L.A. Fires Death Toll Rises as Heavy Winds Forecast to Return

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The death toll from the wildfires tearing through Los Angeles stood at 16 on Sunday morning as crews battled to cut off the spreading blazes.

The emergency response continues as potentially strong Santa Ana winds up to 45 mph are forecast to return and push flames toward some of the city’s most famous landmarks.

AP reports five of the deaths were attributed to the Palisades Fire and 11 resulted from the Eaton Fire, per a statement from the Los Angeles County coroner’s office. At least 13 people are missing, L.A. County Sheriff Robert Luna said.

It’s unclear if the missing persons reports are related to the fires, he added.

Officials expect that figure to rise as teams with cadaver dogs conduct systematic grid searches in leveled neighborhoods. Authorities have established a center where people can report the missing.

Opposite Rick Caruso’s Palisades Village Mall, Everything Is Destroyed

Some 150,000 people in Los Angeles County are now under evacuation orders with another 700-plus people taking refuge in nine shelters.

Almost 35,000 homes and businesses in Los Angeles are currently without electricity, according to Poweroutage.us, a website which monitors outages.

There were fears winds could move the fires toward the J. Paul Getty Museum and the University of California, Los Angeles, while new evacuation warnings left more homeowners on edge.

The sheer physical toll of destruction being wrought by the fires can be seen in the details.

Firefighters Seen Battling Blazes While Being Surrounded by Smoke and Ruins

Cal Fire reported the Palisades, Eaton, Kenneth and Hurst fires had consumed about 62 square miles , an area larger than San Francisco.

The Palisades and Eaton fires accounted for 59 square miles. AP notes the latest statement from L.A. authorities:

In a briefing posted online Saturday evening, Michael Traum of the California Office of Emergency Services said 150,000 people in Los Angeles County were under evacuation orders, with more than 700 people taking refuge in nine shelters.

Crews from California and nine other states are part of the ongoing response that includes 1,354 fire engines, 84 aircraft and more than 14,000 personnel, including newly arrived firefighters from Mexico, he said.

With Cal Fire reporting containment of the Palisades Fire at 11 percent and the Eaton Fire at 15 percent on Saturday night, the fight is set to continue.

“Weather conditions are still critical and another round of strong winds is expected starting Monday,” Traum said.

The fires that began Tuesday just north of downtown LA have burned more than 12,000 structures.