Los Angeles county officials on Sunday said the death toll from wildfires had risen to 24. Many are believed to be missing, and over 12,000 structures have been damaged or destroyed in six simultaneous wildfires that spread across the County starting Tuesday.
Dangerous dry winds returned on Sunday to whip up furious gusts of infernos that have scorched communities to rubble and left thousands homeless. The dry winds, which originate from the inland deserts, fanned flames and blew embers up to 2 miles (3 km) ahead of the front lines.
Some aerial firefighters scooped water out of the Pacific Ocean and dropped water and retardant. At the same time, land crews with hand tools and hoses held the line of the Palisades Fire as it encroached on the upscale Brentwood section and other populated areas of Los Angeles.
California wildfires | Key points
President-elect Donald Trump has accused California officials of incompetence. “They just can’t put out the fires. What’s wrong with them?” Trump said on his Truth Social platform.
California Governor Gavin Newsom said he was launching a “Marshall Plan” to rebuild the ravaged city. “We already have a team looking at reimagining L.A. 2.0,” he said.
The National Weather Service has warned of worsening weather conditions ahead. Santa Ana winds are predicted to pick up and last through Tuesday morning. They can bring sustained winds up to 30 mph, and wind gusts up to 70 mph.
Over 1,53,000 residents and 57,000 structures are under evacuation orders, and another 1,66,000 residents have been warned of potential evacuation.
About 50,000 customers without power, “down from over half a million just a couple days ago.”
The death toll is expected to mount when fire rescue fighters can enter and search ravaged structures.
