(NewsNation) — At least 27 people have died in the Los Angeles-area wildfires that have been blazing since last week, according to the Los Angeles County medical examiner’s office.
The National Weather Service in Los Angeles said Thursday it expects a “much-needed break from the fire weather concerns” for the end of this week. However, “next week is a concern,” the weather service said.
“While confident that we will NOT see a repeat of last week, dangerous fire weather conditions are expected,” the NWS in LA added.
A moderate red-flag warning is predicted Monday and Tuesday, Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said at a news conference.
An air quality warning is in effect due to wind-blown ash particles. Public health authorities advised residents to use N95 masks to protect their lungs, noting that masks would be made available for free at area libraries and disaster relief centers.
Public health officials are also available to help people who may have lost access to prescription medications when evacuating the fires.
LA County Sheriff Robert Luna said Thursday that the number of people under evacuation orders fluctuates, but it is currently at around 82,000. About 90,400 people are under evacuation warnings.
Officials stressed the key factor in determining evacuation orders and dates of return is safety. The repopulation of residents in evacuation order areas will not take place for at least one more week for the areas that are deemed safe, Marrone said Thursday. He noted that this might not include the entire evacuation area, however.
Debris, broken gas lines and downed power lines still need to be cleaned up, and there’s a concern about the potential toxins still in the air, officials said.
Malibu Mayor Doug Stewart dispelled a rumor about permits for expedited reentry into evacuated zones earlier this week, saying “any claims or offers to provide such a permit are false.”
A lack of an official timeline for when residents can return is starting to concern people.
“We’re thankful that we have a house to go back to, and we feel for all the people that have lost so much, but it’s just frustrating,” Michael Ruby, who evacuated his home in Brentwood, said. “There’s no answers.”
There have been 43 missing persons reported in the LA County Sheriff’s jurisdiction — of these, 12 were found to be safe, and 31 cases remain active. In the Los Angeles Police Department’s jurisdiction, 38 were reported missing — of these, 30 have been found safe, three are most likely dead and five remain missing, officials said.
Most Los Angeles Unified schools and the district’s offices opened Monday. A Tuesday news release confirmed all schools will reopen as part of the district’s “return to normalcy.”
Some schools have been relocated to different buildings. Click here for announcements from the school district.
Palisades fire
According to CAL FIRE, the Palisades fire has scorched 23,713 acres and is 27% contained as of Thursday morning.
The last wind event did not cause the fire to expand, Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Kristin Crowley said. Several interior pockets continue to burn, CAL FIRE Incident Commander Gerry Magaña said Thursday.
“Threats still exist with structures and critical infrastructure, and crews continue to strengthen fire perimeter and coordinate infrastructure repairs,” Magaña said at a news conference.
In the Palisades, Los Angeles County Public Works Director Mark Pestrella said there has been a raveling of slopes, which has become a landslide of debris into streets and properties because of the wildfires.
Residents may also notice this in the lower Topanga area, he said. Public Works is maintaining the slopes with the California Department of Transportation.
“A warning to all the residents — no matter where you live in LA County, if you have slopes behind your homes, or if you’re located on top of a slope, these slopes have become fragile,” Pestrella said Thursday. “The soil that is supporting your home has all become fragile and damaged.”
If people see this happening on their property, they should contact 211, Pestrella said.
Eaton fire
The Eaton fire burned 14,117 acres and is at 55% containment, per CAL FIRE.
In the Eaton Fire, 7,000 structures have been damaged or destroyed.
Auto fire
The Auto fire started in Ventura County on Monday. It grew from 5 acres to 61 acres and is at 85% containment as of Friday morning.
On X, the Ventura County Fire Department said the fire was confined to the river bottom off North Ventura Boulevard. No structures were threatened, the fire department said. Forward progress of the Auto fire has been stopped.
What has been affected by the fires?
AccuWeather estimates the total damage and economic loss from the fires could be $250 to $275 billion.
Last week, Pestrella said sewer, power and transportation systems have been damaged significantly.
Angeles National Forest is temporarily closed for public safety through Sunday, Jan.19.
The University of California Los Angeles had remote classes, but Chancellor Julio Frenk said it is ending emergency status on Friday. In-person classes will begin again next Tuesday, he said.
Rebuilding after wildfires
On Monday, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass signed an executive order that she says is meant to help the city rebuild.
The executive order requires city departments to expedite all building permit reviews and inspections. It also directs the Department of Building and Safety to expedite approvals of “temporary certificates of occupancy” for 1,400 city-owned housing units.
The order also creates a task force to streamline debris removal.
To those who lost homes and livelihoods in the fires, Bass said Tuesday the city will “continue to stand with you.”
“But while we are preparing for the next couple of days, we also want to move into the time when we prepare for moving forward and rebuilding,” she told reporters.
Two disaster recovery centers opened Tuesday at UCLA Research Park in Los Angeles and Pasadena City College Community Education Center. They are scheduled to be open 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Bass said the recovery centers offer assistance in applying for federal assistance and receiving updates on FEMA applications for help.
Officials urged affected residents to visit FEMA’s rumor page to help dispel misinformation regarding their capabilities.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom also signed an executive order Thursday that he said will help speed up the process of helping Los Angeles fire victims with temporary housing.
The order makes it easier to place temporary trailers and other housing on property that has been destroyed or damaged; suspends fees for mobile home parks; and directs the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services to make fairgrounds available for those affected by fires.
Curbing predatory investors
Newsom signed another executive order barring opportunist and predatory investors from taking advantage of homeowners who have lost their homes in the fire.
The order prohibits would-be buyers from making unsolicited undervalue offers to those families, as an attempt to curb investors from offering fast cash to those desperate during the wildfires.
The Associated Press and NewsNation local affiliate KTLA contributed to this report.