Los Angeles Wildfires Day 3: Palisades and Eaton Fires Remain at 0% Containment, 2,000 Structures Destroyed
While the Santa Ana winds may be dying down, the wildfires plaguing Los Angeles remain rampant as firefighters enter Day 3 of combating the county-wide blazes.
After starting up on Tuesday, the Palisades and Eaton fires remain at 0% containment, while the Hurst fire is at 10%. The Palisades fire has burned 17,234 acres, the Eaton fire 10,600 acres and the Hurst fire 671 acres. The more northern Lidia fire has burned 348 acres, currently at 40% containment.
The critical wind event is over, though the winds themselves are expected to continue through Friday. Still, at least 180,000 locals are currently under evacuation orders due to the urban wildfires.
Five people have been reported dead in relation to the fires, with at least 2,000 structures destroyed. Additionally, 24 local school districts are closed for Thursday and 20 people have been arrested for looting in impacted areas.
“In the midst of the emergency, we’ve all seen individuals who are targeting vulnerable communities by burglarizing and looting homes. This is simply unacceptable,” Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors chair Kathryn Barger said in a Thursday press conference. “I promise you, you will be held accountable. Shame on those who are preying on our residents during this time of crisis. The emergency order will be strictly enforced by the Sheriff’s Department who are proactively patrolling to protect these communities from looting and any criminal activity. They have made 20 arrests of individuals who will be held accountable for the actions that they’ve taken.”
Thankfully, Wednesday night’s fire in the Hollywood Hills has been handled by the Los Angeles Fire Department, which was able to expertly deploy water-drops.
“The Sunset fire is under control. It’s a great example of the power of our air support … within an hour, a bulk of the fire had been knocked down,” LAFD Public Information Officer Margaret Stewart told KTLA on Thursday morning. “Everyone can return home safely.”
“More than 7,500 firefighting personnel are on the ground working with local and federal partners to respond to California’s ongoing historic wildfires,” Gov. Gavin Newsom shared in an update late Wednesday night.
That number comes from local firefighters, as well as from stations upstate and additional departments from five other states: Oregon, Washington, Utah, New Mexico and Arizona.
The red flag warning remains in effect until Friday evening.
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