LA fires live: Death toll rises to 16 as firefighters brace for intense winds – BBC.com
The fires in Los Angeles could “take off” again on Tuesday or Wednesday, the Pasadena fire chief tells the BBCHigh winds are forecast – and Pasadena fire chief, Chad Augustin, says they are at a “fork in the road” in the fight against the blazeThere are three wildfires still burning in the LA area – the largest, the Palisades fire, is just 13% containedThe number of people killed has risen to 24This video can not be playedWatch: Headteacher returns to school destroyed in fireEdited by Owen AmosDavid WillisReporting from Los AngelesA curfew is in place here in Brentwood, the latest affluent community to find itself in the crosshairs of California’s worst natural disaster.The power is out in this part of Sunset Boulevard after winds
from the Palisades fire dramatically changed direction over the
weekend.Those winds are expected to gain strength over the next few
days. This change prompted officials
to bar people who have been evacuated – and there are more than 100,000 – from returning
to their homes, or what remains of their homes, before Thursday at the earliest.Cadaver dogs – dogs trained to pick up the scent of human remains – have also been brought in to search areas for bodies.Patio furniture and a barbecue in a swimming pool in Brentwood (picture taken on Saturday)A chopper tackles the Palisades fire on MondayThe fight against the fires is at a “fork in the road”, Pasadena’s fire chief tells the BBC.”Once we get past Wednesday night I’m going to be saying, ‘wooh, we made it and this fire is just about under control’ and then we’re going to spent the next couple of weeks just mopping up hotspots and embers – or this fire’s going to take off on Tuesday or Wednesday with these increased wind conditions,” Chad Augustin tells the Today programme.Augustin says it’s “all hands on deck” in an effort “to keep gaining containment on this fire”.There are currently three wildfires that continue to burn, according to the Californian fire authority.The largest, Palisades, which has burnt through more than 23,000 acres, is 13% contained.The second biggest, Eaton, has burnt through more than 14,000 acres and is 27% contained.The Hurst fire has grown to 799 acres and is 95% contained.Welcome back to our coverage of the fires in Los Angeles, as the area braces itself for more heavy winds.Forecasters say the Santa Ana winds are expected to pick up again until Wednesday, reaching speeds of up to 60mph (96km/h).A local fire chief has just told the BBC that the fight against the blazes is “at a fork in the road” – and the fire could “take off on Tuesday or Wednesday with these increased wind conditions”.Overnight we heard from officials that the number killed is now 24 with at least another 16 missing.Stay with us as we bring you the latest from our teams on the ground in LA.Firefighters tackle the Palisades Fire in Mandeville CanyonMatt SpiveyLive page editorFires continue to rage in Los Angeles, with attention turning to forecaster warnings of an uptick in high winds from Sunday night.Authorities say they are prepared for the impending wind event, which will put the whole of LA County under fire threat.At least 16 people have been killed as a result of the blazes so far, with rescue crews now prioritising the recovery of remains in areas where it is safe to return to.Earlier today, fresh fires started to flare up in the rugged terrain of Angeles National Forest, but crews were successful in stopping the flames from spreading.That’s not the only progress firefighters made today, they’ve contained the Kenneth Fire completely and the Hurst Fire is almost fully contained – but two fires continue to rage.The Palisades and Eaton Fires are continuing to burn as 105,000 people have been placed under evacuation orders. For evacuees who are unsure whether their homes have been spared by the inferno, they are eagerly awaiting the announcement that it’s safe for them to return home – whatever that may look like.In the wider conversation, LA Mayor Karen Bass is “confident” that President-elect Donald Trump will visit the fire-hit areas, despite his earlier criticism of Democratic politicians in California, who he has called “incompetent” over their handling of the fires.We’re ending our live coverage for today, but our colleagues in the newsroom will be keeping this article updated with the latest from the LA wildfires.As the press conference started, California Governor Gavin Newsom announced he was deploying 1,000 more California National Guard service members to assist in Los Angeles. He said there’s now around 2,500 service members mobilised, who will “continue to help keep the communities devastated by the fires safe.” That wraps up this press conference from a variety of officials in Los Angeles on the Palisades fire. Here were the key lines:Jim Hudson, the Palisades fire incident commander, describes the situation as “dynamic”, adding that the wind event last week was something they had not experienced before, resulting in an “extraordinary firefight”.There have been flare-ups in the last couple of days, he says, but crews have been prepared.He says his teams are planning “two to three ridges away” from where the fire is, and speaking to communities that could be impacted.Anything that could occur, firefighters have a plan for, he adds.City of LA council member Traci Park is now speaking.She