Devastating wildfires in California moved into the fifth straight day on Saturday, with the number of people officially confirmed dead rising to 11. Los Angeles County The coroner said Friday.
However, that number is expected to rise, as cadaver dogs pass through gentrified neighborhoods to assess devastation in an area larger than San Francisco.
The situation remains fluid, with the massive Palisades Fire only 8% contained, and the Eaton Fire only 3% contained, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. More than 12,300 homes and buildings were on fire and new evacuations were ordered Friday night in Mandeville Canyon and Interstate 405 after a fire broke out on the east side of the Palisades Fire, FOX Weather reported.
Firefighters work near a burning building in Pacific Palisades, California, on January 8, 2025. (Jason Ryan/Norphoto via Getty Images)
Power grid faults escalate before Los Angeles wildfires start: expert
Los Angeles County Mayor Robert Luna likened the disaster to the explosion of an atomic bomb, but pledged that the community would find a way to recover.
AccuWeather, a private company that provides data on weather and its impact, on Thursday raised its estimate of damage and economic losses to between $135 billion and $150 billion.
So far, no official reason has been provided.
The company that monitors electrical activity says there are faults all the time Los Angeles The power grid has surged in the same areas where three major wildfires are currently burning.
Bob Marshall, CEO of Whisker Labs, He told Fox News Digital The company recorded sharp increases in outages in the hours leading up to the Eaton, Palisades and Hearst fires.
“Faults occur as a result of tree limbs coming into contact with wires or wires blowing in the wind and touching. “It creates a spark in the fault, and we're detecting all of these things,” Marshall explained, adding that he couldn't say definitively whether one of those faults caused a fire.
WATCH: Los Angeles power grid outages spiked before wildfires, experts say
There was some relief as strong Santa Ana winds calmed somewhat on Friday.
The winds helped the fire spread at extreme speeds. While winds will be calmer Saturday morning, new Fire Weather watches were issued Saturday evening into Sunday as strong Santa Ana winds return, FOX Weather reports.
Firefighters are still battling the blaze, using helicopters and planes to douse the flames with water and fall retardants. The winds also pose risks to flight crews, who need to navigate at low altitudes over mountainous terrain.
California Governor Gavin Newsom deployed the National Guard to support law enforcement efforts in the region. This brings the total number of field staff working with local and federal agencies to 8,000.
The Pentagon said on Friday that more than 600 Guardsmen were assisting local authorities. Marines and other military service members are on standby.
“Currently, more than 600 California National Guard members are activated, including 14 fuel mitigation crews, 200 military police for security operations, and 10 helicopters for firefighting and search and rescue operations. This number is expected to increase over the next 24 Next hour.” Pentagon Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh told reporters.
In some parts of Los Angeles, residents returned to their still-smoldering neighborhoods even as the threat of new fires remained and the nation's second-largest city remained unstable. For some, it was a first glimpse at the staggering reality of what has been lost as the region of 13 million grapples with the enormous challenge of overcoming the disaster and rebuilding.
Water is dropped by helicopter on the burning Sunset Fire in the Hollywood Hills section of Los Angeles, Wednesday, January 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
Bridget Berg, who was at work when she saw her Altadena home go up in flames on television, returned for the first time with her family two days later “just to make it real.”
Her children examined the debris on the sidewalk, finding a pottery bowl and some memorabilia as they searched for Japanese woodblock prints they hoped to recover.
“It's okay. It's okay,” Berg said to herself and others as she took stock of the devastation, remembering the rooftop and pool from which her family had watched the fireworks. “It's not like we just lost our house, everyone lost theirs.”
Looting also became a problem Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman Warning thieves that they will be punished.
Sheriff Luna said at a news conference Thursday that at least 20 people had been arrested on looting charges and warned potential imitators to stay away from vacated homes.
Help people affected by the California wildfires here
Meanwhile, private security companies are struggling to meet growing demand as fires and thieves alike threaten upscale Los Angeles neighborhoods.
“We've been under intense criticism,” said Herman Weisberg, managing director of SAGE Intelligence, which works with Hollywood stars and other high-profile figures. “I can't bring the men there, and sheltering them is almost impossible.”
A curfew went into effect Friday from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. Saturday local time in all mandatory evacuation areas affected by the Palisades and Eaton wildfires.
People view smoke and flames from the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood on January 7, 2025 in Los Angeles. (Tiffany Rose/Getty Images)
The disaster took the homes of everyone from waiters to movie stars. The flames swept through schools, churches, synagogues, bookstores, stores, bars, restaurants, banks, and local landmarks such as Will Rogers' West House and a Queen Anne-style mansion in Altadena dating from 1887 that was commissioned for the wealthy cartographer. Andrew McAnally.
Leadership, both at the city and state levels, has come under harsh criticism.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has been criticized for her lack of concern Fire Department Memorandum Last month raised concerns about the impact of budget cuts on the department's response to the wildfires.
Los Angeles Fire Chief Christine Crowley said Friday that the city has failed its residents. She also criticized the water shortage.
“When a firefighter approaches a hydrant, we expect there to be water,” she said.
California Governor Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass tour the downtown business district of Pacific Palisades on January 8, 2025 in Los Angeles. (Eric Thayer/Getty Images)
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Newsom confronted a resident Thursday who demanded to know why fire hydrants were empty. He called on Friday Independent investigation To the loss of pressure in some fire hydrants used to fight forest fires.
He also ordered state officials to determine why a 117-million-gallon tank was out of service and some faucets ran dry, calling the matter “deeply troubling.”
Meanwhile, Los Angeles Fire Chief Christine Crowley said city leadership had failed her department by not providing adequate funds to fight the fires.
FOX Corporation has donated $1 million to the American Red Cross's California wildfire relief efforts to support affected residents Wildfires raging across Southern California.
The donation will help the agency Providing safe shelter, hot meals, emotional support and resources to aid recovery in the area.
A house burns as strong winds push the Eaton Fire on January 7, 2025, in Pasadena, California. (David McNew/Getty Images)
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FOX continues to be a partner of the Annual Disaster Giving Program and encourages viewers to contribute alongside them to help families affected by devastating wildfires who remain in desperate need of support. Every donation The Red Cross was better able to respond and help residents recover from this disaster.
The Walt Disney Company, based in Burbank, California, pledged $15 million in wildfire relief after thousands lost their homes and at least 11 people died in the blazes.
Fox News' Chris Pandolfo, Rachel Wolf, Ashley Papa and Michael Ruiz, as well as Fox Weather and the Associated Press, contributed to this report.
