Multiple wildfires have ravaged Los Angeles for five days, resulting in at least 16 deaths. They were still spreading to previously unaffected areas on Saturday.
The city, under siege by flames since Tuesday, continues to count its dead, with the death toll rising from 11 to 16 on Saturday evening.
"It’s just devastating," said Dara Danton, a 25-year resident of Pacific Palisades, the first neighbourhood to catch fire on Tuesday. Dara is among more than 150,000 people forced to flee the region.
Despite the efforts of thousands of firefighters, the so-called Palisades Fire spread northwest of Los Angeles on Saturday. It now threatens the densely populated San Fernando Valley and the Getty Museum, home to invaluable artworks.
In many fire-ravaged neighbourhoods, houses have been reduced to ashes and charred metal. Firefighters benefited from calmer winds over the past three days, but gusts are set to strengthen again.
Wind worries
“These winds, combined with dry air and vegetation, will keep the fire threat high in Los Angeles County,” warned Anthony Marrone, the county’s fire chief.
Los Angeles is experiencing scenes reminiscent of the pandemic, with vanished traffic jams and residents wearing masks to protect against toxic smoke.
Many residents are questioning the authorities’ handling of the crisis, citing issues like empty fire hydrants and low water pressure.
“Our city has completely let us down,” lamented Nicole Perri, another resident of Pacific Palisades who lost her home.
Under heavy criticism, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass insisted on Saturday that all city services are coordinated. However, the city’s fire chief blamed inadequate funding from the municipality.
On Friday, Governor Gavin Newsom called for a "full independent review" of the city’s water distribution services.
President Donald Trump criticised California’s leaders again on Sunday, saying, "The fires are still raging in Los Angeles. Incompetent politicians have no idea how to put them out."
Costliest fires?
Evacuees face a housing crisis as rental prices soar. On Saturday, the state attorney general reminded that artificial price inflation is punishable by up to a year in prison and a $10,000 fine.
To combat looting in affected or evacuated areas, authorities imposed a strict curfew from 18:00 to 06:00 in Pacific Palisades and Altadena.
Two people were arrested near Vice President Kamala Harris’s home in Brentwood for violating the curfew after police received calls for burglary, according to local media.
So far, more than 12,000 structures, including buildings and cars, have been destroyed or damaged, authorities reported on Saturday.
The damages are expected to run into tens of billions of dollars, making these potentially the costliest fires on record.
Rescue teams, assisted by sniffer dogs, continue to search the debris for bodies or human remains. The death toll could rise further, authorities warn.
The investigation into the fire’s causes, involving the FBI, is ongoing, said Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna on Saturday.
"We will investigate every lead," he assured. "If this is a criminal act – I’m not saying it is – we must find those responsible."
The hot, dry Santa Ana winds, common in California’s autumns and winters, reached unprecedented intensity this week, with gusts up to 160 km/h.
These conditions rapidly spread embers over kilometres, a nightmare scenario for firefighters, especially after two very rainy years produced lush vegetation now dried by eight months of severe drought.
Scientists regularly warn that climate change increases the frequency of extreme weather events.