thanks President Joe Biden and California Governor Gavin Newsom for “seeing us through this disaster”.She continues, saying that in the weeks and months to come, “we’re going to need more than commitment, we’re going to need action”.”I know we’re going to rise from this tragedy stronger and more untied than ever,” she adds.California Highway Patrol (CHP) Commissioner Sean Duryee calls the fires “devastating”, adding that “some of our officers have lost their homes and been displaced”. He says that CHP has deployed 750 officers working in 12 hour shifts. All days off have been cancelled.Now we’re hearing from California Governor’s Office of Emergency Management Director, Nancy Ward.She says there are ongoing fires and a long recovery ahead, but assistance is on the ground ready to help.”We’re not out of the woods yet,”, she says, adding there is significant fire weather ahead.Additional resources, like crews, helicopters and fire trucks, have been pre-positioned across southern California to respond to any threats, she says.She adds that debris removal, housing and support to businesses are all being prioritised. California fire director Joe Tyler says the question is not if LA will get rain, but when it will be. “Certainly, we have not had enough rain so far.”He warns that starting from today, and not only in Los Angeles but also the affected portions of Riverside, Orange County and San Diego, winds are picking up so “we all need to be prepared”.”Everyone should remain vigilant”, he adds. “Listen to firefighter and law enforcement officer commands regarding evacuations”.He says Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema) is on the ground in preparation for the next wind event.Cal Fire Director Joe Tyler begins by praising residents: “You have gone through a tremendous natural disaster.”After visiting an affected area, he says: “I was proud to see neighbour helping neighbour.” He says that the state fire agency “recognised fire conditions diminished in northern California”, causing them to move those units down to southern California where these fires are occurring.Crews are “putting out every hotspot and smouldering ember and removing hazards in neighbourhoods”.LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell says his crews continue to focus on evacuation, traffic control and crime suppression.Police will be holding those responsible for looting accountable, and he says they are looking for people who have taken advantage of others.He adds that a curfew is still in effect from 18:00 to 06:00 local time.McDonnell says the limited access agencies were providing to those affected by the fires, to go back to their properties, has been stopped.He says their priorities now are the search and recovery of remains and dealing with downed power lines and gas lines – which he says will be a very dangerous environment with the incoming winds.LA County fire chief
Anthony Marrone says the new Santa Ana wind event will bring a high danger of wildfire to all of LA County.”We are fully committed to ensure we are ready for next event,” he says. He goes on to say that fire crews are preparing for “repopulation” in areas that have been evacuated.Chief Crowley of the LA fire department is speaking of the impending high winds.She says higher winds are approaching “very, very quickly” and that every single agency is “ready for this next event”.She asks that the public be prepared to evacuate, and to stay off roads and away from impacted areas.“We need your help as much as you need our help”, she says.Meteorologist Rich Thompson takes over now. He says when the fires first broke out, LA was experiencing “one of the strongest Santa Ana wind events that we’ve experienced in several years”.There were wind speeds in excess of 80mph on the first day of the fire, and there has been no rain of note since April, he says. This combined “allowed the fire to spread very rapidly,” Thompson says. There is a red flag warning in effect until Wednesday, with north and north-east wind gusts of between 35-55mph expected.He adds this is a “recipe to produce some very critical fire weather conditions”.Litz says fire crews are continuing to prioritise the populated neighbourhoods of the Pacific Palisades, Malibu and Brentwood. Firefighters are concentrating on structures that are still standing, and they are using helicopters, planes and drones to drop water and retardant on the Palisades Fire.They are also using infrared technology to identify hotspots, he adds. CalFire operations chief Christian Litz says crews are continuing to work on the edges of the Palisades Fire, where there are few flames but still a lot of heat.On the Malibu side of the fire, he says crews are putting control edges in place to ensure there is no further fire progression.Around Topanga Canyon, in neighbourhoods including Fernwood Sylvia Park, crews are focusing on structure defence tactics, including clearing foliage to make sure there are no adverse fire effects.He adds that the number one priority is the protection of life.The press conference begins with an update on the Palisades Fire, the biggest of the LA fires.A fire official says the blaze is 23,713 acres in size, and remains at 11% contained. There are more than 4,000 personnel assigned to the incident.You can watch the press conference by pressing watch live at the top of this page.© 2025 BBC. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.
