The death toll from the most destructive wildfires in Los Angeles history rose to 16, with fears that a return of strong winds on Monday could make things worse.
The Los Angeles County coroner’s office reported five people dead from the Palisades fire and 11 dead from the Eaton fire, according to the Associated Press. Many more have been injured.
Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone reported a “high number of significant injuries to residents who did not evacuate, in addition to first responders who are on the fire line.”
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The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection reported the Palisades, Eaton, Kenneth, and Hurst fires had scorched roughly 63 square miles, an area larger than San Francisco, and they destroyed over 12,300 structures.
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Michael Traum of the California Office of Emergency Services announced on Saturday that 150,000 residents were under evacuation orders, with the situation expected to get worse.
“Weather conditions are still critical and another round of strong winds is expected starting Monday,” Traum said.
Emergency personnel from nine other states have joined firefighting efforts, utilizing 1,354 fire engines and 84 aircraft. Over 14,000 emergency personnel have been mobilized.
Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) said during an interview with NBC News’s Meet the Press that he believes the fires will go down as the worst natural disaster in United States history.
Mexican firefighters joined the fray, with Newsom saying 72 have arrived so far.
Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna warned residents against trying to return to their homes to look through the rubble, warning them to “stay away.”
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Officials warned that toxic materials such as lead, arsenic, and asbestos could be in the ashes, which residents could kick up and breathe in during their return.
The Kenneth and Hurst fires are mostly contained, while the Eaton and Palisades fires aren’t, at 27% and 11% containment, respectively.
According to a preliminary estimate from AccuWeather, the wildfires are the costliest in U.S. history, with the damage being valued between $135 billion and $150 billion.
The unprecedented damage from the fires is due to unique wind patterns. Officials said the Santa Ana winds have been much more erratic and unpredictable than previously, according to the Los Angeles Times. The winds caused burning embers to spread, which can travel for miles before landing and igniting structures.
The winds were also much stronger than usual. From Tuesday to Wednesday, winds reaching up to 80 mph were commonplace, with one gust reaching 100 mph in Altadena.
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The fires come during an extended dry season, as the area has been largely devoid of rainfall for nearly eight months.
Firefighters have enjoyed limited success in some areas — the Sunset fire in the Hollywood Hills and the Lidia fire have been fully put out.