LA braces for stronger winds as fires continue to burn

Los Angeles residents are bracing for more destruction as weather forecasts suggest the winds fueling the flames could pick up again.

Three fires continue to burn. The largest fire, the Palisades Fire, has burned more than 23,000 acres and was 14% contained as of Monday evening.

L.A. Mayor Karen Bass said “urgent preparations” were being made before near-hurricane-force winds peaked on Tuesday.

At least 24 people died in the fires and 23 others are missing in the Eaton and Palisades fire areas.

On Monday, authorities also announced that nine people had been arrested on looting charges and one on arson charges.

At a news conference, Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan Hochman showed videos of looting and listed the maximum penalties if the defendants were convicted.

In some cases, suspects face life sentences under California’s “three strikes” law – under which repeat offenders can be sentenced to 25 years to life after a third conviction.

The lone arsonist was arrested in the nearby town of Azusa, about 20 miles (32 km) east of downtown Los Angeles.

The arson is not related to the major fires, but was reportedly started in a local park.

Law enforcement also warned of price gouging, internet fraud and flying drones that could impact the deployment of firefighting aircraft.

They said a number of ongoing investigations meant further charges could be laid.

Blake Chow, deputy chief of the Los Angeles Police Department’s Special Operations Division, issued a stern warning to looters: “You can’t get away with this.”

Also Monday, two lawsuits were filed against utility Southern California Edison (SCE) by property owners who lost their homes in the Eaton fire.

They claimed the company failed to disconnect its electrical equipment from the grid despite warnings of high winds.

A company spokesman said SCE had not yet been served with the complaint but would review it once received.

“The cause of the fire remains under investigation,” the spokesman said.

Pacific Palisades residents filed a separate lawsuit against the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP), accusing the utility of failing to provide enough water to fight the fire there.

The lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court by the law firm Robertson & Associates, alleges that a drained reservoir should have been maintained.

“The Palisades fire was a traumatic event for its victims, who went from homeowners to homeless in a matter of hours through no fault of their own,” the complaint read by Reuters said.

The BBC has contacted LADWP for comment.

In a statement on its website last weekLADWP said, “The water system serving the Pacific Palisades area and all of Los Angeles complies with all federal and state fire codes for urban development and housing.”

It said it would launch its own investigation into water resistance.

The Eaton Fire, the second largest in the series of fires that broke out across the city last week, has burned more than 14,000 acres and is 33% contained, authorities said.

There was “very little fire growth” in the Palisades fire on Monday, CalFire Deputy Chief Jim Hudson said.

The BBC Weather Center says winds in Santa Ana – blowing from the east or northeast – could reach gusts of up to 70 miles per hour (112 km/h) on Tuesday, potentially fueling more fires.

Weather officials say lighter winds are forecast after Wednesday, giving firefighters an opportunity to further contain the fires.

A curfew between 6:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. local time continues to apply in evacuation areas.

Adam Schiff, the newly elected Democratic senator for California, told the BBC he hoped the new Trump administration would act quickly to provide disaster relief.

Asked whether wildfires were becoming increasingly politicized, Schiff said: “Since the fires started, there have been people who have done that.”

“It’s not helpful at the moment. Let’s just focus on putting out these fires and getting people the help they need.”

President-elect Donald Trump is reportedly planning to visit the area in the coming days.

Federal lawmakers will meet Tuesday morning to discuss disaster relief for the state.

President Joe Biden said he has sent hundreds of federal personnel and air and ground support to California and that his team will respond “promptly” to any request for further help.

“Our hearts hurt for the 24 innocent souls we lost,” he said.

While the city’s fire departments continue to try to contain the fires, local residents took part in the relief efforts.

Actor and comedian Will Arnett told the BBC that he had friends who had lost their homes.

“I think everyone should help in their own way,” said Arnett, who helped distribute water to those affected by the fires.

“It’s nice to see people come together and volunteer like this.”

Fardad Khayami, a 24-year-old restaurant owner in Pacific Palisades, delivered hundreds of meals to people affected by the fires.

He told BBC Newsday: “If you look from the outside, it looks like where we are appears to be a normal town. But if you drive five minutes west it seems a different world.”

He hoped to provide locals with 500 meals a day “for as long as they need them.”

Michael Storc of Altadena, who lost his family home, said, “Rents have gone up a lot.”

“I grew up renting as a poor boy, so going back to renting is a bit disappointing,” he said.

His family wonders whether they will ever be able to rebuild on the land where their home once stood, he said.

“We don’t know if it will ever be safe,” he told the BBC.

While many expensive mansions were lost in the fires, Pete Brown, spokesman for a Pacific Palisades councilman, said many owners bought the homes about 50 years ago, some for prices around $25,000 (£20,500).

He said these older homeowners are now left with nothing.

“Their wealth was in that house,” Mr. Brown said.

With additional reporting from Helena Humphry, Christal Hayes, Regan Morris, Gabriela Pomeroy and John Sudworth in Los Angeles.