At least 11 people have lost their lives in the wildfire crisis in Southern California, officials reported, according to a report by NBC News.
Firefighters experienced a brief respite as the strong Santa Ana winds temporarily died down, but these winds were expected to pick up again.
Meanwhile, The New York Times reported that at least 18 individuals have been arrested on charges such as looting and identity theft.
The Los Angeles Fire Department on Saturday issued a mandatory evacuation.
Mayor of Los Angeles, Karen Bass in a post on X wrote, “A mandatory evacuation order is immediately in effect for the Palisades Fire from Sunset Blvd North to Encino Reservoir and from the 405 Freeway West to Mandeville Canyon. This area was in an evacuation warning and is now under an immediate evacuation order.”
On Friday, California Governor Gavin Newsom announced he would initiate an independent investigation to address concerns over firefighters running out of water early during their efforts, describing the issue as “deeply troubling.”
The largest blaze, the Palisades fire between Santa Monica and Malibu, was 8 per cent contained on Friday, meaning firefighters have been able to establish lines around that much of the perimeter to prevent the blaze from spreading. To the east, firefighters have contained 3 per cent of the Eaton fire, near Altadena and Pasadena. Both fires now rank in the top five most destructive fires in California’s history, The New York Times reported.
In a post on X, Newsom informed that the Lidia Fire is now at 98 per cent containment across 395 acres.
US President Joe Biden warned that although the winds have died down, they will remain a threat until next week.
In a post on X, he said, “Earlier the @VP and I received a briefing from @CAgovernor, @MayorOfLA, and @FEMA_Deanne. While the winds have died down, we expect they will remain a threat until early next week. We’ll keep working 24/7 to support state and local officials to fully stop these fires.” (ANI)
