Wildfires are raging on in Los Angeles, with at least 16 people killed and more than 100,000 people under evacuation orders. Looters are a persistent thorn in the side of the authorities, with criminals even dressing as firefighters in order to steal from evacuated homes.
Sunday 12 January 2025 17:01, UK
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CBS asks LA mayor Karen Bass if there are any concerns about animosity between the Trump administration toward California.
“I’m not worried about that. I joined in the invitation to the incoming president,” says Bass.
She says she had a “fine call” directly with the administration yesterday.
Asked if Trump was expected to visit, she says: “I believe so. I certainly – it was a positive response yesterday.”
She adds: “My conversation yesterday was throwing around possible… points of timing.”
Los Angeles county supervisor Kathryn Barger adds the city contains a diverse socio-economic community and she is “confident that this president will come”.
Fire officials are taking questions at a news conference in Los Angeles.
LA mayor Karen Bass is asked how troubled she is by the lack of communication between LA and Trump.
“There isn’t a lack of communication,” she says, adding she has spoken to Trump representatives.
Fire officials are taking questions at a news conference in Los Angeles.
NBC LA asks sheriff Robert Luna for more details on the 29 people arrested.
Luna says the suspects do not live in the areas where they are being arrested.
“We are finding a variety of things, including people with firearms and narcotics.”
Up next at a news conference in LA is Kathryn Barger, chair of the County Board of Supervisors.
“I look forward to welcoming president-elect Trump to our communities so he can see the desperate need, but also the incredible opportunity, hope and perseverance of our impacted neighbours,” she says.
She’s referring to a letter she sent to the president-elect inviting him to the city yesterday.
Donald Trump has not commented on the letter. California governor Gavin Newsom said Trump had rejected his own invitation to visit residents impacted by the fires.
Barger says she is working to cut “red tape” that would slow rebuilding LA.
Three bodies were found during searches in the Altadena area, LA county sheriff Robert Luna tells reporters at a news conference.
This brings the number of people killed in LA county alone to 14 – 11 in the Eaton fire and three in the Palisades fire, he says.
These figures are for Los Angeles county, he emphasises – Los Angeles city and Pasadena city “may have different numbers”.
The best source, he says, is the Los Angeles county coroner’s office because it encompasses all LA jurisdictions.
The coroner’s office put the death toll at 16 earlier today.
“As these searches continue, I unfortunately anticipate that those numbers will increase.”
Another 16 people are missing, says Luna – 12 in Eaton and four in Palisades. This is three more than were reported yesterday.
No children are among them.
LA county sheriff Robert Luna is still talking at a news conference.
The number of people arrested in the wildfires has risen to 29, he says – 25 in Eaton and four in Palisades.
He says he saw a man who “looked like a firefighter” arrested for trying to commit burglary at a home.
Four people were arrested for curfew violations, he adds.
LA county sheriff Robert Luna takes to the podium at a news conference in the city.
Evacuation orders for the Palisades and Eaton fires have dropped to 105,000 residents, he says.
“If you are asked to leave and you’re in an evacuation order area, your life is in danger. You need to leave.”
Some residents are trying to return home and “they are frustrated” but “in driving around some of these areas, they literally look like warzones”.
“There are downed power poles, electric wires, there are still some smouldering fires. It is not safe.”
Los Angeles county fire officials are holding a news conference.
“Elevated critical fire weather conditions will continue through Wednesday,” says fire chief Anthony Marrone.
“These winds, combined with low relative humidities and low fuel moisture, will keep the fire threat in LA county very high.”
The strongest winds are expected on Tuesday, he says.
Addressing one of the two largest fires, Eaton, he says it is 27% contained.
The fire has scorched 14,117 acres and damaged or destroyed 7,000 structures, he says.
More than 3,150 firefighting personnel have been assigned to the fire.
Another fire official says the second of the two largest fires, Palisades, now covers 23,707 acres and is 11% contained.
More than 4,700 firefighting personnel have been assigned to tackle it.
The Hurst fire has been held to 799 acres and is 89% contained, with more than 300 firefighters assigned.
Active duty US military personnel stand ready to deploy to contain wildfires that have ripped through Los Angeles, the Federal Emergency Management Agency has said.
Administrator Deanne Criswell also told ABC that FEMA has the funding needed to support its response effort to the wildfires.
A red flag warning has been issued for parts of southern California until Wednesday by the National Weather Service, writes Freddie Clayton for our US partner network NBC News.
Strong, gusty northeast winds up to 45mph are forecast for the Inland Empire, San Bernardino County mountains, Santa Ana mountains and inland Orange County, as well as isolated gusts up to 55mph on coastal slopes and canyons.
A red flag warning kicks in when meteorologists and forecasters believe conditions could lead to extreme fire within 24 hours.
“If fire ignition occurs, conditions are favourable for very rapid fire spread and extreme fire behavior,” according to the agency.
The most crucial periods will be Saturday night into Sunday morning and then late Monday going into early Tuesday, National Weather Service meteorologist Rose Schoenfeld told reporters.
Fire weather watch warnings, the stage before a red flag warning, are also in place from Monday through to Wednesday in the Riverside County Mountains, the San Diego County mountains, and the San Diego County valleys.
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