The Palisades and Easton fires have been smoldering in Los Angeles County for ten days. The good news is that firefighters are making solid progress containing both fires, aided by unexpectedly favorable weather conditions.
However, it is a race against time for full containment. The National Weather Service’s latest forecast calls for more dry Santa Ana winds to move through the area early next week.
Currently, more than 170,000 people are still under evacuation notices. Although the fires are better contained, regional officials indicate evacuees won’t be able to return to their homes for at least another week.
Palisades Fire
The Palisades Fire remains active, covering 23,713 acres with 31% containment. This historic fire has destroyed over 3,500 structures and damaged at least 600, resulting in 10 deaths and 3 reported civilian injuries.
Fire Crews are working to establish and improve fire lines, extinguish hot spots, and construct containment lines to limit further structural damage. The ongoing search and recovery efforts are delaying the return of evacuees and other post-disaster recovery operations.
Meanwhile, people are now aware that the regional firefighters were warning Mayor Karen Bass of the dangers of slashing the fire department budget weeks before the disaster.
The scope of the poor policy choices and priorities is coming out as a steady stream on social media.
Some of the top-level responders are accepting responsibility for their decisions.
And a petition to recall Karen Bass has hit 86,000 signatures already.
Eaton Fire
Currently, the Eaton Fire has killed 17 people, is currently 65% contained, and has already burned 14,117 acres.
Containment efforts are steadily progressing, and the fire is expected to stay within its current footprint. Firefighters are continuing to work on construction while improving containment lines in steep, inaccessible terrain.
At present, over 7,000 structures have been destroyed, over 800 damaged, and more than 14,000 remain threatened. In addition to the civilian deaths, 6 firefighters have sustained injuries.
Footage of the embers being spread in the Santa Ana winds shows the urgency of quelling both blazes ahead of next week.
The scale of the disaster from this blaze is shocking.
LA Home Survives Fire, But Destroyed by Mudslide
Wildfires burn away low vegetation and trees, whose roots typically stabilize soil, leaving large areas vulnerable to erosion.
These massive fires also create a layer of slick debris, including ash and charred remnants, which create an ideal surface for sliding. As an added bonus, wildfires can produce water-repellent (hydrophobic) soil conditions, leading to increased runoff when the inevitable rains hit.
Subsequently, the Los Angeles area is now in jeopardy of facing serious damage from mudslides.
How serious is the potential issue? One home that survived the Palisades Fire was split in two by a mudslide.
A $2 million oceanfront home that mercilessly survived the destructive Pacific Palisades fires was split in half by a mudslide — raising new concerns about similar potential disasters amid the deadly infernos.The Los Angeles home, which is based near the Pacific Coast Highway, was destroyed when water runoff from firefighters battling the deadly inferno and crumbling hillside caused a landslide, according to KTLA….Director of Los Angeles County Public Works, Mark Pestrella, warned residents on Thursday during a press conference to be “very careful” of returning to their homes if they are located on or near hillsides.“A warning to all the residents, no matter where you live in (Los Angeles) County, if you have slopes behind your homes, or if you’re located on top of a slope, these slopes have become fragile,” Pestrella said.
This rainy season lasts through March, so if a significant Pacific storm hits these shores, the region could be devastated again in very short order. Furthermore, the risk of mudslides after wildfires can persist for several years following a fire event, so the threat will continue until the incinerated growth is restored.
Hopefully, area residents, emergency responders, and officials will make mudslide prevention their priority, as this is a true “climate crisis”. However, as doing so would require actual work and results, I have my doubts.
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