Los Angeles faces more wildfire evacuations even as fierce winds ease

Highlights: 

• Death toll rises to 11, with more fatalities expected
• Some 10,000 structures burned as neighbourhoods turn to ash
• Thousands homeless, public health emergency declared over smoke
• Insurers face billions in claims, Biden pledges federal support

Fierce winds that have supercharged wildfires sweeping parts of Los Angeles finally eased on Friday night (10 January), bringing some relief to weary firefighters, but the largest blaze was reported to have shifted direction, triggering new evacuation orders.

Six simultaneous wildfires have devastated Los Angeles County neighbourhoods since Tuesday (7 January), killing at least 11 people and damaging or destroying 10,000 structures. Those tolls were expected to grow once it was safe enough for firefighters to conduct house-to-house searches.

On Friday night, the Los Angeles Times reported that the Palisades Fire on the city's western edge was heading in a new direction, prompting an evacuation order that included much of the Brentwood neighbourhood and the foothills of the San Fernando Valley.

"The Palisades fire has got a new significant flare-up on the eastern portion and continues to move northeast," LA Fire Department Captain Erik Scott told local station KTLA, according to a report on the LA Times website.

Before the latest flare-up, firefighters had reported progress in arresting the Palisades Fire and the Eaton Fire in the foothills east of the metropolis.

After burning out of control for days, despite the efforts of hundreds of firefighters attacking the blazes from the air and on the ground, the Palisades Fire was 8% contained and the Eaton Fire 3%. Cal Fire had listed containment levels of both fires at 0% until Friday.

Even so, the two big fires combined had consumed 35,000 acres (14,100 hectares), or 54 square miles - 2-1/2 times the land area of Manhattan.

With thousands of people made homeless and the thickening smoke, US officials to have declared a public health emergency.

Some 153,000 people remained under evacuation orders, and another 166,800 faced evacuation warnings, with a curfew in place for all evacuation zones, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said.

Seven neighbouring states, the federal government and Canada, have rushed aid to California, bolstering aerial teams dropping water and fire retardant on the flaming hills and crews on the ground attacking fire lines with hand tools and hoses.

"Thanks to the increased number of resources assigned, the region is in a much better posture than we were earlier this week," Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone told a press conference.

Conditions in the Los Angeles area will improve through the weekend, with sustained winds slowing to about 20 mph (32 kph), gusting between 35 mph and 50 mph, according to the National Weather Service, a respite from recent wind gusts of 80 mph.

"It's not as gusty, so that should help firefighters," NWS meteorologist Allison Santorelli said, adding that conditions were still critical with low humidity and dry vegetation.

However, forecasters predicted another red flag warning would be issued for Monday.

HOMES REDUCED TO ASH
Pacific Palisades residents who ventured back to their devastated neighbourhoods were shocked to find brick chimneys looming over charred waste and burnt-out vehicles as acrid smoke lingered in the air.

"This was a house that was loved," Kelly Foster, 44, said while combing through the rubble where her house once stood.

Smoke rose from neighbouring homes, and planes dropped water nearby.

Foster's 16-year-old daughter, Ada, said she tried to get inside, but "I just became sick. I just couldn't even...Yeah, it's hard."

In Rick McGeagh's Palisades neighbourhood, only six of 60 homes survived, and all that remained standing at his ranch house was a statue of the Virgin Mary.

"Everything else is ash and rubble," said McGeagh, 61, a commercial real estate broker, who along with his wife, raised three children at their home.

On Friday morning, hundreds of people streamed into a parking lot near the Rose Bowl stadium in Pasadena for donated clothing, diapers and bottled water.

Denise Doss, 63, said she was anxious to return to her destroyed home in Altadena to see if anything was salvageable, but officials stopped her due to safety concerns.

"At least to say goodbye until we can rebuild. I will let God lead me," Doss said.

Many Altadena residents said they were worried government resources would go to wealthier areas and that insurers might short-change those who cannot afford to contest denials of fire claims.

Beyond those who lost their homes, tens of thousands remained without power, and millions of people were exposed to poorer air quality as the fires lofted traces of metals, plastics and other synthetic materials.

BILLIONS IN LOSSES
Private forecaster AccuWeather estimated the damage and economic loss at $135 billion to $150 billion, portending an arduous recovery and soaring homeowners' insurance costs.

California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara called on insurers on Friday to suspend pending non-renewals and cancellations that homeowners received before the fires began and to extend the grace period for payments.

President Joe Biden has declared the fires a major disaster and said the US government would reimburse 100% of the recovery for the next six months.