More residents allowed to return home as strong Santa Ana gusts are expected in fire-ravaged region
Many residents across the region are getting their first looks at destruction to homes and businesses while others are still anxiously waiting for evacuation notices to end so they can assess damage.
Homeowner David Marquez, left, holds a metal detector as his father, Juan Pablo Alvarado, right, and a friend look for the remains of gold jewelry and other silver items inside the walls of their multi-generational home in the aftermath of the Eaton Fire on Jan. 19, 2025, in Altadena, Calif. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
As calmer winds through the weekend assisted firefighters battling the Southern California blazes, there has been progress in containing the wildfires in L.A. County. But, AccuWeather forecasters warn that another round of dangerous Santa Ana winds is beginning this week.
Santa Ana winds will increase throughout the daytime on Monday, bringing the threat of damaging winds gusting from 60 to 80 mph across the prone mountain regions surrounding Los Angeles. Spanning from Ventura to San Diego counties, gusty winds ranging from 40 to 60 mph can also occur.
The wind threat is expected to persist through Tuesday, with a reduction in the Santa Ana winds later Tuesday evening. Forecasters are highlighting that there could be a lesser intense Santa Ana event briefly from Wednesday night to Thursday night across similar regions.
Firefighters make progress containing the fires
The death toll from the most and second-most destructive fires in Southern California history stands at 27. The number of missing has fluctuated as high as two dozen as crews with cadaver dogs search the rubble and ashes left behind.
Thousands of firefighters from several states and countries have made tremendous progress fighting the deadly infernos that have scorched more than 60 square miles, an area roughly the size of the entire city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
As of Monday morning, the Pacific Fire had burned 23,713 acres and was 56% contained while the Eaton Fire had burned 14,117 acres and was 75% contained.
More than 12,000 structures have been destroyed in both fires, many of them homes and businesses that were razed to piles of rubble and ash. The Palisades Fire damaged or destroyed roughly 5,000 buildings in the Pacific Palisades and parts of Malibu, according to Cal Fire.
AccuWeather CNN Correspondent Michael Yoshida reports from Altadena, California, where the situation remains critical, but firefighters are gaining ground and containment of the fires in the area.
The Eaton Fire is smaller in perimeter than the Palisades Fire but has likely claimed more buildings. Estimates say close to 7,000 buildings have been damaged or destroyed, most of those in the hard-hit Altadena neighborhood.
Damage estimates are preliminary as inspections are still underway or just beginning in many cases. Investigators are looking into the cause of the blazes, as well, with the ATF reporting more than 150 leads have been generated from tips, according to CNN. Arson investigators say it could take months before they know how the region’s major fires ignited.
Cleanup in some areas gets underway slowly amid health concerns
Residents embrace in front of a fire-ravaged property after the Palisades Fire swept through in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent, File)
Because of ongoing firefighting and the dangerous debris and chemicals in burned areas, some residents are still under evacuation notices and haven't been allowed back to see what's left of their properties. Many people affected by the Palisades and Eaton Fires may not be able to return home for months, according to Los Angeles County officials. The losses range from multi-million-dollar, ocean-view mansions to mobile homes.
Crews are dousing hot spots, clearing hazardous debris and working to ensure the safety of residents before reopening closed areas. No timeline has been announced for lifting the evacuation orders, but experts have warned that it could take weeks.
Containment is steadily increasing on the most destructive wildfires in Southern California history, but many people can’t return home yet. Here’s why.
Captain Erik Scott of the Los Angeles Fire Department said a timeline for returning depends on the extent of the damage, which needs to be mapped and assessed in every impacted community. There is also the threat of hazardous materials, such as asbestos and chemicals, that need to be cleaned before people can return.
“We want people to have realistic expectations,” Mr. Scott said, according to the NY Times.
In cases where people have been allowed back into their damaged or destroyed neighborhoods, health officials urge everyone in areas impacted by ash from the wildfires to wear proper respiratory masks to help protect against smoke in the air and hazardous materials in debris and the ground.
Charred hazardous waste and large debris across a massive area must be cleared by professional crews, and the ground must be treated to remove toxic chemicals that burned into it. The work to identify and clean up the dangerous waste must be done by professionals and could start as soon as next week, an Environmental Protection Agency official said. California state agency CalRecycle will join the EPA in overseeing much of the clean-up work, officials said.
