LA crews race to stop fires ahead of high winds

California weather forecasters have warned that the strong winds that fueled the inferno around Los Angeles are expected to resume this week as firefighters on the ground race to bring the three fires under control.

On Sunday, officials warned that after relatively calm winds over the weekend, the notoriously dry Santa Ana winds would pick up again Sunday night into Wednesday, reaching 60 mph (96 km/h).

Progress has been made in stopping the spread of the Palisades and Eaton fires burning at opposite ends of the city. Local firefighters are being assisted by crews from eight other states, as well as those from Canada and Mexico, which continue to arrive.

In Sunday’s press conference, the authorities said that 16 people have been confirmed dead, and another 16 are still missing.

They also warned that the death toll would rise as the city’s search and rescue teams comb through the debris using cadaver dogs.

At least 29 people have been arrested for looting mandatory evacuation sites. Two people were caught posing as firefighters with the intention of robbing the evacuees.

Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said at a press conference Sunday that he has requested more National Guard troops to reinforce the 400 in the area.

“When I was around Malibu, I saw a gentleman that looked like a firefighter. And I asked him if he was okay because he was sitting down. I didn’t realize we had him in handcuffs,” said Sheriff Luna. the journalists

“We’re turning it over to the LAPD because he was dressed as a firefighter, and he wasn’t. He was caught burglarizing a house. So these are issues that our front-line deputies and police officers deal with.”

The number of evacuations has decreased, with about 105,000 residents still under mandatory evacuation orders and 87,000 under evacuation warnings.

Deanne Criswell, the administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), told CNN on Sunday that a significant threat remains.

“I know a lot of people probably want to get back in the area and control their homes, but as long as the wind is up, you never know which way they’re going to go,” he said.

Currently there are 14,000 firefighters in the region, 84 aircraft and 1,354 firefighters are supported, Luna said.

New fires broke out on Sunday, threatening communities in the San Fernando Valley and around NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL).

On Sunday, firefighters were able to quickly contain the spread of new fires in the Angeles National Forest, which is at the heart of the US space program and surrounds facilities with top-secret technology.

Officials have repeatedly ordered drone operators not to fly near fire zones, and are now seeking information after a drone crashed into a non-essential aircraft.

The FBI has shared photos of the small drone that collided with a plane called the “Super Scooper,” one of the world’s most effective firefighting aircraft, and was briefly grounded on Thursday.

The drone tore a 3 x 6 inch (8 x 15 cm) hole in the plane.

Officials also warned on Sunday of scammers looking to take advantage of victims, issuing a stark warning that anyone caught in price gouging will be prosecuted.

Meanwhile, the feud between California Governor Gavin Newsom and President-elect Donald Trump continues.

Trump, who takes office on January 20 and was invited by the governor to see the damage from the fires on Saturday, blamed “incompetent” politicians for “one of the worst disasters in the history of our country”.

Newsom, a Democrat, has attacked Trump for sharing misinformation about the wildfires.

In an interview with NBC on Sunday, Newsom called Trump’s false claims “inexcusable.”

Three conflagrations continue to burn around Los Angeles.

The largest fire is the Palisades, which has now burned 23,000 acres and is 11% contained.

The Eaton fire is the second largest and has burned 14,000 acres. 27% is held.

The Hurst fire has grown to 799 acres and is almost completely contained.