More firefighters rush to Los Angeles ahead of stronger winds

LOS ANGELES (NEXSTAR) – Additional water tankers and scores of firefighters arrived at the Los Angeles area on Monday ahead of fierce winds that were forecast to return and threaten the progress made so far on two massive infernos that have destroyed thousands of homes and killed at least 24 people.

Planes doused homes and hillsides with bright pink fire-retardant chemicals, while crews and fire engines were being placed near particularly vulnerable spots with dry brush. Dozens of water trucks rolled in to replenish supplies after hydrants ran dry last week when the two largest fires erupted.

Tabitha Trosen and her boyfriend said she feels like they are “teetering” on the edge with the constant fear that their neighborhood could be the next under threat.

“Our cats are ready to go, we have their carriers by the door prepped with their little stuffed animals and things like that,” Trosen said, adding that she’s packed things as she thinks about what she could lose. “It’s like, how do I take care of myself, and what are the things that will ground me as a human and remind me of my background and my life and my family.”

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and other officials — who have faced criticism over their initial response to fires that began last week — expressed confidence Monday that the region was ready to face the new threat with additional firefighters brought in from around the U.S., as well as Canada and Mexico.

“We’re absolutely better prepared for this coming,” LA County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said Monday when asked what will be different from a week ago, when hurricane-force winds propelled multiple fires across a region that hasn’t seen rain in more than eight months.

But Marrone warned that the strong winds could prevent airplanes from fighting the blazes from above, just as they did last week.

“We’re never sure that we’re gong to catch the next fire and keep it small,” he said, urging residents to have their pets, documents and other important items ready in case of evacuations.

In less than a week, four fires around the nation’s second biggest city have scorched more than 62 square miles (160 square kilometers), roughly three times the size of Manhattan.

Some of the additional crews sent to Los Angeles arrived from across the U.S. and from Canada and Mexico as the National Weather Service warned that the coming days could become “particularly dangerous.”

It predicted severe fire conditions will last through Wednesday, with wind gusts in the mountains reaching 65 mph (105 kph). The most dangerous day will be Tuesday, warned fire behavior analyst Dennis Burns.

A group of artists, musicians, and friends banded together over the weekend to stop new fires from breaking out by turning off gas lines and propane tanks in Topanga Canyon, near the devastating Palisades Fire.

“We helped hopefully save a couple houses and we put out a couple spot fires,” Derek Mabra said as he drove along the coast looking at the destruction. “It’s complete and total devastation.”

Most of that destruction has been from the Eaton Fire near Pasadena and the Palisades Fire, in a wealthy enclave along the Pacific Coast. Firefighters have made progress on both fronts in recent days, with the Eaton Fire roughly one-third contained.

Searching for victims continues

The death toll jumped to 24 over the weekend and is likely to rise, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said Monday. At least two dozen were missing, he said.

Luna said he understands that people are eager to return to their homes and neighborhoods to survey the damage, but he asked for their patience. “We have people literally looking for the remains of your neighbors,” he said.

Checking on their homes

The slower winds on Sunday allowed some people to return to previously evacuated areas. Many had no idea if their homes or neighborhoods were still standing.

Jim Orlandini, who lost his hardware store in Altadena, a hard-hit neighborhood next to Pasadena, said his home of 40 years survived.

“The whole time I was thinking, I don’t know what I’m going to find when I get back here and after 40 years, you know, you got a lot of stuff you forget about that would disappear if the house burned down. So we’re thankful that it didn’t.”

Electrical tower eyed as possible cause of Eaton Fire

CalFire investigators are looking into reports that a Southern California Edison transmission tower may have been the source of the Eaton Fire, according to the Los Angeles Times.

“Video and images from four residents and obtained by the The Times appeared to show that before the Eaton fire exploded … the first flames of the fire burned behind Pasadena homes, at the base of a nearby electrical tower,” the Times reports.

Southern California Edison said it doesn’t know of an “electrical or operational anomalies” involving the electrical tower, according to a Jan. 9 incident report.

CalFire told the Los Angeles Times they continue to investigate.

Investigators are considering an array of possible ignition sources for the huge fires that have killed at least 24 people and destroyed thousands of homes and businesses in the Los Angeles area.

