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New fires in Los Angeles have prompted evacuation orders in the affluent Brentwood and Bel Air neighborhoods as the region braces for strong winds that could create more problems for emergency responders battling multiple blazes across the county.
The death toll from the fires rose to 11 as the crisis entered its fifth day. The Palisades Fire, which started Tuesday morning, has burned 22,000 acres and is still only 11 percent contained, officials said.
The fires are believed to be the most damaging in LA’s history.
Helicopters dropped water Saturday over Mandeville Canyon, an exclusive area that is home to actor and former California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.
The evacuation orders in Brentwood raised concerns about landmarks, including the Getty Center, home to an art collection that includes works by Van Gogh, Rembrandt and Monet.
Karen Bass, the mayor of LA, said the Palisades fires are “slowly contained,” with about 11 percent contained. But she warned that the area is “more vulnerable” to the dry and strong Santa Ana winds expected to return Saturday afternoon. She urged residents not to try to “wait out the fires” and to evacuate immediately.
The National Weather Service warned that the latest wave of strong winds will also include coastal Topanga and Malibu canyons. It also predicts “further wind events” between Monday night and Wednesday that could reach 60 to 70 miles per hour.
Bass and California Gov. Gavin Newsom are trying to deflect criticism of their response to the fire. Firefighters in the Pacific Palisades were disappointed this week to find hydrants running out of water — a major problem during periods of high winds that stopped helicopters and planes used to drop water on the flames. The city’s reserve tanks were quickly drained as firefighters on the ground battled the blaze without air support.
Newsom said Friday that he had ordered an investigation into the causes of the water supply problems. Newsom called the problems “deeply troubling,” adding that they are “likely to undermine efforts to protect some homes and evacuation corridors.”
The city’s water and power authority released a statement saying any claims that fire hydrants were broken before the fires were “misleading and false.”
The water pressure dropped due to the “unprecedented and extreme demand for water to fight the fire without aerial support,” the LA Department of Water and Power said in a statement.
Firefighters from other US states and Mexico have come to LA to help more than 7,500 emergency workers from California. The National Guard is also stationed in the Palisades to protect the area from looters.
The city has imposed a 12-hour curfew from 6 p.m. in areas under evacuation orders. “Not only do we have to protect ourselves from the fire, but we also have to make sure that nobody goes up there and tries to loot,” Bass said. About 20 robbers have been arrested so far.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms said it will take the lead in investigating the cause of the Pacific Palisades fire. The federal agency said there are fire investigators at the scene.
Firefighters managed to extinguish the Sunset fire, which threatened the Hollywood Hills and a number of landmarks, including the Hollywood sign. They have also extinguished the Lydia fire north of Los Angeles, while two others are about 80 percent contained, according to Cal Fire.
