LOS ANGELES: Firefighters continued to battle a massive wildfire around Los Angeles late Saturday night as winds picked up and pushed the blaze into untouched lands.
The fire in the city has now killed at least 16 people and left neighborhoods in ruins and burned to the ground.
Despite valiant efforts and ongoing missions, including a thorough investigation by air crews, the Palisades Fire continued to grow in size on Saturday as it burned to the east through the priceless collection of the Getty Center Art Museum and to the north, the densely populated San Fernando pushed to the valley.
“We’re in a panic,” Sarah Cohen said. Los Angeles Times A threat to his Tarzana home.
“Every time they drop the water, it gets better. But then it gets worse again,” he said.
“Severe fire weather conditions will unfortunately re-emerge for Southern California today and last through at least early next week,” the National Weather Service said.
“This can lead to the spread of ongoing fires as well as the development of new fires,” he added.
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The Palisades Fire was 11% contained Saturday but had grown to 23,600 acres (9,500 hectares), while the Eaton Fire was at 14,000 acres and 15% contained.
Official figures show more than 12,000 structures burned, but Cal Fire’s Todd Hopkins said not all were homes, and that number would include outbuildings, recreational vehicles and sheds.
A sudden rush of people needing a new place to live in the coming months is making life difficult for already squeezed renters in the city.
With reports of looting and nighttime curfews in place, police and the National Guard have set up checkpoints to prevent people from venturing into disaster areas.
City officials launched a united front Saturday after reports of a behind-the-scenes row and suggestions that Mayor Karen Bass should fire her fire chief.
“As you see here, the chief and I are locked in on our number one mission, and that mission is to get us out of this emergency,” the boss told reporters.
Teams with missing dogs were combing through the debris, with several people still missing and the death toll expected to rise.
Investigation
Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said a major investigation is underway to determine the cause of the fire, involving the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and local authorities are involved.
“We will not leave any stone unturned,” he said.
“If it’s a criminal act — I’m not saying it’s going to be — if it is, we have to hold everyone, or groups, responsible for it,” Luna added, adding that whoever has There is information, they appeal to come forward.
Although wildfires can be started intentionally, they are often natural, and are an important part of the ecosystem’s life cycle.
But urban sprawl puts people in harm’s way more often, and a changing climate—charged more by humanity’s unchecked use of fossil fuels—is exacerbating conditions that are catastrophic. Give birth to flames.