Firefighters rush to contain LA blazes as death toll rises to 24

The multiple blazes tearing through Los Angeles have killed at least 24 people, officials said Sunday, as forecasters expect another round of strong winds to hit the area Monday and Tuesday.

Over the weekend, firefighters tried to take advantage of calmer winds, which allowed them to make progress against the two biggest blazes, the Palisades and Eaton fires. The Eaton fire has killed at least 16 people, making it one of the deadliest in California history.

Another 16 people were reported missing in the areas of the two largest fires, according to Sheriff Robert Luna of Los Angeles County. Officials expect that number to rise.

But the slower winds are not likely to last, as forecasters warned of more fierce winds in the coming days. The shifting nature of the winds has made it difficult to predict how the wildfires might spread.

Here’s what else to know:

Wind conditions: The National Weather Service reported wind gusts of between 30 and 40 mph Sunday morning in parts of Los Angeles and Ventura counties, combined with low humidity. Brian Hurley, a meteorologist with the Weather Prediction Center of the weather service, cautioned that while the winds this week may not be quite as strong as they were last week, their long duration could make the fire risk worse.

Slow progress: Crews have contained 11 per cent of the 23,700-acre Palisades fire and 27 per cent of the 14,000-acre Eaton fire in the San Gabriel Mountains, according to Cal Fire. More than 100,000 residents are still under evacuation orders, and tens of thousands more have been warned they may have to evacuate.

Private firefighters: Some property owners did not rely on public agencies to help protect their homes, turning instead to private firefighters who have become a coveted resource in some of Southern California’s most wealthy — and most fire-threatened — communities. Demand for private firefighting has been rising as wildfires have grown in ferocity and frequency over the past several decades.

Early moments: While it remained unclear what started the fires, the University of California, San Diego, said its camera network caught some of the first plumes coming from the Palisades fire as early as 10:24 a.m. on Jan. 7. Investigators will probably take months to come to firm conclusions, but power lines near the Eaton and Palisades fires were on when those blazes started and may have played a role.

Scale of destruction: The combined area burned by the past week’s fires — nearly 40,000 acres, according to Los Angeles County officials — is larger than each of the city limits of San Francisco, Pittsburgh, Boston or Miami. Together, the Eaton and Palisades fires have damaged more than 12,000 “structures,” which can refer to houses, but also cars and outbuildings.

The victims: The identities of more people who died in the blazes have been released.