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Los Angeles fires: Death toll rises to 24; incoming dangerous winds set to fuel raging flames

The continuing fires reduced whole communities to scorched rubble and left thousands without homes

Published: Mon 13 Jan 2025, 7:54 AM

Updated: Mon 13 Jan 2025, 6:05 PM

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  • AFP

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Photo: AFP

Photo: AFP

The death toll from massive wildfires that have ravaged Los Angeles rose to 24 on Sunday, with officials warning of incoming dangerous winds that could whip the blazes up further.

The fires continued to rip through the United States' second-largest city for the sixth day, reducing whole communities to scorched rubble and leaving thousands without homes.

Massive firefighting efforts have staunched the spread of the Palisades Fire, which was looming toward upscale Brentwood and the densely populated San Fernando Valley.

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But conditions are set to dramatically worsen, with "extreme fire behaviour and life threatening conditions" over the coming days.

Winds up to 70 miles (110 kilometers) per hour mean a "particularly dangerous situation (PDS)" will be declared from early Tuesday, said National Weather Service meteorologist Rose Schoenfeld.

These gusts could fan flames and whip up embers from existing burn zones into new areas, firefighters warned.

The Palisades Fire has now consumed 23,700 acres (9,500 hectares) and was just 11 percent contained.

Video footage showed "fire tornadoes" -- red-hot spirals that occur when a blaze is so intense it creates its own weather system.

The total number of residents under evacuation orders dropped to around 100,000, from a peak of almost 180,000.

The sudden rush of people needing somewhere to live has posed a growing problem for the city, with reports of illegal price gouging from opportunistic landlords.

President-elect Donald Trump has accused California officials of incompetence.

"This is one of the worst catastrophes in the history of our Country. They just can't put out the fires. What's wrong with them?" Trump said on his Truth Social platform.

A heroic firefighting operation that has operated 24/7 since the first flames erupted was bolstered Sunday with the arrival of crews from Mexico.

They join teams from all over California and across the western United States who have come to help out.

A huge investigation by federal and local authorities was underway to determine what caused the blazes.

While the ignition of a wildfire can be deliberate, they are often natural, and a vital part of an environment's life cycle.

But urban sprawl puts people more frequently in harm's way, and the changing climate -- supercharged by humanity's unchecked use of fossil fuels -- is exacerbating the conditions that give rise to destructive blazes.

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