LOS ANGELES (KTLA) – Firefighters made substantial progress on Sunday in the battle to extinguish the horrific Palisades Fire, which was on the verge of unleashing a new round of destruction on the heavily populated San Fernando Valley just two days earlier.
During KTLA’s Sunday late news broadcast, Sky5 reporter Gil Leyvas noted no visible flare-ups or hot spots as he surveyed the fire perimeter in Pacific Palisades, Malibu, Brentwood and elsewhere in the Santa Monica Mountains.
“All pretty quiet out here, but a lot of work, a lot of effort going on on the ground,” said Leyvas. “It looks pretty good at this point.”
As of Sunday evening, the Palisades Fire was mapped at 23,713 acres, with containment officially 13%, according to CalFire.
“Unburned islands are still present and can pose a threat to containment lines,” CalFire commanders said on the agency’s incident homepage. “However, firefighters have been working around the clock with a continued focus on fire suppression, human safety and private and public property assessment and protection.“
Local firefighters have been aided by crews from across the state, the nation, and other countries, including Canada and Mexico. More than 5,000 firefighting personnel have joined the fight on the ground and from the air.
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Ella Venne, front, holds a cup she found in the remains of her family’s home destroyed by the Eaton Fire as she searches with Glendale Fire Department captain Chris Jernegan, left, and his wife Alison in Altadena, Calif., Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill) -
A burned out vehicle rests at a destroyed structure during the aftermath of Palisades Fire along Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu, Calif., Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025. (Scott Strazzante/San Francisco Chronicle via AP) -
David Slater, right, clears the driveway from his home, spared from the Eaton Fire, Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025 in Altadena, Calif. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope) -
From left, Glendale Fire Department captain Chris Jernegan and his wife Alison help Ella Venne search through the remains of her family’s home that was destroyed by the Eaton Fire in Altadena, Calif., Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill) -
An American flag is seen tattered as it flies above a burned down home after the Palisades Fire, Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025, in the Pacific Palisades section of Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill) -
A burned out neighborhood is seen along Pacific Coach Highway after the Palisades Fire, while several National Guard vehicles line up along the beach, Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025, in the Pacific Palisades section of Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill) -
In this photo provide by Maxar Technologies, the Palisades Fire burns south of the Encino Reservoir, upper left, in Los Angeles, Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025. (Maxar Technologies via AP)
More strong winds
While the flames have subsided for now, firefighters worry that more Santa Ana winds, which caused both the Palisades Fire and equally catastrophic Eaton Fire in Altadena and Pasadena to explode last Tuesday, could be poised to return.
The National Weather Service issued red flag warnings for severe fire conditions through Wednesday, with sustained winds of 50 mph (80 kph) and gusts in the mountains reaching 70 mph (113 kph). The most dangerous day will be Tuesday, said weather service meteorologist Rich Thompson.
“You’re going to have really strong gusty Santa Ana winds, a very dry atmosphere and still very dry brush, so we still have some very critical fire weather conditions out there,” Thompson said at a community meeting Saturday night.
Confirmed fatalities
The death toll from both fires, which have destroyed at least 17,000 structures combined, rose to 24 over the weekend.
Officials expected that figure to increase as teams with cadaver dogs conduct systematic grid searches in leveled neighborhoods. Authorities have established a center where people can report the missing.
Eight deaths were attributed to the Palisades Fire, and 16 resulted from the Eaton Fire, the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s office said in a statement Sunday evening.
Looting
Local law enforcement and the California National Guard have been actively patrolling evacuation zones to enforce curfews and guard homes from looters.
At a Sunday news conference, L.A. County Sheriff Robert Luna said authorities had made 29 arrests, including a man who was dressed like a firefighter along Pacific Coast Highway.
L.A. County District Attorney Nathan Hochman was scheduled to announce charges on Monday against a “group of people in a residential looting in the city of Pacific Palisades,” his office said.
Damage estimate
Authorities are still investigating the causes of both fires and trying to calculate the historical cost of the damage, which could be the nation’s costliest ever.
A preliminary estimate by AccuWeather put the damage and economic losses between $135 billion and $150 billion.
In an interview that aired Sunday on NBC, Gov. Gavin Newsom said the fires could end up being the worst natural disaster in U.S. history.
“I think it will be in terms of just the costs associated with it, in terms of the scale and scope,” he said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
