Fires threaten more neighbourhoods as LA braces for high winds

Unlock the Editor’s Digest for free

New fires in Los Angeles have forced evacuation orders in the upscale Brentwood and Bel Air neighbourhoods, as the region braces for heavy winds that could create more problems for emergency responders fighting multiple blazes across the county.

The death toll from the fires rose to 11 as the crisis entered its fifth day. The Palisades fire, which began on Tuesday morning, has burnt 22,000 acres and is still only 11 per cent contained, officials said.

The fires are believed to be the most damaging in LA history.

Helicopters dumped water on Saturday over Mandeville Canyon, an exclusive area that is home to actor and former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.

The evacuation orders in Brentwood raised concerns about landmarks including the Getty Center, home to an art collection that includes works by Van Gogh, Rembrandt and Monet.

A helicopter drops water on the Palisades Fire near the Sullivan Canyon area of Los Angeles on Saturday. © Bloomberg

Karen Bass, LA mayor, said the Palisades fires are “slowly being contained,” with about 11 per cent under control. But she warned that the area is “most vulnerable” to the dry, heavy Santa Ana winds that are expected to return on Saturday afternoon. She urged residents not to try to “wait out the fires” and evacuate immediately.

The National Weather Service warned that the latest wave of gusty winds would also buffet the coastal Topanga and Malibu canyons. It also forecast further “wind events” between Monday night and Wednesday that could reach 60 to 70 miles per hour.

Bass and California Governor Gavin Newsom are trying to fend off criticism over the fire response. Firefighters in the Pacific Palisades were frustrated this week to discover that hydrants lacked water — a huge problem during periods of heavy winds that grounded the helicopters and aeroplanes used to drop water on the flames. The city’s reserve tanks quickly drained as firefighters on the ground battled the fire without support from the air.

A person walks down a street in the aftermath of the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighbourhood, © AP

Newsom said on Friday he had ordered an investigation into the causes of the water supply problems. Newsom called the problems “deeply troubling,” adding that they “likely impaired the effort to protect some homes and evacuation corridors”.

The city’s water and power authority issued a statement saying that any claims that the fire hydrants were broken before the fires was “misleading and false”.

Water pressure fell due to “unprecedented and extreme water demand to fight the wildfire without aerial support”, the LA Department of Water and Power said in a statement.

A firefighter stands near the remains of a home that was destroyed in Pacific Palisades © REUTERS

Firefighters from other US states and Mexico have come to LA to aid the more than 7,500 emergency workers from California. The National Guard has also been deployed to the Palisades to protect the area from looters.

The city has imposed a 12-hour curfew from 6pm in areas under evacuation orders. “Not only do we have to protect ourselves from the fire, we also have to make sure no one goes up there and attempts to loot,” Bass said. So far about 20 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 it has fire investigators on the scene.

Firefighters managed to put out the Sunset fire, which threatened the Hollywood Hills and a number of landmarks, including the Hollywood sign. They have also put out the Lidia fire north of Los Angeles, while two others are about 80 per cent contained, according to Cal Fire.