Los Angeles wildfire death toll rises to 16

2025-01-12 10:13:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

The death toll from wildfires that have ravaged the Los Angeles area has risen to 16, as fire crews battle to contain the blazes before strong winds return.

There are fears that the possible return of strong winds could divert the flames towards some of the city's most famous places.

Five people died in the Palisades fire and 11 in the Eaton fire, officials in Los Angeles said Saturday night.

Before Saturday night, the confirmed death toll was 11, but officials said they expected that toll to rise as crews continued to search through neighborhoods leveled to the ground.

Authorities have opened a center where people can report missing persons.

Fears that the winds could move the fires towards the Museum "J. Paul Getty” and the University of California at Los Angeles.

On Saturday evening, Cal Fire reported that the Palisades, Eaton, Kenneth and Hurst fires have burned about 100 square miles of land in Los Angeles.

In a summary posted online Saturday evening, Michael Traum of the California Office of Emergency Services said 150,000 people in Los Angeles County are under evacuation orders, and that more than 700 people have taken shelter in nine shelters.

Cal Fire said the Palisades fire is only 11 percent contained and the Eaton fire is 15 percent contained, meaning the fight to extinguish these fires continues.

"Weather conditions are still critical and another round of strong winds is expected to begin on Monday," Traum said.

Historic cost
The fires that started Tuesday north of downtown Los Angeles have burned more than 12,000 structures.

Firefighters made their first progress Friday afternoon on the Eaton Fire north of Pasadena, which has burned more than 7,000 structures, a term that includes homes, apartment buildings, businesses, outbuildings and vehicles.

Most evacuation orders for the area were lifted, officials said.

The cause of these fires, which are considered to be the largest in Los Angeles, is still unknown, and initial estimates indicate that these fires are likely to have caused the greatest damage ever.

According to an initial estimate by AccuWeather, damages and economic losses so far are between 135 and 150 billion dollars./REL