LA fires dwell updates: Death toll is anticipated to develop as officers pledge to be prepared for return of Santa Ana winds
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California Governor Gavin Newsom called for an investigation into Los Angeles County’s fire hydrant failures as officials continued battling stubborn blazes eating up more than 35,000 acres and the death toll hit 11.
Hydrants in the Palisades were unusable this week, impairing the effort to protect homes. Newsom wants county officials to independently investigate the matter and compile a report, he wrote in a letter.
Winds are set to calm between Friday and Saturday, although strong gusts were forecast in the evening. Winds are forecasted to return Sunday and next week, with the death toll from the current fires expected to climb in the coming days, officials said.
Firefighters and residents have been injured in the life-threatening outbreak, which continued to force evacuation orders for around 153,000 people.
There are six active large wildfires throughout Los Angeles County. The Palisades and Eaton fires are now some of the most destructive in the state’s history. Both are less than 10 percent contained.
Officials gave an update on the Eaton Fire early Friday afternoon.
“It looks like a war zone. I’ve never seen anything like it,” Kathryn Barger, a member of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, told reporters.
Los Angeles County declares local health emergency
The widespread presence of ash and particulate matter in the air following the California wildfires has caused local health officials to declare a local health emergency on Friday.
The announcement followed several days of heavy smoke and ash in the Los Angeles area, which is battling multiple fires at once.
“The fires, coupled with strong winds, have severely degraded air quality by releasing hazardous smoke and particulate matter, posing immediate and long-term risks to public health,” a news release from the county’s public health department states. “Additionally, the fires have caused widespread displacement of residents, prompted emergency evacuations from healthcare facilities, and disrupted vital health services and resources.”
Additionally, the department is restricting the use of power air blowers and leaf blowers.
Issues with Los Angeles county’s evacuation alerts confused residents
Los Angeles County residents received erroneous alerts this week telling them to evacuate as officials tried to fix the county alert system.
On Thursday, emergency officials tried sending alerts to people only in the Calabasas and Agoura Hills areas, a fire official told CNN. But the evacuation alert was sent to everyone in the county.
Authorities blamed the alerts on technical issues. The issue helped shine a light on a potential flaw in the system. Residents are sent evacuation orders based on where they are in the city and not their home address, which could lead residents to panic even if their home is not under threat.
Gavin Newsom is launching an investigation of Los Angeles fire hydrant failures
The governor is directing state water and firefighting officials to launch a probe to determine why fire hydrants in the Palisades area were unusable this week.
The inability to use fire hydrants likely impaired the effort to protect some homes and evacuation corridors, Newsom wrote in a letter to Los Angeles Department of Water and Power CEO Janisse Quiñones and Mark Pestrella, director of Los Angeles County Public Works
“We need answers to how that happened,” he wrote. The letter asks LADWP and Los Angeles County officials to quickly put together a report explaining any causes of lost water pressure and unavailable water supplies, along with an examination of local preparedness efforts and response procedures.
Los Angeles Fire Department sends out new evacuation order
Los Angeles fire officials are asking residents around Interstate 405 and the Encino Reservoir to evacuate, according to an alert sent out by the Los Angeles Fire Department.
The expansion borders the Getty Center and one of Los Angeles’ busiest freeways.
Death toll rises to 11
The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner is reporting 11 deaths in connection with the wildfires. The latest victim died in Topanga due to the Palisades fire, according to the medical examiner’s website. Additional information is pending.
Five people have now died in the Palisades fire. Six have died in the Eaton fire. The Palisades fire is eight percent contained, while the Eaton Fire is three percent contained. The fires continue to threaten thousands of properties in the area.
Kenneth Fire 50 percent contained
CalFire is reporting that the Kenneth Fire is now 50 percent contained.
Art collector says he lost dozens of art pieces in fire
Ron Rivlin, who lost his home in the Palisades Fire, said he built his home around his art. He owned 30 Andy Warhol pieces and 15 by Keith Haring. The paintings were lost during the fire.
He resisted evacuation until his daughter called him crying, he said, adding that he vowed to build an even better home in the future. He also lost art pieces by Damien Hirst and John Baldessari.
Actor James Wood says his home survived the fire
The actor made the announcement on X. He called the news a “miracle,” while pointing out that many homes in his neighborhood did not survive the blaze.
“In this hellish landscape ‘standing’ is relative,” he wrote.
Newsom has invited Trump to visit the Los Angeles County wildfire damage
California Governor Gavin Newsom has invited President-elect Donald Trump to visit the wildfire damage around Los Angeles.
In a letter to Trump, Newsom said that “in the spirit of this great country, we must not politicize human tragedy or spread disinformation from the sidelines.”
Trump has repeatedly attacked Newsom over the issue and called for him to resign, calling him “Gavin Newscum.”
Source: independent.co.uk
