Firefighters are slowly making progress on multiple wildfires burning in the Los Angeles area.
According to Gov. Gavin Newsom, over 7,500 firefighters are currently deployed. Calmer winds have also allowed crews to resume their air attack.
The fires are known to have killed at least six people. Officials with the City of Malibu announced Thursday a death associated with the fires, but did not identify the individual. Five other people were killed during the Eaton Fire in eastern Los Angeles County.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff says he expects the number of fatalities to rise.
Sunset Fire in the Hollywood Hills
The newest fire of concern is the Sunset Fire in the Hollywood Hills area. The flames, which started Wednesday night, are burning nearly a mile from the Hollywood Walk of Fame. On Thursday morning, Los Angeles County Fire Chief Kristin Crowley reported it had been aggressively attacked and kept to one square mile, burning about 43 acres.
The Los Angeles Fire Department said the evacuation orders for the Hollywood Hills area had been lifted Thursday morning.
Palisades Fire
Now one of the largest fires in Los Angeles history and the most destructive on record, the uncontrolled Palisades Fire was still 0% contained as of Thursday morning and had consumed over 17,000 acres of land.
Officials have confirmed that over 300 structures have been destroyed, but they believe the number of buildings actually destroyed is in the thousands.
Eaton Fire
The Eaton Fire has burned over 10,000 acres of land and is one of the two largest fires actively burning. It is still 0% contained but fire officials said Thursday morning they are stopping it from gaining more ground.
It's consumed over 1,000 structures in Altadena and Pasadena. Over 800 fire personnel are responding to the blaze.
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Additional fires
The Hurst and Lidia fires were partially contained as of Thursday morning.
Also, officials said the Sunswept Fire in the Studio City area and the Woodley Fire in Runyon Canyon had been "knocked down" and fully contained but both are being actively monitored for flare-ups.
A small fire of one to two acres called the Creek Fire started Thursday in the Angeles National Forest after a vehicle left the roadway.
The Kennis Fire, covering some 50 acres, started Thursday on the border between Los Angeles and Ventura Counties.
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President Joe Biden has canceled his trip to Italy to lead the federal government's emergency response.
President Biden on Thursday said the federal government would cover 100% of the costs of that response, which is increase from the usual coverage rate of 75% or 90%.
"It's going to pay for things like debris and hazard material removal, temporary shelters, first responders, salaries and all necessary measures to protect life and property," the president said.
Fast-spreading fires forced sudden evacuations
With winds so gusty, small brush fires turned into massive infernos within minutes, officials said.
"Hurricane-force winds are usually accompanied by rainstorms, but these are hurricane-force winds combined with extremely dry drought conditions," Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said. "To provide context, at 10:20 a.m. on Tuesday, the Palisades Fire was at 10 acres. Twelve minutes later, it was at 200 acres. To those who fled their homes, especially those who have lost your homes, our hearts are breaking for you, and we stand with you."
The National Weather Service is continuing red flag warnings into Friday for the Los Angeles region as strong Santa Ana winds will continue. Forecasters say, however, that winds will not be as strong on Thursday as they were on Wednesday.
The subsiding winds have allowed for electricity to be restored to over 1 million residents who lost power on Wednesday.
Air quality is also a major concern
Even miles from the wildfires, many Los Angeles residents are suffering from poor air quality. As of Thursday, the air quality was considered unhealthy for sensitive groups. Those with health concerns are being urged to stay inside in the Los Angeles area.
Looting is becoming a new tragedy
During a press conference Thursday morning, city and fire officials said there have been cases of looting in the fire-ravaged neighborhoods. They added that this would be investigated to the full extent and those who commit these crimes will be prosecuted.
Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said 20 arrests have been made so far in connection to looting but he expects that number to grow. He also said that staying in a mandatory evacuation zone is a misdemeanor and he will instruct deputies to enforce that law moving forward.
“This is simply unacceptable,” Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Chair Kathryn Barger said during a news conference on Wednesday. “I promise you, you will be held accountable.”
The city of Santa Monica declared a curfew Wednesday night because of the looting, said L.A. County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath.
Difficult weather conditions ahead
Officials continue to warn residents to heed evacuation orders, especially because weather conditions may quickly deteriorate.
High winds are expected to return as early as Thursday night, and there is no rain in official forecasts for the next week.
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