Mexico.

They join teams from all over California and across the western United States who have come to help out.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday even offered to send 150 personnel to California from his war-ravaged country.

"The situation there is extremely difficult, and Ukrainians can help Americans save lives," he wrote on social media.

A huge investigation by federal and local authorities was underway to determine what caused the blazes.

While the ignition of a wildfire can be deliberate, they are often natural, and a vital part of an environment's life cycle.

But urban sprawl puts people more frequently in harm's way, and the changing climate -- supercharged by humanity's unchecked use of fossil fuels -- is exacerbating the conditions that give rise to destructive blazes.

© Agence France-Presse