California fires live updates: death toll likely to rise; Biden announces federal funding for fight against blazes | Los Angeles

The Eaton fire has grown to 13,690 acres, LA fire department fire chief Anthony Marrone said at a press conference on Thursday afternoon.

“It’s grown since our morning press conference because the fire is making a run towards the historic Mount Wilson area. We are still at 0% containment,” he said, adding that 1,527 personnel had been assigned to fight the fire.

He added that one firefighter has been injured in the fight and that 4,000 to 5,000 structures have likely been destroyed in the blaze.

LA county sheriff Robert Luna said his department is hoping to implement a curfew beginning Thursday, from 6pm to 6am, in order to combat looting in areas impacted by the Palisades and Eaton fires. The news came during a press conference hosted by the LA Fire Department Thursday afternoon.

“I think most of you heard our press conference earlier today, we had a number of looting arrests throughout the entire county region. That is unacceptable behavior,” he said, adding that he hopes the curfew “will help send a stronger message keep people out of the impacted areas so we don’t continuously victimize the people who have already been victimized, who have lost their hope their homes.”

Although the situation is in flux, he said the sheriff’s office has received between 12 and 16 arrests related to looting. He also confirmed that the fatality count remains about 5 deaths between the two fires, though homicide detectives have not yet been able to enter the affected fire zones.

Sam Levin

The California prison system has now deployed nearly 800 incarcerated firefighters to fight the devastating blazes in the Los Angeles area, officials said on Thursday afternoon.

The California department of corrections and rehabilitation (CDCR) said it had 783 imprisoned firefighters out in the field responding to the emergencies. That figure has doubled from the day prior.

The incarcerated crews are embedded with the California department of forestry and fire protection (Cal Fire).

The CDCR operates more than 30 “fire camps” across the state where people serving state prison sentences are trained in firefighting and support authorities as they respond to fires, floods and other disasters.

The wages are meager, but are considered high-paying jobs behind bars, with CDCR firefighters earning between $5.80 and $10.24 a day and an additional $1 per hour when responding to active emergencies. When responding to disasters, they may earn $26.90 over a 24-hour shift.

The Palisades fire has grown to 19,978 acres and remains 0% contained, fire officials said.

Approximately 5,316 structures have been destroyed in the fire, based on an aerial survey conducted on Wednesday, they said in an update a short while ago.

The damaged structures include homes and businesses, as well as structures like RVs and sheds.

Joe Biden has announced that the federal government would pay for 100% of the firefighting needs for the next 180 days.

Biden said he had been speaking with California governor Gavin Newsom, who had requested if he could increase federal funding due to the magnitude of the disaster. The president said:

Today, I’m announcing that the federal government will cover 100% of the cost for 180 days. It’s going to pay for things like debris and heavy material removal, temporary shelters, first responders, salaries and all necessary measures to protect life and property.

He said he told the governor and local officials to “spare no expensive to do what they need to do”.

Lois Beckett

“Karen’s gotta go,” said Matthew, 32, referring to Los Angeles mayor Karen Bass. He said that if she did not resign once the immediate crisis was over, he hoped that smart people would take to the streets and demand her resignation.

He cited a number that has been circulating on social media and in some news outlets, that Bass had cut $17.6m from the fire department’s budget before the crisis, and said that, given his level of trust in politicians, he would not be surprised if one of them had pocketed the cash that should have gone to the fire department.

Politico reported on Wednesday that the reports of budget cuts were “wrong”, and that “in fact, the city’s fire budget increased more than $50m year-over-year compared to the last budget cycle.”

But even if that $17.6m statistic was not accurate, Harley said. “It’s hard not to believe it when you see this.”

Their friend David, 35, said that it was concerning to see Joe Biden sending money to Ukraine and Israel, when resources were so badly needed at home.

“There’s no faith in the government at all,” Matthew said.

On the other hand, he added, they did have a lot of faith in the courage of the first responders. And, he said, “I have seen a great sense of community – everyone checking in on each other,” which provided some “faith in humanity restored”.

Lois Beckett

Lake Boulevard in Altadena runs straight upward into the mountains – and, today, into heavy clouds of smoke.

Law enforcement had blocked off the major road, which a local told me yesterday was dotted with burned businesses.

Small crowds of people had gathered on both sides of the street here, looking up at the smoking hills and trying to assess the situation.

A group of three friends on the corner in Altadena told me that they had been overwhelmed by the number of fires across Los Angeles in the past 24 hours. They lived and worked in different locations across Los Angeles county, including nearby in Pasadena, Koreatown, Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, the San Fernando Valley. All of those different locations had been threatened by wildfires on Tuesday and Wednesday.

“I’ve seen really bad fires, but this is the worst I’ve ever seen,” said Harley, 28, who did not give his last name. “My mom has been here 40 years, and it’s the worst she’s ever seen.”

The experience was terrifying, the friends said – and they thought Los Angeles’ elected officials, especially the mayor, were to blame.

Harley said he was infuriated that California, one of the largest economies in the world, was “so unprepared” for the crisis. “There’s lack of resources, lack of preparation, lack of coordination. It shouldn’t have gotten to this point.”

“Why are we still struggling?” he asked.

The official death toll from the fires in southern California remains at five, according to the Los Angeles sheriff’s department, four of which were a result of the Eaton fire.

Officials had previously said that the five deaths were all in connection to the Eaton fire.

They told NBC News that they are just getting into areas that have been limited due to the fires.

The outlet has also reported that human remains were found on Wednesday night at a Malibu residential home destroyed the Palisades fire.

The discovery was made as authorities conducted a wellness check following a missing person’s report, NBC reported.