The Los Angeles fires death toll has skyrocketed to 24 amid warnings hellish weather conditions will spur on the raging infernos for at least three more days.
Meteorologists warned residents in fire-ravaged evacuation zones that winds reaching 70mph will pick up on Sunday night and last to Wednesday, heightening the risk for fires to spread even further across southern California.
The weather warning also prevents locals from returning home to inspect the damage, and makes it more challenging for first responders sifting through the ash and debris searching for dozens of people who remain unaccounted for.
Four fires burned through 40,000 acres across the most affluent neighborhoods in LA, with A-list celebrity homes and restaurant hotspots among the 12,300 structures wiped out.
The Los Angeles medical examiner updated the death count on Sunday afternoon, revealing 24 people are now confirmed dead as a result of the fires.
But dozens more are unaccounted for as evacuees locked out of their suburbs face an anxious wait to return home and see what – if anything – remains.
With cadaver dogs now being brought in to locate human remains, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna has warned the death toll will likely continue to rise.
‘The Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office and the Los Angeles County Fire Department [are] using cadaver dogs, doing grid searches,’ he said.
The weather warning also prevents locals from returning home to inspect the damage
With cadaver dogs now being brought in to locate human remains, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna has warned the death toll will likely continue to rise
Meteorologists warned residents in fire-ravaged evacuation zones that winds reaching 70mph will pick up on Sunday night and last to Wednesday, heightening the risk for fires to spread even further across southern California
A woman sits as she sifts through the rubble of her mother’s home after it was destroyed by the Palisades Fire
A fire fighting helicopter drops water as the Palisades fire grows
‘I don’t expect good news from those. We will keep people updated.’
The fires continue to burn as:
Miles Bliss, for the National Weather Service, provided a grim update on Sunday afternoon, warning strong Santa Ana winds which fueled the infernos last week will intensify once again.
‘Critical fire weather conditions will be expected during this time so please be prepared to evacuate if told so by officials,’ he said.
Similarly, meteorologist Rose Schoenfield warned: ‘The general duration of this is not looking good.’
The weather is expected to contribute to another stint of dangerous and potentially extreme fire conditions which could exacerbate the fires already burning and cause more new ones to pop up.
Los Angeles City Fire Chief Kristin Crowley said: ‘It’s very important that the community understands that these wind events are coming.’
The weather is expected to contribute to another stint of dangerous and potentially extreme fire conditions which could exacerbate the fires already burning and cause more new ones to pop up
Dozens of people are unaccounted for as evacuees locked out of their suburbs face an anxious wait to return home and see what – if anything – remains
Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said authorities won’t consider allowing displaced residents to return home until after that warning has been lifted
These conditions have prompted a red flag warning until 6pm Wednesday.
A CalFire spokesperson said: ‘Life-threatening winds and dangerously low humidity are forecast for much of Southern California – from Ventura to San Diego – creating a significant risk of rapid fire spread.
‘The winds will cause increased fire activity.’
Residents in the areas not yet facing evacuation orders but subject to the Santa Ana winds have been warned to avoid mowing or trimming their dry grass, parking their cars on grass and to ensure campfires are ‘completely out.’
Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said authorities won’t consider allowing displaced residents to return home until after that warning has been lifted.
‘Unfortunately, those conversations are not going to begin until the next predicted red flag ends on Wednesday,’ he said.
‘Please rest assured that first thing Thursday, we will start talking about re-population and evacuation order and warning areas,’ he said in a Sunday news conference.
Consumer Watchdog executive director Carmen Balber should begin documenting every cost they incur straight away to ensure they get paid what they are owed.
‘If you’re in an evacuation area – and especially if you already know you lost your home – contact your insurance company right away. You can get an advance on your policy limits,’ she said.
The Palisades Fire which began in the ritzy Pacific Palisades kicked off last Tuesday, and has since burned through 23,707 acres and left at least eight dead.
It spread from the celebrity enclave of Pacific Palisades up the coast to Malibu, where it destroyed the iconic houses along the beach.
The fire spread from the celebrity enclave of Pacific Palisades up the coast to Malibu, where it destroyed the iconic houses along the beach
An American flag is seen tattered as it flies above a burned down home after the Palisades Fire
The Palisades Fire reached over 23,000 acres by Sunday night
Miles Teller, Mel Gibson and Paris Hilton are among A-list celebrities who lost their homes in the inferno.
But as firefighters worked to contain the blaze, a separate fire broke out near Pasadena, since named the Eaton fire.
This fire has spread through slightly less land at 14,117 acres, but has cost at least 16 lives with the death toll expected to rise. Mandy Moore’s home was among those charred beyond recognition in the Eaton fire.
The victims of both fires include a man who died still clutching a garden hose and a woman who was unwilling to leave her pets.
A British former child star who was blind and had cerebral palsy also tragically died after telling his mom to ‘leave him’ behind.
Rory Callum Sykes, 32, lost his life when his self-contained cottage on his mother’s estate in Malibu burned down on Thursday.
Several other blazes have broken out over the week and subsequently been contained, including one in the Hollywood Hills and another which encroached upon the Kardashian enclave of Calabasas.
The widespread tragedy and ongoing evacuation orders has sparked looting and chaos, with 29 burglars arrested so far, including one man who was caught disguising himself as a firefighter.
