California meteorologists warn that the high winds that fueled fires around Los Angeles are expected to happen again this week, as fire crews on the ground race to make progress in controlling three wildfires.
Officials warned that after a weekend of relatively calm winds, Santa Ana's notoriously dry winds will pick up again Sunday night into Wednesday, reaching gusts of up to 60 mph (96 km/h).
Before the winds intensified, some progress had been made in stemming the spread of the barriers and the deadly Eaton fires, which are burning on opposite sides of the city. Local firefighters are receiving assistance from crews from eight other states, as well as Canada and Mexico, who continue to arrive.
At a press conference on Sunday, officials said 16 people had been confirmed dead, and 16 others were still missing.
They also warned that the death toll was expected to rise as urban search and rescue teams combed through the rubble using cadaver dogs.
There are still three fires burning around Los Angeles.
The largest fire is the Palisades Fire, which has so far burned 23,000 acres and is 11% contained.
The Eaton Fire is the second largest and has burned 14,000 acres. It is 27% contained.
The Hearst Fire has grown to 799 acres and is almost completely contained.
While crews were able to begin containing the largest fires, authorities warned that the incoming winds could create “potentially catastrophic wind conditions,” with the entire Los Angeles County under fire threat.
“Unfortunately, we will be back in red flag conditions with some potentially catastrophic winds between now and Wednesday, with the winds expected to peak on Tuesday,” Pasadena Fire Department Chief Chad Augustine told the BBC.
He added: “Although we are making some progress, the end is not yet near.”
Los Angeles Fire Chief Christine Crowley called on residents near evacuation zones to prepare to flee if an order is issued, and to stay off the roads as much as possible so as not to hinder work crews.
Topanga Canyon resident Alice Husum, 67, told the BBC that a new fire that broke out in the area overnight had been quickly contained, but she and her neighbors were all “scared of Tuesday” when wind speeds were likely to reach their peak.
But Ms. Husum, who stayed despite evacuation orders, noted that the forecast was “a little better than the 100-mile winds that were hitting us” earlier in the week.
New fires continued to burn Sunday, threatening communities in the San Fernando Valley and near NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
Firefighters on Sunday were able to quickly stop the spread of new fires in the Angeles National Forest, which surrounds the facility that is at the heart of the US space program and contains top-secret technology.
At least 29 people were arrested for looting in mandatory evacuation zones. Two people were arrested posing as firefighters in order to rob evacuees.
Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said in a news conference on Sunday that he had requested more National Guard troops to support the 400 soldiers already in the area. California Governor Gavin Newsom has since announced that an additional 1,000 National Guard members will be deployed.
“When I was out there in the Malibu area, I saw a man who looked like a firefighter. I asked him if he was okay because he was sitting down. I didn't realize we had him in handcuffs,” Sheriff Luna said. Reporters.
“We're turning him over to the LAPD because he was dressed as a firefighter, and he wasn't. He had just been caught burglarizing a home. So these are the issues that our front-line deputies and police officers are dealing with.”
Sheriff Luna said there are now 14,000 firefighters in the Southern California area, assisted by 84 aircraft and 1,354 fire trucks.
Evacuation numbers are down, with about 105,000 residents still under mandatory evacuation orders and 87,000 under evacuation warnings.
A significant threat remains, Deane Criswell, Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema), told CNN on Sunday.
“I know a lot of people might want to come back to the area and check out their homes, but with the winds picking up, you never know which way they're going to go,” she said.
Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell said limited access was allowed for evacuated residents over the weekend, but his officers are again preventing all residents from returning.
ReutersOfficials have repeatedly ordered drone operators not to fly near fire areas, and are now seeking information after a drone collided with a vital aircraft.
The FBI released photos of the small drone that on Thursday collided with an aircraft known as the “Super Scooper,” one of the most impressive firefighting aircraft in the world, briefly grounding it.
The drone punched a 3 by 6 inch (8 by 15 cm) hole in the aircraft.
FBIOfficials also warned of scammers seeking to take advantage of victims, and issued a stern warning that anyone caught for price gouging would be prosecuted.
Meanwhile, California Governor Newsom and President-elect Donald Trump continue to feud.
Trump, who takes office on January 20 and was invited by the state's governor to tour the area affected by the fire, on Saturday blamed “incompetent” politicians for “one of the worst disasters in the history of our country.”
Newsom, a Democrat, in turn attacked Trump for sharing misinformation about the fires.
In a Sunday interview with NBC, Newsom called Trump's false claims “indefensible.”
With additional reporting from Reagan Morris