AccuWeather Founder & Executive Chairman Dr. Joel N. Myers explains how the wildfires are creating hazardous air quality and what Californians can expect in the coming months.
“It’s not the same as ‘I’m going to go in with a shovel and clear out the mud from the flood,’” Patricia McIlreavy, president and CEO of nonprofit Center for Disaster Philanthropy told CNN adding, “The Palisades Fire alone is the size of Manhattan; just imagine the debris,” McIlreavy said.
When houses and cars burn, they release toxins, plastics and heavy metals, like lead, into the air, soil and water. The tiny size of these pollutants allows them to infiltrate the bloodstream and lungs, posing severe health hazards, particularly for those with cardiovascular diseases.
Protective measures such as wearing gloves, N95 masks, long sleeves and pants are essential to prevent ash from contacting the skin or hair. Nevertheless, due to the heightened danger, pregnant individuals, children, the elderly and people with pre-existing health conditions should avoid any exposure to toxic ash, even with these safety measures in place.
Michael Kleeman, with the UC Davis Air Quality Research Center, explains why Californians will need to remain vigilant about their exposure to dangerous materials in the air and on the ground.
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed an executive order to jump-start cleanup on Wednesday.
"Cleanup crews are moving into neighborhoods devastated by this firestorm. California is working swiftly to ensure survivors from these devastating firestorms can begin their road to recovery. We appreciate the fast-acting work of teams on the ground to begin this first phase of recovery – all while first responders are continuing to battle ongoing flames in the area," his statement read.
EPA workers will start clearing hazards like compressed gas cylinders, paint solvents, pesticides, fertilizers and ammunition, regional FEMA administrator Robert Fenton Jr. announced Wednesday.
Lithium-ion batteries will make cleanup especially difficult as California leads the nation in electric vehicle usage and must now contend with the lithium-ion batteries that power these vehicles. They can become hazardous when damaged or exposed to extreme heat and need to be treated like unexploded munitions because of their volatility. Batteries damaged by fire or salt water can explode and can take a long time to put out because of the lingering chain reaction inside the battery – something that also causes them to occasionally reignite, according to EV Magazine. The batteries also contain hazardous metals that could leach into the environment if not properly handled.
The EPA will work with law enforcement to safely dispose of large lithium-ion batteries destroyed in the fire, like those in electric vehicles and home power banks that store energy from solar panels.
Relocate or rebuild? The long road to recovery
With cleanup likely to last months, rebuilding anything will be a long, slow process.
“It’s going to be a while before we can get in there and build anything,” said Michael Hricak, an adjunct professor of architecture at the University of Southern California, told The Associated Press. “It’s not being tougher than Mother Nature. It’s being somewhat respectful of Mother Nature and knowing what the challenges are. Are we just inviting another problem down the road?” Hricak said.
Thousands of California residents will have to decide whether to relocate permanently or rebuild their homes. Insurance companies may cover thousands of dollars in temporary housing and living expenses unless homeowners are underinsured or not covered.
“The policy is generally going to cover the cost of additional living expenses while you are out of your home, to maintain what is kind of your usual standard of living,” said Karen Collins, the vice president of American Property Casualty Insurance Association’s property and environmental division.
However, insurance may not cover what people need to rebuild. Many may not have disposable income to cover the difference between what their insurance covers and the cost of rebuilding their home and replacing what was lost. Moving isn’t necessarily easier than rebuilding and can also be very costly.
Damage and economic loss between $250 and $275 billion
AccuWeather Founder & Executive Chairman Dr. Joel N. Myers explains the toll recent wildfires have taken on the state of California and shares AccuWeather’s preliminary estimate of the economic impact.
AccuWeather's preliminary estimate of the total damage and economic loss is between $250 billion and $275 billion.
“These fast-moving, wind-driven infernos have created one of the costliest wildfire disasters in modern U.S. history,” AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist Jonathan Porter said. “Hurricane-force winds sent flames ripping through neighborhoods filled with multi-million-dollar homes. The devastation left behind is heartbreaking, and the economic toll is staggering."
The worst of the fires are burning in an area from Santa Monica to Malibu, impacting some of the most expensive real estate in the country, with median home values over $2 million.
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