LA fires: Death toll soars to 24 as fire authorities warn conditions could worsen

Authorities have warned the danger is not yet over with strong winds expected to hamper firefighters’ efforts, as crews continue to search for victims amid the death toll climbing. Follow live updates.

The death toll from the Los Angeles wildfire catastrophe has jumped to 24, with embers from a blaze caused by New Year’s Eve fireworks thought to be responsible for the single biggest inferno.

The Washington Post reported that a blaze in the hills above Pacific Palisades caused by fireworks was extinguished on January 1, but fire broke out again in exactly the same area on January 6.

The fire department was slow in responding to the January 6 emergency calls, according to the report.

“For the longest time, I didn’t see any police, firefighters, not on the ground or in the air. I was disappointed because the second fire was moving so fast,” the Post quoted Palisades resident Michael Valentine as saying.

A car drives past homes and vehicles destroyed by the Palisades Fire. Picture: AP Photo

Burned vehicles line a street as the Palisades Fire continues to grow in Los Angeles. Picture: AFP

The Palisades blaze has so far claimed 16 lives and the Eaton blaze has taken eight, but the death toll is expected to rise further, with red flag warnings denoting critical fire conditions in effect until Wednesday.

Wind gusts of up to 50-70 mph (80-112 km/hr) are expected to hamper efforts to fight the Eaton Fire.

While some of the smaller fires have now been largely contained, an estimated 12,000 structures have been destroyed or damaged to date, 

Deanne Criswell, the head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), told CNN the winds “are potentially getting dangerous and strong again”.

“The biggest thing that people need to know is that this is still dangerous,” she said.

Cars and buildings destroyed by the Palisades Fire are seen in the Pacific Palisades neighbourhood of Los Angeles. Picture: AFP

The blame game over the response of authorities continued, with president-elect Donald Trump expressing exasperation on the Truth Social platform.

Celebrities also continue to be scrutinised and slammed for their actions in the wake of the fires, with the latest being Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.

After photos of the royal couple meeting first responders appeared over the weekend, former Family Ties star Justine Bateman criticised them for being “disaster tourists” and “not better than ambulance chasers”.

While fireworks may have been responsible for the Palisades fire, other reports suggested a transmission tower in Eaton Canyon may have been the starting point of the Eaton fire.

Power company Southern California Edison stated that “preliminary analysis” of four transmission lines in the area showed no anomalies in the 12 hours before and one hour after the fire’s reported starting time.

But the Los Angeles Times quoted Pasadena residents Jane and David Stover, who said the fire “started right below that tower”.

At least 29 people have been arrested for fire-zone related offences, including a burglar who pretended to be a firefighter, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said.

On Monday, California Governor Gavin Newsom announced a doubling of the National Guard deployed to work in the fire-ravaged areas, to a total of 1680.

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Originally published as LA fires: Death toll soars to 24 as fire authorities warn conditions could worsen