Progress made in containment of deadly Southern California Eaton and Palisades fires
Over two weeks after destructive wildfires erupted in the Los Angeles area, fire crews have made progress with containment and stopped the growth of the Eaton and Palisades fires.
After several "Particularly Dangerous Situation" red flag warnings issued by the National Weather Service expired, firefighters were able to work in favorable conditions. Cooler temperatures are expected over the weekend, increasing humidity levels.
Forecasters predict another moderate Santa Ana wind event will develop at the beginning of next week. A fire weather watch will be in effect Monday into Tuesday. CBS News Los Angeles Meteorologist Paul Deanno said the strongest winds should be expected Tuesday and Thursday.
On Jan. 7, a "life-threatening" windstorm caused by powerful Santa Ana winds fueled the Palisades Fire in the community of Pacific Palisades and a few hours later helped exacerbate the Eaton Fire in the northeast portion of the county near Pasadena.
Search and rescue crews have found human remains in debris and the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner's Office has confirmed 29 deaths in connection to the fires.
The Eaton and Palisades fires quickly became two of the most destructive and deadliest wildfires in California's history. Residents were forced to flee their homes as flames inched closer. As of Sunday morning, 14,362 structures were confirmed to have been destroyed, according to Cal Fire. Of those, 9,366 structures were destroyed by the Eaton Fire, and 4,996 were destroyed by the Palisades Fire.
As fire officials continue to assess the damaged areas, some residents in both fire zones have been able to return to their homes.
"Please be assured that our firefighters continue to work 24/7 to achieve full containment of these wildfires as fast as we can. We continue to plan for the repopulation of evacuated areas, when safe," Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said.
Eaton Fire
The 14,021-acre Eaton Fire has reached 98% containment as of Sunday. Firefighters say that the Angeles National Forest will remain closed through at least Friday as they continue to finalize their work.
"Mop-up operations continued throughout the perimeter of the fire. Repopulation efforts have been completed," Cal Fire said.
Urban Search and Rescue teams completed 8,856 inspections, allowing for repopulation. On Saturday morning, Cal Fire reported that nearly 10,000 structures were damaged or destroyed by the fire.
Southern California Gas reported that service has been restored to 5,126 structures and Southern California Edison reported that service has been restored to 12,422 structures, with 6,961 remaining as of Thursday.
The Foothill Municipal Water District reported that water pressure will be fully restored by the weekend, and testing will continue for up to 2 weeks before the 'do not drink' order can be lifted.
The LA County Medical Examiner has confirmed 17 deaths tied to the Eaton Fire. The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department is actively investigating 24 missing persons cases, related to the fire. Over the weekend, a vigil was held for the victims.
To see a full update of firefighting efforts and updates to evacuation orders for the Eaton Fire visit the Cal Fire website.
Palisades Fire
The Palisades Fire, which has burned 23,448 acres, has grown to 90% containment. Overnight, Santa Ana winds with gusts between 35 to 50 mph blew through the region, as firefighters continued to establish and improve direct control lines, according to Cal Fire.
A red flag warning remains in effect for the area until 10 a.m. Friday.
On Jan. 17, Cal Fire announced several evacuation orders had been downgraded and warnings lifted. Even though repopulation has begun in some areas, fire officials warn residents that power outages may still impact some of their homes.
Aerial assessment of the affected area showed that about 5,000 structures were damaged or destroyed, according to Cal Fire.
At least 12 people have died during the Palisades Fire, according to the LA County Medical Examiner. The number of fatalities is expected to rise as search and rescue crews are still working to inspect several areas. The LA County Sheriff's Department is investigating seven active missing persons reports for the Palisades Fire.
More than 24,000 people remain evacuated because of the Palisades Fire. Firefighters have completed roughly 75% of their damage assessments. Search and rescue teams are roughly 95% done with their recovery efforts, according to officials during a Monday news conference.
Evacuation orders and curfew
Throughout the week officials announced several orders were downgraded to warnings and warnings were lifted allowing residents back into their neighborhoods.
Even though some residents have been allowed back to their homes, many areas are still experiencing power outages and no water.
A 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew continues to be enforced nightly in the mandatory evacuation areas in the Palisades and Eaton fire zones.
Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna and Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell have been working with the National Guard to enforce the curfew.
"I also want to thank Major General Beevers, I was with him as well, fortunately, he has been able to increase the amount of National Guard assistance that he is giving us up to 600. He told me yesterday that if we need more, we can ask for more," Luna said at a news conference earlier this week.
District Attorney Nathan Hochman announced nearly 30 people have been charged with alleged crimes during the deadly fires.
Several of the charges included offenses for felony arson, looting and impersonation of a firefighter.
At several news conferences since the start of the fires, Hochman has said his office will prosecute and charge individuals involved in criminal activity to the full extent of the law.
To see a full update of firefighting efforts and updates to evacuation orders for the Palisades Fire visit the Cal Fire website.
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