LA fires forecast to be costliest blaze in US history with estimate of over $200bn in losses
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Fires have killed at least 24, displaced thousands, destroyed over 12,000 structures as winds predicted until Wednesday. Fire crews are trying to get the upper hand on blazes that are tearing through Los Angeles before expected high wind gusts threaten their progress. The fires, which may become the most expensive in US history, have killed at least 24 people, displaced thousands, destroyed more than 12,000 structures and have 100,000 people under evacuation orders.
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Sustained winds of up to 40mph (64kph) and gusts in the mountains reaching 65mph (105kph) are predicted through Wednesday, forecasters said. Winds picked up on Monday and were expected to strengthen on Tuesday, fire behavior analyst Dennis Burns said.
And as Los Angeles holds their breath in anticipation of more strong winds, more stories of victims who’ve lost their lives, residents who’ve had their homes destroyed and historic structures and businesses that have been burned down are emerging.
The blazes started last Tuesday, fueled by fierce Santa Ana winds that forecasters expect to kick back up through at least midweek. Cal Fire reported that the Palisades, Eaton, Kenneth and Hurst fires have consumed about 62 sq miles (160 sq km). The Palisades fire, along the coast, has been blamed for eight deaths, while the Eaton fire further inland has been blamed for 16 others, the LA county medical examiner’s office said. At least 23 people are missing, and authorities said that number is expected to rise.
Investigators are still trying to determine what sparked the fires. They could be the country’s costliest ever. Government agencies haven’t provided preliminary damage estimates yet, but AccuWeather, a company that provides data on weather and its impact, puts the damage and economic losses at $250bn to $275bn.
