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The death toll from days of raging wildfires in Los Angeles has risen to 10 as strengthening winds put several densely populated neighbourhoods at risk, threatening to reverse firefighters’ gains in the battle to contain the disaster.
The Santa Ana winds, which have spread embers across the region and had earlier abated, strengthened late on Thursday, making it difficult to clamp down on wildfires in Pacific Palisades, one of the most exclusive neighbourhoods in the US.
Los Angeles medical authorities said that as of Thursday evening they had been notified of 10 fire-related deaths, up from a previous count of five, after multiple blazes spreading across more than 28,000 acres.
About 10,000 structures have been burnt, officials said on Thursday.
Firefighters have been struggling to contain multiple blazes across the city and its suburbs since Tuesday, and the weather is forecast to remain dry and windy at least until Friday.
Authorities had managed to beat back a new fire in the Hollywood Hills that forced temporary evacuations near some of show business’s best-known locales, including the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
The return of high winds helped spark new fires, including near Mount Wilson, home to a historic observatory and antennas that local television stations rely on.
A new fire, dubbed Kenneth, also erupted in the San Fernando Valley and spread rapidly on Thursday, prompting an evacuation order. An additional 900 firefighters have been deployed to fight it.
About 180,000 residents are still under evacuation orders across Los Angeles county, and an additional 200,000 are in areas under warning.
“This is absolutely an unprecedented, historic firestorm, but we are all hands on deck,” Karen Bass, the Los Angeles mayor, said during a press conference. “First and foremost, we need to stay united. We need to stay strong. A united LA is the way we will recover.”
Bass has drawn criticism for her handling of the fires. She was in Ghana as part of a delegation for the inauguration of its new president when the fires broke out on Tuesday. She did not arrive in Los Angeles until Wednesday.
Police presence in areas gutted by fires was increased overnight to stave off burglary. Officials said on Thursday they had arrested 20 people for looting — a figure they expected to rise. Law enforcement officials said they planned to impose a curfew in areas badly damaged by fire.
“We continue to conduct roving patrols,” said Los Angeles county sheriff Robert Luna. He said officials are “providing security in evacuation areas to prevent anyone who may attempt to engage in criminal behaviour like looting”.
The blaze threatening Hollywood, which broke out on Wednesday night, was one of the few success stories for struggling firefighters. By Thursday morning, an evacuation order for the area had been lifted and the fire had largely been beaten back.
“We’re through the critical wind event,” Margaret Stewart, a spokesperson for the Los Angeles fire department, told local television station KTLA on Thursday morning. “We anticipate that same operation throughout today and while we don’t yet have containment, we are working towards it.”
During the pause in the winds, Pacific Palisades residents began to get a glimpse of the destruction’s scale. Many streets looked as though a bomb had been dropped, with entire blocks razed to the ground.
Metal appliances and fireplaces were some of the only visible remnants of family homes. Many businesses in Pacific Palisades, including its two grocery stores, were destroyed.
The fires have weighed on the entertainment industry. Work in Hollywood has halted, and pre-Oscar screenings and celebrations have been postponed. Warner Bros shut down production in Burbank because of the fires, and Paramount postponed the premiere of its film Better Man.
The fires have also become a political flashpoint, as Republicans, including president-elect Donald Trump, have blamed Democratic leadership in Los Angeles and California, as well as President Joe Biden, for failing to adequately prepare. Climate change has intensified wildfire seasons in California.
“One of the best and most beautiful parts of the United States of America is burning down to the ground,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. “It’s ashes, and Gavin Newscum should resign,” he added, referring to the state’s Democratic governor Gavin Newsom. “This is all his fault!!!”
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