"Red flag" fire danger warnings expired for much of the Los Angeles area Thursday as winds eased, enabling firefighters to gain greater control of two of Southern California’s largest wildfires.
Winds are expected to calm down for the rest of the week and into the weekend, but forecasts predict they will pick up again next week.
The Palisades fire, which broke out more than a week ago on the western edge of Los Angeles, is now 22% contained, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. The second largest fire in the area, the Eaton fire in the eastern foothills, is 55% contained.
The two fires, along with two smaller fires, have burned more than 16,454 hectares of land and destroyed more than 12,300 structures.
The fires have also killed at least 27 people, the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner said Thursday evening. Seventeen deaths have been linked to the Eaton fire, and 10 have been linked to the Palisades fire.
Firefighters took advantage of the lighter winds to gain ground on those two fires and clear wider containment lines around them.
More than 82,000 people were under evacuation orders, while 8,500 firefighters from the United States, Canada and Mexico were battling the two fires and several smaller ones in the region. Curfews were still in effect for the Palisades and Eaton fire zones from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m.
Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Times reported that a man was arrested late Wednesday in connection with a fire that started in San Bernardino County, east of Los Angeles. Fire crews responded and were able to contain the fire but not before it burned nearly 4 hectares of land.
The wildfires ignited Jan. 7, driven by strong Santa Ana winds in a region that has been largely without rain for eight months. Weather forecasts show little to no chance of rain in the next week.
California Governor Gavin Newsom issued an executive order Thursday to provide temporary housing for those displaced by the fires.
"We are expediting the creation of new temporary housing by removing roadblocks and strengthening protections against exploitation," Newsom said in a statement.
As the fires continue, a benefit concert will take place Jan 30 to help support fire relief efforts in Los Angeles.
Billie Eilish, Joni Mitchell, Lady Gaga and Stevie Nicks are among those who are set to take part in the FireAid fundraising event, the organizers announced Thursday.
Some information for this report came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters.
