Eleven people are dead and 13 are missing after two of the largest wildfires in the Los Angeles area.
Firefighters are battling two other wildfires in the nation’s second-largest city.
Cadaver dogs and search crews scour the charred wreckage of neighborhoods after the city’s deadliest wildfire in history.
Residents have been asked to stay out of the water on beaches along a stretch of coastline due to contamination from the fire.
What is the latest?
The largest fire in the Palisades grew to 1,000 acres overnight, although firefighters made modest progress in containment.
The fire is moving east, threatening the exclusive neighborhood of Brentwood, home to the Getty Center, a world-renowned art museum that has now been evacuated. About 3,700 firefighters are on the scene.
Students at the nearby University of California, Los Angeles are awaiting updates from officials.
Eight deaths have been confirmed in the Eaton fire and three others in Palisades. Authorities say they are investigating reports of 13 more people missing.
More than 153,000 people in Los Angeles County are under evacuation orders, according to local officials, as of Saturday. Another 166,000 are under evacuation warnings.
More than 12,000 structures have been destroyed by the fire. By structures, authorities mean houses, outbuildings, sheds, mobile homes and cars.
More than 7,000 structures have been destroyed by the Eaton fire.
The Palisades fire has destroyed nearly 5,300 structures, including at least 426 homes.
Authorities said a curfew was “strictly enforced” from 18:00 to 06:00 local time (02:00 GMT) in the fire-affected areas of Palisades and Eaton following reports of looting. is going
22 arrests have been made – 19 in the Eaton fire area and three in the Palisades fire zone. Two arrests were made for violating curfew and the men were taken into custody.
Others were arrested on suspicion of theft, robbery, identity card theft, drug possession. One person was on parole and had a concealed weapon.
Officials say about 400 National Guard members are stationed around the area to help with road closures and critical infrastructure missions.
According to preliminary estimates by AccuWeather, the fires could be the costliest in US history, potentially costing between $135bm and $150bm in damage.
Insured losses are expected to exceed $8bn (£6.5bn) due to the high value of damaged property.
Celebrities who have lost their homes. Mel Gibson, Leighton Meester and Adam Brody, who attended the Golden Globes just days ago, and Paris Hilton.
Where are the fires?
According to California fire officials, four fires are burning in the wider area:
- The Palisades: The first and largest wildfire in the region on Tuesday, which could become the most destructive fire in state history. It has scorched more than 22,660 acres, including the upscale Pacific Palisades neighborhood. By Saturday afternoon it was 11%.
- Eton: It has hit the northern part of Los Angeles, igniting cities like Altadena. It is the second largest fire in the area, burning nearly 14,000 acres. It comprises 15%.
- Hurst: Located just north of San Fernando, it started burning Tuesday night and has grown to 799 acres, and is 76 percent contained.
- Kenneth: The fire broke out Thursday on the border of Los Angeles and Ventura counties. It covers more than 1,052 acres so far. Officials say its progress has been halted and is 80 percent complete, with no structures damaged or destroyed.
The first one archer, Sunset, Lydia, Woodley And Olivas The fire has been brought under control.
Was LA ready for fire?
A political row has erupted over the city’s preparations after it emerged that some fire crews’ hoses had run dry.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom has called for an independent investigation into the loss of water pressure to hydrants and why the Santa Ynez Reservoir was shut down and emptied for maintenance at the time of the fire.
“The loss of supply from fire hydrants has hampered efforts to protect some homes and evacuation corridors,” he wrote.
Mayor Karen Bass returned from a previously scheduled visit to Ghana to find the city ablaze. He has faced serious questions about the region’s preparedness, his leadership in the crisis and water issues.
On Saturday, he deflected questions about his handling of the emergency, saying at a news conference: “Right now, our first and foremost responsibility to Angelenos is to get out of this crisis.”
Before the fire, LA’s city fire chief warned in a memo that budget cuts were hampering the department’s ability to respond to emergencies.
Also on Saturday, L.A. County Fire Chief Anthony Marvin separately denied that his department was unprepared.
“I did everything in my power to make sure we had enough personnel and resources before the first fire,” he said. I am present.”
“It was not a lack of preparation or lack of decision-making that led to this disaster, it was a natural disaster,” Marvin added.
The warnings added to the frustration over the fire hazard. Residents say it was mistakenly sent to every cell phone in Los Angeles on Thursday.A hint of anger by some. About 10 million people live in the county.
During a news conference Saturday morning, city officials blamed a software glitch, which they said was “disappointing, unacceptable.” They said they are changing their alert system to partner with California’s state emergency notification system.
What is the cause of the fire?
Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said detectives are continuing to investigate a possible motive.
“Everything is absolutely on the table,” he said.
Lightning – the most common source of fires in America – has been ruled out as the cause of the Palisades and Eaton fires.
Nor has there been any official indication that either arson or utility lines — the next two biggest blazes — caused the blaze.
California’s extremely wet 2022-23 years led to heavy vegetation growth, which dried up in the previous year’s drought, leading to abundant wildfires.
A combination of an unusually dry period — downtown Los Angeles has received just 0.16 inches (0.4 cm) of rain since October — and powerful sea breezes Known as the Santa Ana winds. It has also created ripe conditions for forest fires.
BBC weather forecaster Sarah Keith Lucas says there is no rain forecast for the area for at least next week.
Although winds were expected to ease slightly from Friday to Saturday, forecasters warned they would pick up again from Sunday to Monday.
What role has climate change played?
Although strong winds and a lack of rain are fueling the fires, experts say climate change is altering background conditions and increasing the likelihood of such fires.
Much of the western United States, including California, experienced a decades-long drought that ended just two years ago, leaving the region vulnerable.
“Whiplash” swings. Between dry and wet periods in recent years Tinder produced a large amount of dry vegetation ready to be burned.
U.S. government research is inconclusive in linking climate change to larger and more intense wildfires in the western United States.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration states that “Climate change, including increased warming, longer droughts, and a thirstier environment, has been a key driver in increasing the risk and extent of wildfires in the western United States.”
Southern California’s fire season is typically thought to stretch from May to October — but the governor has previously pointed out that fires have become a perennial problem. “It’s not fire season,” he said. “This is the year of fire.”
