In the city of Los Angeles, California, the fire continues to rage even after five days, and authorities have reported that the death toll has risen to 16. Efforts to prevent the fire from spreading to the eastern areas are underway, with planes dropping water.
According to U.S. media, on Saturday, planes dropped water and fire retardants on the hills to stop the spread of the Palisades forest fire to the east. Firefighting efforts have intensified, despite gusts of wind blowing at speeds of up to 70 miles per hour.
Authorities are concerned that strong winds in the area could worsen the situation. They reported that in the past 24 hours, the Palisades fire spread to an additional 1,000 acres, destroying more homes.
Regional authorities have declared a public health emergency, and thousands of people from remote areas have had to leave their homes due to smoke.
Earlier, Todd Hopkins, a Cal Fire official, told reporters in a press conference that 11% of the Palisades fire had been brought under control, but it had already burned over 22,000 acres. Hopkins stated that the fire had spread to the Mendocino Canyon neighborhood and was moving toward Brentwood, an upscale area where celebrities reside.
The U.S. Department of Weather warned that Santa Ana winds could worsen the situation. According to forecasts, these winds could reach speeds of 30 miles per hour in Los Angeles and Ventura counties from Saturday night to Sunday morning and again from Monday night to Tuesday morning, with gusts reaching up to 70 miles per hour.
Meteorologist Rose Schoenfeld from the National Weather Service stated that the fire may continue to spread due to severe weather conditions until Wednesday, but the situation is expected to improve by Thursday.
