Seventh Day of LA Wildfires: 92,000 Ordered to Evacuate as Winds Loom

Los Angeles braces for possible escalation of wildfires with winds expected to intensify again Monday, threatening to expand the ongoing disaster.

Over 40,000 acres in Los Angeles County have been scorched, leaving tens of thousands without homes as approximately 24 individuals have lost their lives. Official reports indicate that more than 12,300 buildings have been consumed by the fire.

Firefighting teams have managed to partially control the wildfires over the weekend. Cal Fire, a state firefighting agency, reported that the vast Palisades Fire is now 14% contained, and the Eaton Fire, the county's second-largest, reached 33% containment by Monday morning.

However, strong winds are predicted for Monday and Tuesday, with potential gusts reaching up to 70 mph, posing a critical risk of exacerbating the fire conditions across Southern California's coastline, according to the National Weather Service.

The NWS has issued an urgent red flag warning, indicating heightened fire danger for the regions of Santa Barbara, Ventura, and Los Angeles Counties until Wednesday. Although anticipated wind speeds are less severe than those experienced last week, they remain a serious threat by facilitating swift spread of any new or existing fires.

This sequence of events could make these fires one of the most catastrophic natural disasters in U.S. history, with expectations of increasing fatalities, declared California Governor Gavin Newsom on Sunday.

Gov. Newsom articulated on NBC's Meet the Press, "It's likely to be historically costly, reflecting its unprecedented scale and impact. We’re deploying search-and-rescue operations and cadaver dogs, suggesting the situation may worsen."

In response, more than 92,000 residents in proximity to the Palisades and Eaton fires have been ordered to evacuate, while another approximate 89,000 are under precautionary evacuation notices, stated Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna during a press briefing on Monday.

Palisades Blaze

The prominent Palisades Fire, situated north of Santa Monica in the Pacific Palisades area, has already ravaged over 23,700 acres. As of Monday, containment efforts have reached 14%, according to updates from Cal Fire.

The origin of this fire, ignited on Tuesday morning, remains under investigation. The situation could potentially advance toward neighboring areas like Brentwood, Encino, and Westwood.

Thus far, the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner has confirmed eight fatalities directly linked to the Palisades blaze.

Eaton Inferno

The Eaton Fire has wreaked extensive damage in Pasadena and Altadena since its ignition on Tuesday, exceeding 14,100 acres burned per Cal Fire updates. As of Monday morning, control efforts have achieved 33% containment.

Ernie Villa, notable operations section chief from the California Interagency Incident Management Team, remarked during a Sunday media briefing, "The devastation here is unlike anything I've witnessed in my entire career. We're in for a prolonged recovery effort."

The Medical Examiner's Office has connected 16 deaths to the Eaton fire thus far, illustrating its severe toll.