Explosive Los Angeles wildfires rage on even as fierce winds ebb

LOS ANGELES (Reuters): Two massive wildfires menacing Los Angeles from the east and west were still burning uncontained on Thursday, but a brief respite from the fierce winds that have fanned the flames for two days allowed crews to slow their explosive spread.

 

The Palisades Fire between Santa Monica and Malibu on the city's western flank and the Eaton Fire in the east near Pasadena already rank as the most destructive in Los Angeles history, consuming nearly 28,000 acres (11,330 hectares) so far - an area exceeding the size of Disney World - and turning entire neighborhoods to ash.

 

At least five people have been killed, thousands of structures have been incinerated and nearly 180,000 people have been ordered to evacuate their homes, with another 200,000 under evacuation warnings, officials said.

 

The death toll is likely to rise, Los Angeles Sheriff Robert Luna told a press conference on Thursday morning.

 

The Eaton Fire's growth has been significantly stopped, Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said, though it remains 0% contained. While still strong, winds have diminished since the 100-mile-per-hour (160-kph) gusts seen earlier in the week, permitting crucial aerial support for crews on the ground.

 

"We have a much better posture than we did on Tuesday and Wednesday," said Marrone.

 

But officials warned that the wind was forecast was due to intensify again in the evening, with gusts of up to 60 mph (96.5 kph). Kristin Crowley, chief of the Los Angeles City Fire Department, said residents should be prepared to evacuate if ordered.

 

In Pacific Palisades, an upscale and picturesque enclave where many celebrities reside, once-palatial homes stood in ruins, while downed power lines and abandoned cars littered the roadways. The smell of heavy smoke filled the air, and residents wearing masks rode bicycles, hoping to catch a glimpse of their damaged houses."It is safe to say that the Palisades Fire is one of the most destructive natural disasters in the history of Los Angeles," Crowley said.

 

Firefighting crews managed to beat back a third blaze, known as the Sunset Fire, which had forced mandatory evacuations in Hollywood and Hollywood Hills - including famous show-business locations such as the TCL Chinese Theatre and the Hollywood Walk of Fame - late on Wednesday.

The fire was fully contained, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said on social media around midday on Thursday. No buildings were lost in the area, a city fire department spokeswoman said, and the evacuation order was lifted.

 

It was one of at least five separate wildfires burning in Los Angeles County on Thursday as powerful winds spread flames across parched ground that has seen no rain for months. Bass described it as a "perfect storm" of dangerous conditions.

 

The mayor, who was on an official trip to Ghana when the first fires broke out, has faced some criticism over whether the city was adequately prepared. She told reporters on Thursday that her focus right now was on protecting people and that the city would evaluate the response's effectiveness after the crisis is contained.

 

"We have to save lives, and we have to save homes," she said.

U.S. President Joe Biden was set to meet with top administration officials in the afternoon to discuss the federal response, the White House said.