Eaton, Palisades fires slow as containment grows, 16 dead; firefighters prepare for new winds

Growth of the Palisades fire slowed significantly overnight into Sunday while crews made significant gains in containing the Eaton fire, as firefighters entered their sixth day of battling the deadly, wind-driven blazes that have raged across Los Angeles County.

Crews — aided by aerial water drops — were taking advantage of relatively lesser winds, before the return of dangerously gusty and dry weather is expected to once again increase the fire danger over the next several days.

The Palisades fire — which had forced a new wave of evacuations as it lit up the ridge line in Mandeville Canyon — grew by less than 100 acres overnight, according to Cal Fire estimates. It is currently estimated at 23,707 acres and 11% containment, the percentage of a fire’s border officials believe the flames will not jump.

The Eaton fire also remained about the same size — an estimated 14,117 acres — while the containment estimate jumped overnight from 15 to 27%.

Countywide, the number of ongoing evacuations — which on Sunday morning stood at 105,000 under mandatory evacuation and 87,000 under evacuation warnings — has dropped over the last few days.

“Which is some good news,” Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna noted at a Sunday morning news conference. “But it is still a fluid situation and that could change.”

There have been 16 confirmed deaths from the fires, including 11 attributed to the Eaton fire and 5 attributed to the Palisades fire, according to a County of Los Angeles Medical Examiner update released on Saturday evening.

Luna and Los Angeles Police Department Chief Jim McDonnell acknowledged at the Sunday news conference that evacuated residents were angry at not being able to access homes in the burn areas to get medication or other essentials they left behind. But the law enforcement officials said it was still too dangerous to allow them access to the burn zones.

Downed power lines, unstable buildings and pockets of fire flare-ups all add to the challenge of keeping people out of harm’s way.

“A lot of our residents are trying to get back,” Luna said, “and they are frustrated.”

McDonnell said officers had been providing escorts to residents to get them to their homes, but it became “unwieldy” when too many people began showing up and they have ended that service for the time being.

“The atmosphere is continually changing and we have to adapt to the conditions that are provided to us,” McDonnell said.

Luna and McDonnell said search and rescue teams are searching the Palisades and Eaton fire areas for bodies, with the assistance of cadaver dogs. When bodies are found, it requires them to set up a crime scene and begin recovery efforts for the remains.

Law enforcement — aided by National Guard members — have instituted 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfews in the burn areas and have kept a lookout for people trying to loot homes or businesses in those communities.

Luna said at this point there have been at least 29 arrests, including 25 at the Eaton fire area and 4 at the Palisades fire. The sheriff described at one point seeing a man dressed as a firefighter sitting down, approaching to see if the man was okay, only to realize it was someone in handcuffs, who was being arrested.

With more firefighters arriving from out of state — and even out of the country — officials said the additional resources are allowing them to free up firefighters to help prepare for the return of stronger winds. Those winds are currently expected to last until Wednesday.