Smoke rises from the Palisades fire.
Los Angeles’ deadliest fire spread through previously untouched areas on Saturday, forcing new evacuations and waning hopes that the disaster would be over.
Multiple fires have ripped through residential areas since Tuesday, killing at least 11 people across the city and destroying thousands of homes in what US President Joe Biden likened to a “war scene.”
Despite extensive firefighting efforts, the spread of the Palisades fire led to evacuation orders for the posh east side of the Palisades, which includes the famous Getty Center Museum.
Winds are expected to pick up again on Saturday after a brief lull, raising the risk of new fires starting as embers are blown into dry brush.
As Los Angeles residents grapple with the ruins, they are increasingly demanding to know who is responsible for the disaster, and local anger is mounting over authorities’ preparations and response.
Residents like Nicole Perry, whose home in the upmarket Pacific Palisades burned to the ground, told AFP that authorities had “completely let us down.”
“I don’t think the authorities were prepared at all,” said James Brown, 65, a retired lawyer who lives across the street from Altadena.
California Governor Gavin Newsom on Friday ordered a “full independent investigation” into the water shortage during the initial fires, calling it “very concerning.”
“We need answers as to why it happened,” he wrote in an open letter.
As reports of looting increased, a sunset-to-sunrise curfew was imposed in the evacuation area.
A house burnt to rubble in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles, California.
About 20 people have already been arrested across Los Angeles, and some residents have organized street patrols and armed themselves to monitor their homes.
The National Guard was deployed to increase law enforcement.
12,000 buildings destroyed
Five fires have burned more than 37,000 acres (15,000 hectares) and destroyed about 12,000 buildings, Cal Fire said.
The Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office confirmed additional deaths Friday, bringing the total to 11 to date, but that number is expected to rise.
“It reminded me of a war scene, where specific targets were hit,” Biden said during a briefing at the White House.
Winds subsided on Friday, giving firefighters a brief window of opportunity as they battled the blaze around the clock for the fourth day in a row.
“Braveheart” actor Mel Gibson is the latest celebrity to reveal his Malibu home burned down, telling NewsNation the loss was “devastating.”
Paris Hilton, Anthony Hopkins and Billy Crystal are among a long list of celebrities who have lost their homes, while Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan, who quit royal life and moved to California in 2020, are among the survivors. He was also seen comforting her.
The Palisades Fire was only 8% contained as of Saturday morning, burning 21,600 acres before spreading eastward.
A man sprays water in front of his home as smoke and flames from the Palisades Fire burn toward the Encino neighborhood in Los Angeles, California.
Emergency managers warned that the situation remained extremely dangerous.
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Deanne Criswell said winds “will pick up again in the coming days.”
Officials say it is too early to know the cause of the fire.
blame game
Biden on Friday quietly criticized President-elect Donald Trump for spreading misinformation about the fires, which was amplified on social media.
“There will be a lot of agitators out there who will try to take advantage,” the president said.
Mr. Newsom, who is held responsible for the disaster by the president-elect, invited Mr. Trump to visit Los Angeles and survey the devastation together.
“We must not politicize a human tragedy or spread disinformation from the sidelines,” Newsom said.
Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Christine Crowley said the department is chronically understaffed and understaffed, pointing to recent funding cuts to the department.
Wildfires occur naturally, but scientists say human-induced climate change is changing the weather and changing fire dynamics.
Emergency managers apologized Friday after an evacuation alert was mistakenly sent to millions of cell phones, causing panic.
© 2025 AFP
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