US authorities reported Friday that the death toll from the out-of-control fires that are destroying entire neighborhoods in the city of Los Angeles, in the US state of California, has risen to 16.
The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Department has announced on its website that five of the deaths are from the Palisades fire in southern California and eleven from the Eaton fire.
US authorities have warned that the real number of victims will not be known until investigators can enter the neighborhoods.
SPREADING TO THE NORTHWEST
The devastating Palisades fire spread northeast, prompting new evacuations in the wealthy southern California neighborhoods of Brentwood and Bel Air. The spread of the flames brought “another night of unimaginable terror and anguish,” according to Los Angeles County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath.
The University of California, Los Angeles campus is also on “high alert” and has been advised to prepare for evacuation, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, known as Cal Fire.
The California National Guard has made 1,000 personnel available to support response efforts, including 250 people with firefighting capabilities, according to U.S. officials.
The largest fire, the Palisades Fire, has burned more than 22,000 acres, destroyed thousands of structures and is 11% contained. The Eaton Fire in Altadena now spans more than 14,100 acres and is 15% contained. More than 100,000 people are under evacuation orders.
