By Jorge Garcia, Rollo Ross and Maria Alejandra Cardona
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – One of the biggest wildfires to ravage parts of Los Angeles this week was reported to have changed course on Saturday, prompting evacuation orders and posing a new challenge to exhausted firefighters.
Six wildfires have simultaneously swept through neighboring Los Angeles County since Tuesday, killing at least 11 people and damaging or destroying 10,000 buildings. Taxes are expected to increase when firefighters are able to conduct house-to-house raids.
The Santa Ana winds that fueled the infernos subsided Friday night. But the Palisades Fire on the city's western edge was headed in a new direction, prompting another evacuation order as it moved toward the Brentwood neighborhood and the hills of the San Fernando Valley, the Los Angeles Times reported.
“The Palisades fire has a significant new flare-up in the eastern part and is continuing to move northeast,” Fire Department Captain Erik Scott told local station KTLA, according to a report on the LA Times website.
The fire, the most destructive fire in the history of Los Angeles, burned the entire neighborhood to the ground, leaving only the smoldering ruins of homes and people's belongings.
Before the latest flare-up, firefighters reported progress on the Palisades Fire and the Eaton (NYSE:) fire in the hills east of the metropolis after burning out of control for days. As of Friday night, the Palisades Fire was 8% contained and the Eaton Fire 3%, state agency Cal Fire said.
The two major fires combined consumed 35,000 hectares (14,100 acres), or 54 square kilometers—2-1/2 times the area of Manhattan.
Another 153,000 people remain under evacuation orders and another 166,800 face evacuation warnings and curfews in all evacuation zones, said Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna.
Seven neighboring states, the federal government and Canada have rushed to help in California, supporting aerial teams dropping water and fire extinguishers on the burning hills and workers on the ground attacking fire lines with hand tools and hoses.
The National Weather Service said conditions in the Los Angeles area will improve over the weekend, with sustained winds slowing to 20 mph (32 kph), gusts between 35 mph and 50 mph,
“It's not bad, so it should help the firefighters,” said NWS meteorologist Allison Santorelli, adding that conditions are still critical with low humidity and dry vegetation.
Cal Fire said there is a chance of strong winds again Tuesday.
“There will continue to be a high chance of severe weather next week,” it said.
Officials have declared a public health emergency because of the thick, toxic smoke.
HOMES ARE DIFFERENT
Residents of Pacific Palisades who returned to their distressed areas Friday were shocked to find brick chimneys peeking out over charred debris and charred vehicles as billowing smoke billowed into the air.
“This was a house that was loved,” said Kelly Foster, 44, as she rummaged through the rubble where her house once stood.
Foster's 16-year-old daughter, Ada, said she tried to go inside but “I just got sick. I couldn't … Yeah, it's hard.”
In Rick McGeagh's Palisades neighborhood, only six of 60 homes survived, and all that was left standing on his farm was a statue of the Virgin Mary.
“Everything else is ash and trash,” said McGeagh, 61, a real estate agent who, with his wife, raised three children in their home.
On Friday morning, hundreds of people flocked to the parking lot near the Rose Bowl stadium in Pasadena with clothes, diapers and bottled water.
Denise Doss, 63, said she was anxious to return to her destroyed home in Altadena to see if anything could be salvaged, but officials stopped her because of safety concerns.
“At least it's goodbye until we can rebuild. I'm going to let God lead me,” Doss said.
BILLIONS IN LOSS
Many Altadena residents say they worry that state funds will go to wealthier areas and that insurance could shortchange those who can't compete with denied fire claims.
Beyond those who lost their homes, tens of thousands were left without power, and millions of people were exposed to poor air quality, as the fires swept away metals, plastics and other manufactured goods.
Private forecaster AccuWeather estimated damage and economic losses at $135 billion to $150 billion, reflecting a difficult recovery and rising homeowner's insurance costs.
California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara called on insurers on Friday to cancel pending non-renewals and cancellations received by homeowners before the fire started and extend the payment grace period.
President Joe Biden has declared the fires a major disaster and said the US government will provide 100% recovery within the next six months.