Wildfires Around Los Angeles Continue to Burn but Firefighters are Making Progress

What Happened?

Major wildfires continuing to burn around Los Angeles have caused at least 16 deaths to date.

The fires remain a major threat to the city of Los Angeles and surrounding areas even with the progress being reported by local authorities.

According to The California Department of Forest and Fire Prevention (known as Cal Fire):

‘Four active fires in the Los Angeles region have burned over 40,000 acres — an area bigger than San Francisco — with flames claiming more than 12,000 structures and displacing tens of thousands. The causes of all four blazes remain under investigation.’

The Washington Post reported:

‘Thousands of firefighters have made some progress in fighting the Palisades and Eaton fires, the two largest blazes. Cal Fire Battalion Chief Brent Pascua told CNN that Saturday was a “very productive day” and said the Santa Ana winds helped move the flames away from the Encino area and onto land that had already been burned.’

Why it Matters

The Palisades fire, which is the largest of the four, is still largely uncontained and is moving slowly towards Interstate 405, a heavily traveled highway that leads into the urban core of Los Angeles itself.

The following updates for each fire were reported by Cal Fire as of January 12th:

Palisades Fire (11 percent contained): To date this blaze has destroyed 23,600 acres in and around Pacific Palisades and killed five people. According to Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Kristin Crowley the Palisades fire has destroyed 5,300 structures.

Eaton Fire (15 percent contained): On the east side of Los Angeles, near Pasadena, the fire has killed at least 11 people and destroyed 14,117 acres. 7,000 structures have been damaged or destroyed.

Kenneth Fire (90 percent contained): The fire in the Calabasas and Hidden Hills areas was first reported Thursday afternoon and has spread to 1,052 acres.

Hurst Fire (76 percent contained): In the north, near San Fernando, the fire has covered 799 acres.

Meteorologists have forecast the fierce Santa Anna winds, which have been responsible for spreading many of the fires, will pick back up this week after a brief respite. However, the winds are not forecast to be as severe as they were when the fires initially broke out.

How it Affects You

According to California Governor Gavin Newsome’s office:

‘California has mobilized more than 14,000+ personnel including firefighters, guard service members, highway patrol officers and transportation teams to support the ongoing firefight. In addition, these response efforts include more than 1,700 pieces of firefighting apparatus, including 1,350+ engines, 80+ aircraft, 150+ dozers and 160+ water tenders to aid in putting out the fires.’

President Joe Biden on Thursday announced the federal government would cover 100% of costs for the initial disaster response to the Los Angeles wildfires.

Biden said the funds would go toward debris removal, temporary shelters, salaries for first responders and more for 180 days. The overall price tag for the wildfires is likely to be measured in the billions, meaning the cost will be felt by nearly every American taxpayer.