Firefighters were hoping for a break Friday from strong winds that have fueled a massive fire in the Los Angeles area, killing 10 people, wiping out entire neighborhoods and setting the city's second-largest in the country on the edge.
The fires have burned more than 10,000 homes and other structures since Tuesday, in a densely populated area 40-kilometers north of downtown Los Angeles.
No cause has been identified for the larger fires.
The level of total destruction is increasing even in a state that has become accustomed to large wildfires. Dozens of blocks of Pacific Palisades were flattened to smoldering rubble. In nearby Malibu, black palm fronds were all that remained above rubble where seaside homes once stood.
Also, new flames continued to grow. Thursday afternoon, the Kenny Fire started in the San Fernando Valley and moved into nearby Ventura County, requiring firefighters to respond aggressively to stop the flames from spreading.
Keeping fires was far out of reach in most cases. At least 180,000 people were under evacuation orders in the fires that have consumed about 145 square kilometers.
With nerves on edge, Los Angeles County has sent two warnings, Thursday and Friday, with incorrect information regarding evacuation orders. Corrections were made, and the country apologized on Friday, saying it was investigating the matter.
Kevin McGowan, director of the Los Angeles County Office of Emergency Management, says the false messages are not “human-driven” and crews are investigating a software issue.
“I'm asking everyone not to turn off the messages on your phone,” he said.
National Guard troops have arrived in Los Angeles, to be deployed near areas under fire to protect buildings.
At least 20 people were arrested for the shooting. The city of Santa Monica, which borders Pacific Palisades, declared a curfew because of the lawlessness, officials said.
The federal government in Ottawa announced on Friday that Canadian military resources would be sent to help firefighters in California.
I have accepted a request for use @RCAF_ARC funds to transport firefighters, equipment, and other resources to California, to help fight the devastating wildfires.@CanadianForces stand ready to transport personnel and equipment to support our American neighbors.
A senior reportedly died with a garden hose in his hand
Of the 10 deaths so far, Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristin Crowley confirmed that two were in the Palisades fire. County officials said the Eaton Fire had killed five people. Dogs and cadaver teams are searching the rubble to see if there are more victims.
Two of the dead were Anthony Mitchell, who is 67 years old, and his son, Justin, who had cerebral palsy. They were waiting for an ambulance to arrive and didn't make it to safety when the flames went through, Mitchell's daughter, Hajime White, told The Washington Post.
Victor Shaw was identified as one of the other victims, in the Eaton Fire.
Shari Shaw told KTLA that she tried to get her 66-year-old brother to leave Tuesday night but he wanted to stay and fight the fire. Dear family friend, to the same media centerVictor Shaw said he was found with a garden hose still in his hand.
The Eaton Fire near Pasadena that started Tuesday night has burned more than 5,000 structures, a term that includes homes, apartment buildings, businesses, outbuildings and vehicles.
Francois Auroux tells of the moment he went to see his neighbors in California and finally escaped the Palisades wildfire on a bicycle, running through the flames in a desperate attempt to get back to his family.
Robert Lara rummaged through the remains of his home in Altadena, near Pasadena, Thursday with tears in his eyes, hoping to find a safe with a set of earrings that once belonged to his great-grandmother.
“All the memories we have, our emotional connections, things that have been passed down from generation to generation are now gone,” he said.
Crews extinguished a fire in the Hollywood Hills with the help of water drops from airplanes, allowing an evacuation order to be lifted Thursday.
At least five churches, a synagogue, seven schools, two libraries, boutiques, bars, restaurants, banks and grocery stores were burned.
All schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District, the second largest in the nation, will be closed again on Friday due to heavy smog and ash affecting the city's air.
False warning sent across the county
Many famous people have lost their homes in the fires, including Jeff Bridges, Mandy Moore and Paris Hilton.
Jamie Lee Curtis pledged US$1 million to start a “support fund” for those affected by the fires at all economic levels from the city's wealthy to its workers.
The fires have also led to cancellations and changes to sports schedules. Instead of hosting, the Los Angeles Rams will now play their NFL playoff game on Monday night against the Minnesota Vikings at the Arizona Cardinals' home stadium in Glendale, Ariz.
The government has not yet released figures on the cost of the damage. AccuWeather, a private company that provides data on weather and its effects, on Thursday increased its estimate of damage and economic loss to $135-$150 billion US.
Unprecedented wildfires in Los Angeles County have been fueled by unusually dry weather and hurricane-force winds, and experts warn the problem is not unique to California.
California's wildfire season is starting earlier and ending later due to increased temperatures and reduced rainfall linked to climate change, according to recent data. Several weather research organizations announced on Friday that the Earth recorded the hottest year ever in 2024.
Rains that end fire season are often delayed, meaning fires can burn through the winter months, according to the Western Fire Chiefs Association. Dry winds, including the famous Santa Anas, have contributed to warmer than average temperatures in Southern California, which has not seen more than 2.5 millimeters of rain since early May.
US President Joe Biden promised on Thursday that the federal government would give back 100 percent of the recovery for the next 180 days to pay for waste and hazardous materials removal, temporary shelters and first wages respondents.
