LA braces for strong winds as fires continue to burn

Residents of Los Angeles are bracing for devastation as weather forecasts show that the winds that are helping to fuel the flames could resurface.

Three fires are still burning. The largest, the Palisades Fire, has burned more than 23,000 acres and remained 14% contained as of Monday evening.

LA Mayor Karen Bass said “emergency preparations” were being made ahead of the storm’s expected arrival on Tuesday.

At least 24 people have died in the fire and another 23 are missing in the Eaton and Palisades fires.

On Monday, authorities also announced that nine people were arrested for robbery and one for arson.

At a news conference, LA District Attorney Nathan Hochman showed videos of the robbery and outlined the maximum sentences if the suspects are convicted.

In some cases the accused could face up to life in prison under California’s “three strikes” law – where repeat offenders can be sentenced to 25 years to life in prison after a third conviction.

One suspect was arrested in the nearby town of Azusa, 32 kilometers east of downtown Los Angeles.

The arson is unrelated to the large fires but is suspected to have been started in a local park.

Law enforcement also warned of price gouging, internet scams, and flying drones, which could interfere with firefighting aircraft.

They said the ongoing investigation means more charges may be filed.

Blake Chow, assistant chief of the Los Angeles Police Department’s special operations office, issued a stern warning to the robbers: “You can’t get away.”

Also on Monday, two lawsuits were filed against Southern California Edison (SCE) by property owners who lost their homes in the Eaton fire.

They alleged that the company failed to turn off the power to its equipment despite being warned of high winds.

A spokesperson for the company said that SCE has not yet been served with the complaint but they will review it once it is received.

“The cause of the fire is still under investigation,” said the spokesman.

The Eaton Fire, the second-largest in a series of blazes that broke out across the city last week, has burned more than 14,000 acres, and is 33 percent contained, authorities said.

There was “very little fire growth” in the Palisades fire Monday, said Jim Hudson, CalFire deputy chief.

The BBC Weather Center says winds in Santa Ana – blowing from the east or northeast – could reach 70mph (112km/h) on Tuesday, possibly fanning other fires.

Weather officials say light winds are forecast for later Wednesday, which will provide an opportunity for firefighters to continue fighting the blaze.

A curfew is still in place at exit points between 18:00 and 06:00 local time.

Adam Schiff, a newly elected Democratic senator from California, told the BBC he hoped the incoming Trump administration would move quickly to provide disaster relief.

When asked if wildfires have become politicized, Schiff said: “There have been people doing that since the fires started.”

“It doesn’t help at the moment, let’s focus on putting out these fires, get people the help they need.”

President-elect Donald Trump is reportedly planning to visit the site in the coming days.

Federal lawmakers are expected to meet Tuesday morning to discuss state disaster relief.

President Joe Biden said he has directed hundreds of federal personnel, air and ground support to California, and his team will “respond quickly” to any request for additional assistance.

“Our hearts ache for the 24 innocent lives we lost,” he said.

Meanwhile, as the city’s firefighters continue to try to contain the fire, local residents have joined in the relief effort.

Actor and comedian Will Arnett told the BBC that he has friends who have lost their homes.

“I think everyone should help in any way they can,” said Arnett, who was helping distribute water to those affected by the fire.

“It’s great to see people coming together and volunteering the way they are.”

Fardad Khayami, a 24-year-old restaurant owner in Pacific Palisades, is delivering hundreds of meals to people affected by the fires.

He told BBC Newsday: “From the outside, it looks like a normal city where we are. But if you drive five minutes west, it looks like a different world.”

He hopes to provide locals with 500 meals a day “as long as they need it”.

Altadena resident Michael Storc, who lost his family’s home, said “the rent has skyrocketed.”

“I grew up as a poor child who rents, so going back to rent makes me tired,” he said.

His family wonders if they will ever be able to rebuild where their house once stood, he said.

“We don’t know if it will ever be safe,” he told the BBC.

Although many expensive houses were lost in the fire, Pete Brown, a spokesman for the Pacific Palisades local council, said many of the owners bought these houses in the last 50 years, some for as little as $25,000 (£20,500).

He said those elderly homeowners are now left with nothing.

“Their wealth was in that home,” said Mr Brown.

With additional reporting by Helena Humphry, Christal Hayes, Regan Morris, Gabriela Pomeroy, and John Sudworth in Los Angeles.