In the Pacific Palisades, officials have placed the origin of the wind-whipped blaze behind a home on Piedra Morada Drive, which sits above a densely wooded arroyo.

According to the National Fire Protection Association, lightning is the most common cause of fires in the U.S., but investigators were able to rule that out quickly. There were no reports of lightning in the Palisades area or the terrain around the Eaton Fire, which started in east Los Angeles County and has destroyed hundreds of homes.

The next two most common causes: fires intentionally set, and those sparked by utility lines.

FEMA says misinformation about government assistance after the fires is being spread deliberately

The head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency says officials have seen the deliberate spreading of misinformation related to government assistance after the wildfires in Los Angeles in ways similar to what occurred following Hurricane Helene’s devastation in North Carolina last year.

“We are seeing that,” FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell said when President Joe Biden asked about misinformation during a White House briefing on the wildfires.

Biden asked a similar question of U.S. Forest Service Chief Randy Moore. He responded, “There’s always rumors with large fires like this, Mr. President.”

Criswell said that, if winds intensify overnight and exacerbate still-burning fires, state and county officials have systems that send alerts to the cell phones of people in evacuation zones.

FBI seeks to identify the operator of a drone that struck a firefighting plane

The FBI on Monday was soliciting information that might identify the operator of a drone that collided with a firefighting aircraft in California last week.

The plane was damaged while conducting fire suppression near Malibu. It safely landed but was sidelined for repairs. It is expected to return to service Tuesday.

The FBI says the drone was flying in violation of temporary flight restrictions from the Federal Aviation Administration. The impact left a 6-inch (15.2-centimeter) long hole in the plane’s wing.

Warnings to stay out of disaster zones

LA city Fire Chief Kristin Crowley urged people to stay away from burned neighborhoods that are filled with broken gas lines, unstable buildings and still don’t have power.

Officials also warned that the ash can contain lead, arsenic, asbestos and other harmful materials.

Just under 100,000 in Los Angeles County remained under evacuation orders, half the number from last week. Most in the Palisades area won’t be able to return until red flag warnings expire Wednesday evening.

Fighting flames on multiple fronts

Crews from California and nine other states are part of the ongoing response that includes nearly 1,400 fire engines, 84 aircraft and more than 14,000 personnel, including newly arrived firefighters from Mexico.

President Joe Biden said Monday that he’d directed hundreds of federal personnel, as well as federal aerial and ground support, to aid in fighting the fires and supporting survivors and hard-hit communities.

“We will continue to use every tool available to support the urgent firefight,” Biden said.

Firefighters over the weekend fought flames fiercely in Mandeville Canyon, home to Arnold Schwarzenegger and other celebrities.

The Palisades Fire spread Friday night, prompting new evacuation orders. Crews continued battling there Monday before potentially strong winds could push the flames toward the world famous J. Paul Getty Museum and the University of California, Los Angeles.

Beyoncé, Disney and other celebrities and entertainment organizations have pledged millions to help those who have been displaced or lost their homes. Other stars — and ordinary people — have left large donations of clothing and other items along street corners in various parts of the city.

Investigating looting, fundraising scams

Police in Santa Monica have arrested more than 40 people in the Palisades Fire evacuation zones since the start of the blaze, according to KTLA. Most of the arrests were for violating curfew, which lasts from sunset to sunrise.

Ten suspects were arrested for burglary, and one of them was found to have the Watch Duty app on his phone. That app shows maps of active fires and evacuation zones, including the zones in Santa Monica. Six people were in possession of burglary tools like bolt cutters, pry tools, hand saws, key fob programmers and key fobs. Two people were arrested for being in possession of concealed handguns.

Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said Monday that price gouging has been happening with hotels and short-term rentals and medical supplies. Scammers are also contacting people for fake fundraising efforts, he said.

“The criminals have decided that this is an opportunity and I’m here to tell you this is not an opportunity. You will be arrested,” Hochman said.

Counting up the destruction

The fires that began Tuesday on the Pacific coast north of downtown LA have burned more than 12,000 homes, cars and other structures. No cause has been determined.

AccuWeather’s early estimates suggest the fires could be the nation’s costliest ever, topping $250 billion including what’s to come in the next days.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.