Devastating fires in Southern California continued unabated yesterday, including a number of blazes tearing through prominent Los Angeles neighborhoods. At least ten deaths have been confirmed—though officials say the toll is likely higher—and nearly 180,000 people have been ordered to evacuate.
Officials said the largest of the blazes, the Palisades Fire, destroyed thousands of structures in affluent coastal neighborhoods between Malibu and Santa Monica (see map) and was just 6% contained as of early this morning. On the east side of the city, the Eaton Fire was also completely uncontained though growth had significantly slowed. See photos of the damage here and Ring camera footage from one Palisades home here.
Exceptionally high wind gusts, in particular Santa Ana winds sweeping westward from the desert and toward the coast (see explainer), carried flaming embers for miles, raising the risk of new fires across the city. Conditions are expected to improve today but persist into the weekend.
The fires could be the costliest in US history, with early estimates of $20B in insured losses and $50B in economic impact. Read more about how wildfire risk has caused home insurers to leave the region here.
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