(NewsNation) — At least 25 people have died in the Los Angeles-area wildfires that have been blazing since last week, according to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner.
As containment of the multiple blazes grows, so does wind speed, prompting another red flag warning Tuesday. It remains in effect until 6 p.m. PT Wednesday.
Higher winds are expected to cause extreme fire weather, with the National Weather Service warning that people should stay alert for the possibility of fast-moving flames.
“Key message: We are not out of the woods yet,” the weather service said on social media.
LA County Sheriff Robert Luna said Tuesday that 88,000 residents are under evacuation orders, and 84,000 people face warnings. Repopulation talks are ongoing and there are no set dates for return, he said.
Malibu Mayor Doug Stewart dispelled a rumor about permits for expedited re-entry into evacuated zones: “Any claims or offers to provide such a permit are false.”
As of Tuesday, there are three active missing persons cases in the county’s jurisdiction, an official said. All of the missing were previously identified as adults by Luna.
In the city’s jurisdiction, 13 remain unaccounted for, a Los Angeles Police Department official said Tuesday.
As the sheriff’s department continues grid-searching the Altadena area, Luna said at a previous news conference that they are “running across the remains of individual community members” and expect to find more.
Over 12,000 structures have been destroyed in the Palisades, Eaton and Hurst fires.
Los Angeles County Fire Department Chief Anthony Marrone said Sunday that some residents won’t be allowed to return to evacuation zones until the forecasted red flag event on Jan. 15 ends.
“Repopulation will not occur until all areas are safe,” Marrone said at a Monday news conference.
Most Los Angeles Unified schools and all of the district’s offices opened Monday. A Tuesday press release confirmed that all schools will reopen as part of the district’s “return to normalcy.”
Some schools have been relocated to different buildings. Click here for a full list of locations.
Officials announce arson, looting arrests
On Monday, Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman announced charges against 10 people in four separate incidents during the wildfires’ onset.
Two people were charged with first-degree residential burglary, looting and grand theft for stealing from a house in Mandeville Canyon. Hochman said they stole over $200,000.
A third person was allegedly with them but fled when the pair were apprehended. In his attempt to get away, he hit another car and injured the driver, resulting in a hit-and-run charge. Two of those three people face life in prison if convicted due to prior felony charges.
In Altadena, a pair of looters and a group of four people were all charged with first-degree residential burglary for allegedly entering homes and stealing.
One of the items taken was an Emmy awarded to a resident, according to Hochman.
Hochman also announced arson suspect Jose Carranza-Escobar has been charged with three separate arson charges carrying a sentence of up to nine years in prison for starting fires in the city of Azusa. Carranza-Escobar was set to be arraigned Jan. 13.
Police confirmed to NewsNation local affiliate KTLA that Carranza-Escobar, whose last known address was in Azusa, later admitted to starting the fire.
“These felony charges are the result of a multiagency collaboration. It has been nothing short of incredibly impressive to be able to bring these charges incredibly quickly,” Hochman said.
On Tuesday, Luna said the sheriff’s office has arrested 39 people for going against curfew; burglary and drone incidents. That’s 33 in the Eaton fire area and six in the site of the Palisades fire. The Los Angeles Police Department announced 14 arrests over curfew orders; impersonating authorities; vandalism and burglary, along with three arson suspects.
In addition, Hochman said earlier this week that there has been price gouging reported among hotels, short-term rentals and medical supplies. Scammers have also been contacting people for fake fundraising efforts, he said, although the website GoFundMe has been able to put protections against this in place.
Palisades fire
AccuWeather estimates more than $250 billion in damages and economic loss from the LA wildfires.
According to Cal Fire, the Palisades fire has scorched 23,713 acres and is 19% contained as of Wednesday morning.
Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Kristin Crowley said firefighters are working “tirelessly” to increase containment lines, prevent further spread and address flare-ups.
Still, she said, life-threatening an destructive winds are “already here.”
“Danger has not yet passed,” she said at a Tuesday news conference.
The blaze was first reported as a vegetation fire around 10:30 a.m. PT last Tuesday.
Eaton fire
The Eaton fire burned 14,117 acres and is at 45% containment, per Cal Fire.
Marrone said at a news conference Monday that the fire gained no acreage Sunday, “which is a very good thing.”
Dennis Burns, a fire behavior analyst with the California Interagency Incident Management Team, said Monday night that the Eaton fire is not expected to leave its current footprint despite forecasted winds.
Hurst fire
The Hurst fire burned 799 acres and is 97% contained, Cal Fire said.
Auto fire
The Auto fire started in Ventura County on Monday. It grew from five acres to 61 acres and is at 47% containment as of Wednesday morning.
On X, the Ventura County Fire Department said the fire was confined to the river bottom off North Ventura Boulevard. No structures were threatened, the fire department said. Forward progress on the Auto fire has been stopped.
Scout fire
The Scout fire in Riverside County has burned two acres as of Tuesday afternoon, Cal Fire said. It’s at 0% containment.
How much damage have wildfires caused?
AccuWeather estimates the total damage and economic loss from the fires could be $250-275 billion. Poweroutage.us says 93,400 people across California are without power.
Last week, Mark Pestrella, director of Los Angeles County Public Works, said sewer, power and transportation systems have been damaged significantly.
Angeles National Forest is temporarily closed for public safety through Sunday, Jan.19.
The Altadena Golf Course has been destroyed, according to Johnny Eusebio, general manager.
Rebuilding after wildfires
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass on Monday signed an executive order that she says is meant to help the city rebuild.
The executive order includes a requirement that city departments expedite all building permit review and inspections. In addition, it directs the Department of Building and Safety to expedite approvals of “temporary certificates of occupancy” for 1,400 units of housing in the city.
It also creates a task force to streamline debris removal.
To those who lost homes and livelihoods in the fires, Bass said Tuesday that the city will “continue to stand with you.”
“But while we are preparing for the next couple of days, we also want to move into the time when we prepare for moving forward and rebuilding,” she told reporters.
Two Disaster Recovery Centers will open on Tuesday. One is at the UCLA Research Park in Los Angeles, and the other is at Pasadena City College Community Education Center. They are scheduled to be open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Bass said the recovery centers had people available to assist in applying for federal assistance and receiving updates on FEMA applications for help.
During a press conference on Tuesday afternoon, Bass advised Los Angeles residents to listen to evacuation orders, citing those who wanted to help firefighters would be doing so by listening to orders.
Officials urged affected residents to visit FEMA’s rumor page to help dispel misinformation regarding their capabilities.
Curbing predatory investors
California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed his own executive order barring opportunist and predatory investors from taking advantage of homeowners who lost their homes in the fire.
The order prohibits would-be buyers from making unsolicited undervalue offers to those families, as an attempt to curb investors from offering fast cash to those desperate during the wildfires.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
