The number of deaths from Wildfires in California It rose to 16, according to a Los Angeles medical examiner.
Crews are struggling to stop the fires from spreading before potentially strong winds return that could push the flames toward some of the city's most iconic landmarks.
The Medical Examiner's Office says five of those deaths were in the Palisades Fire, while 11 people were killed in the Eaton Fire.
The Los Angeles County Police Department has implemented a curfew in Evacuated areas affected by the Palisades and Eaton wildfires from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. local time.
“Law enforcement authorities will strictly enforce this curfew in order to protect you and allow emergency personnel to work effectively,” the administration at X said. “Your safety is always our priority.”
The previous number of confirmed deaths before Saturday was 11, but officials said they expected that number to rise as teams with cadaver dogs carried out methodical searches in flattened neighborhoods. Authorities have set up a center where people can report missing persons. There were fears that winds could move the fires towards the J. Paul Getty Museum and the University of California, Los Angeles, while new evacuation warnings left more homeowners on edge.
Firefighters watch water fall on the Palisades Fire in Mandeville Canyon on Saturday, January 11, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jay Si Hong)
By Saturday evening, Cal Fire reported that the Palisades, Eaton, Kenneth and Hearst fires had burned about 62 square miles, an area larger than San Francisco. The Palisades and Eaton fires were 59 square miles in area.
Officials estimate that at least 37,000 acres have burned.
In a news conference posted online Saturday evening, Michael Tromm of the California Office of Emergency Services said 150,000 people in Los Angeles County had been issued evacuation orders, with more than 700 people seeking shelter in nine shelters.
Crews from California and nine other states are part of an ongoing response that includes 1,354 fire trucks, 84 aircraft and more than 14,000 personnel, including newly arrived firefighters from Mexico, he said.
With Cal Fire declaring the Palisades Fire 11% contained and the Eaton Fire 15% contained Saturday night, the fight is set to continue.
“Weather conditions remain critical and another round of strong winds is expected starting Monday,” Tromm said.
Kevin Marshall inspects his mother's property destroyed by fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles on Saturday, January 11, 2025. (AP Photo/John Lusher)
Essential phone numbers for Los Angeles area residents and how you can help them
As of Saturday, the detached community of Altadena remained closed to residents Because of the Eaton fire. The department has modified evacuation orders to evacuation warnings for the following areas located within the City of La Cañada Flintridge: north of Knight Road, Gold Canyon Trail and east of Oakwood Avenue, Angeles Crest Highway at the curve into Gold Mesa Road and Starlight Crest Road, as well as NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
“The evacuation order is mandatory: You must leave immediately due to imminent danger (such as wildfire or flood). Ignoring this puts lives at risk and may interfere with emergency efforts,” the department wrote on X's website. “An evacuation warning is a precautionary measure: be prepared to evacuate if conditions worsen. Although it is not mandatory, it is strongly advised to be prepared to leave for your safety. These decisions are made solely to protect lives.
Orders have been raised for other areas within the city of La Cañada Flintridge, including all residences within the city limits from the Angeles Crest Expressway east to Oakwood Avenue, north of the Angeles Crest Expressway at the bend west to Haskell Street, north of Foothill Avenue to the department, Knight said. Way and the intersection of the Gould Canyon Trail at Crown Avenue and East to Varo Road.
In this image provided by Maxar Technologies, the Palisades Fire burns south of Encino Reservoir, top left, in Los Angeles on Saturday, January 11, 2025. (Maxar Technologies via AP)
The department also announced the repatriation of residents to communities affected by the Eaton Fire as of 3pm local time on Friday. Orders have been lifted and reopened for residents of the City of Bradbury and Bradbury Estates as well as the City of Duarte. The administration said it “will have a strong presence in repopulated and evacuated areas over the next few days to ensure the protection of our residents and their property.”
“All other road closures and areas evacuated due to the Eaton Fire remain in effect,” the department wrote on Facebook.
The National Weather Service warned that strong Santa Ana winds could return soon. These winds have been largely blamed for turning wildfires into infernos that have destroyed entire neighborhoods around the city, where no significant rain has fallen in more than eight months. The fire also threatened to jump over the 405 Freeway and into densely populated areas of the Hollywood Hills and San Fernando Valley.
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The fires that started Tuesday north of downtown Los Angeles have burned more than 12,000 buildings. Firefighters made progress for the first time Friday afternoon on the Eaton Fire north of Pasadena, which has burned more than 7,000 structures, a term that includes homes, apartment buildings, businesses, outbuildings and vehicles. Most evacuation orders for the area have been cancelled, officials said.
Develop an initial estimate from AccuWeather Economic damages and losses So far, between $135 billion and $150 billion.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
