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New fires in Los Angeles have forced evacuation orders in upscale Brentwood and Bel Air neighborhoods, as the region braces for high winds that could create more problems for emergency services battling several fires across the county.
The death toll from the fires rose to 11 as the crisis entered its fifth day. The Palisades Fire, which started Tuesday morning, has burned 22,000 acres and is still only 11% contained, officials said.
These fires are believed to be the most devastating in Los Angeles history.
Helicopters dumped water Saturday over Mandeville Canyon, an exclusive area that is home to actor and former California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Evacuation orders in Brentwood have raised concerns about landmarks such as the Getty Center, which houses an art collection including works by Van Gogh, Rembrandt and Monet.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said the Palisades fires were “slowly contained,” with about 11% under control. But she warned that the region is “most vulnerable” to dry, strong Santa Ana winds expected to return Saturday afternoon. She urged residents not to try to “wait out the fires” and to evacuate immediately.
The National Weather Service warned that the latest round of wind gusts would also buffet the coastal canyons of Topanga and Malibu. It also predicts additional “wind events” between Monday evening and Wednesday that could reach 60 to 70 miles per hour.
Bass and California Gov. Gavin Newsom are trying to fend off criticism of the response to the fire. Pacific Palisades firefighters were frustrated this week to discover that fire hydrants were running low on water – a huge problem during periods of high winds that grounded helicopters and planes used to drop water on the flames. The city’s reserve tanks quickly emptied as firefighters on the ground battled the blaze without air support.
Newsom said Friday he had ordered an investigation into the causes of the water supply problems. Newsom called the issues “deeply troubling,” adding that they “likely hurt efforts to protect some homes and evacuation corridors.”
The city’s water and power authority issued a statement saying any claims that hydrants were broken before the fires were “misleading and false.”
Water pressure dropped due to “unprecedented and extreme water demand to fight wildfires without air support,” the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power said in a press release.
Firefighters from other U.S. states and Mexico came to Los Angeles to help more than 7,500 California first responders. The National Guard was also deployed to the Palisades to protect the area from looters.
The city imposed a 12-hour curfew starting at 6 p.m. in areas under evacuation orders. “Not only do we have to protect ourselves from the fire, but we also have to make sure that no one goes up there and tries to loot,” Bass said. So far, around twenty looters have been arrested.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms said it will take the lead in investigating the cause of the Pacific Palisades fire. The federal agency said fire investigators were on scene.
Firefighters successfully extinguished the Sunset Fire, which threatened the Hollywood Hills and a number of landmarks, including the Hollywood Sign. They also put out the Lidia fire north of Los Angeles, while two others are about 80 percent contained, according to Cal Fire.
