The Los Angeles wildfires, fueled by strong winds, have claimed 10 lives and destroyed almost 10,000 structures. While a respite from the wind allows firefighters to make progress, the threat remains high as gusts could return over the weekend.
A pause in the fierce winds that super-charged the ring of wildfires that devastated Los Angeles this week has helped crews make progress in bringing the infernos under control, but strong gusts could return over the weekend, forecasters said. The fires, which have devastated Los Angeles neighborhoods on the east and west sides of the city, have so far killed 10 people and destroyed nearly 10,000 structures, with those figures expected to grow.
Wind conditions in the Los Angeles area will improve Friday through the weekend to about 30km/h with gusts between 55km/h to 80km/h, according to the National Weather Service, a far cry from days ago when wind gusts blasted at upwards of 130km/h. “It’s not as gusty so that should help firefighters, hopefully,” NWS meteorologist Allison Santorelli said, adding that conditions were still critical with low humidity and dry vegetation. Farther south in San Diego, winds will pick up, with sustained winds of 65km/h and gusts upwards of 110km/h, creating dangerous fire conditions there over the weekend, she added. As of early Friday, three major fires were still burning in Los Angeles. The Palisades Fire and the Eaton Fire already rank as the most destructive in Los Angeles history, consuming more than 13,750 hectares — some 137 square kilometres or two-and-a-half times the land area of Manhattan — and turning entire neighbourhoods to ash. The Palisades Fire is now 6 per cent controlled, while the Eaton Fire is still blazing out of control, according to California’s Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Some Pacific Palisades residents ventured back to areas where the fire had already swept through. Brick chimneys loomed over charred waste and burnt-out vehicles. One rapidly growing blaze that broke out on Thursday near Calabasas, a wealthy enclave home to numerous celebrities and gated communities, was 35 per cent under control by early Friday, fire officials said. The so-called Kenneth Fire had expanded to 388 hectares in a matter of hours. A Los Angeles Police Department spokesperson confirmed that an arson suspect was being held but would not comment on which fire was involved. Local media is reporting it is the Kenneth Fire. Smaller fires were also putting pressure on overstretched firefighting resources. Firefighting crews managed to bring the Sunset Fire in the atop the Hollywood Hills fully under control on Thursday, after flames had engulfed a ridge overlooking Hollywood Boulevard’s Walk of Fame on Wednesday night. Officials said the Eaton Fire had damaged or destroyed 4000 to 5000 structures while the Palisades Fire destroyed or damaged another 5300 structures, including many homes of movie stars and celebrities. In Altadena, a racially and economically diverse community near Pasadena, many residents said they were concerned government resources would be channelled toward wealthier areas and insurance companies might short-change less affluent households who lacked the means to contest fire claims. The catastrophic losses are already weighing on insurers, which are bracing for billions of dollars in potential claims. Private forecaster AccuWeather estimated the damage and economic loss at $US135 billion ($A218 billion) to $US150 billion ($A242 billion), portending an arduous recovery and soaring homeowners’ insurance costs. President Joe Biden, who will hold a briefing on the fire response later on Friday, has declared the fires a major disaster and said the federal government would reimburse 100 per cent of the recovery for the next six months
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