How are Los Angeles firefighters preparing to battle the return of menacing winds in the wildfires?

LOS ANGELES (NB360) — Firefighters hurried on Saturday to contain spreading wildfires before potentially strong winds could drive the flames toward the renowned J. Paul Getty Museum and the University of California, Los Angeles, as new evacuation alerts heightened concerns for more homeowners.

A fierce battle against the flames unfolded in Mandeville Canyon, home to Arnold Schwarzenegger and other celebrities near the Pacific coast, where helicopters dropped water as the fire descended. Ground firefighters used hoses to combat the advancing flames while thick smoke covered the chaparral-covered hillside.

During a briefing, CalFire Operations Chief Christian Litz stated that a primary focus on Saturday would be the Palisades Fire burning in the canyon area, close to the UCLA campus.

“We need to be aggressive out there,” Litz emphasized.

County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath mentioned that the LA area experienced “another night of unimaginable terror and heartbreak, with even more Angelenos evacuated due to the northeast expansion of the Palisades Fire.”

Light breezes were fanning the flames, but the National Weather Service warned that strong Santa Ana winds — a significant challenge for firefighters — could soon return. These winds are largely blamed for turning wildfires into infernos that destroyed entire neighborhoods in a city that hasn't seen significant rainfall in over eight months.

The fire also threatened to leap over Interstate 405 into densely populated areas in the Hollywood Hills and San Fernando Valley.

The search for bodies continues

The grim task of sifting through the devastation continued Saturday, with teams conducting systematic grid searches with cadaver dogs, according to Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna. He mentioned that a family assistance center was being set up in Pasadena and urged residents to comply with curfews.

“We have people driving up and around trying to get in just to look. Stay away,” he advised.

The fires have consumed about 56 square miles (145 square kilometers) — an area larger than San Francisco. Tens of thousands of people remained under evacuation orders, and new evacuations were ordered Friday evening after a flare-up on the eastern side of the Palisades Fire.

Since the fires began Tuesday just north of downtown LA, they have destroyed more than 12,000 structures, including homes, apartment buildings, businesses, outbuildings, and vehicles.

No cause has been determined for the largest fires, and early estimates suggest the wildfires could be the nation’s costliest ever. A preliminary estimate by AccuWeather put the damage and economic losses so far between $135 billion and $150 billion.

Acts of kindness amid the devastation

So many volunteers arrived to help at donation centers on Saturday that some were turned away. This was the case at a YMCA in the Koreatown neighborhood. By late morning, cars with would-be helpers were also being turned back from the Santa Anita Park horse racing track, where donations of necessities were being accepted.

At the race track on Friday, people who lost their homes could be seen sorting through stacks of donated shirts, blankets, and other household goods. Altadena resident Jose Luis Godinez said three homes inhabited by more than a dozen of his family members were destroyed.

“Everything is gone,” he said in Spanish. “All my family lived in those three houses, and now we have nothing.”

Officials warn against returning to burned homes

Some residents have been venturing back to see what can be salvaged after wildfires destroyed their homes, searching through rubble for keepsakes. But officials on Saturday urged them to stay away, warning that the ash can contain lead, arsenic, asbestos, and other harmful materials.

“If you’re kicking that stuff up, you’re breathing it in,” said Chris Thomas, a spokesman for the unified incident command at the Palisades Fire. “All of that stuff is toxic.”

Residents will be allowed to return — with protective gear — after damage teams have evaluated their properties, Thomas said.

City leadership accused of skimping on firefighting funds

Allegations of leadership failures and political blame have begun, as have investigations. Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday ordered state officials to determine why a 117 million-gallon (440 million-liter) reservoir was out of service and some hydrants had run dry. Meanwhile, Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristin Crowley said city leadership failed her department by not providing enough money for firefighting. She also criticized the lack of water.

“When a firefighter comes up to a hydrant, we expect there’s going to be water,” she stated.

At least 11 people have been killed, five in the Palisades Fire and six in the Eaton Fire, according to the LA County medical examiner’s office. Officials said they expected that number to rise as cadaver dogs search leveled neighborhoods and crews assess the devastation, and on Friday authorities established a center where people could report the missing.

Progress made on fighting the Eaton fire

Firefighters for the first time made progress Friday afternoon on the Eaton Fire north of Pasadena, which has burned more than 7,000 structures. Officials said most evacuation orders for the area had been lifted.

LA Mayor Karen Bass, who faces a critical test of her leadership as her city endures its greatest crisis in decades, said several smaller fires were also stopped.

The level of devastation is shocking even in a state that regularly confronts massive wildfires.

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News Blend 360 writer Belinda Foster in Los Angeles contributed.