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Fires in Los Angeles. The death toll has increased. “Wind threatens to spread fires to a new scale”

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The death toll from the fires raging in Los Angeles County has increased to 16, local medical services reported. The fight against the element is made more difficult by the rising wind. Losses are initially estimated at over $100 billion.

According to Los Angeles County medical services, the bodies of 11 people were found in the zone devastated by the “Eaton Fire” near the city of Altadena, and another five people died in the fire in the Pacific Palisades district. Previously, county authorities reported 13 deaths and 13 missing.

Search teams are combing through the ashes. They have dogs trained to search for dead bodies at their disposal.

Evacuation and warnings

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So far, approximately 153,000 people have been ordered to evacuate, and 166,000 people have been warned about possible evacuation.

Fighting a fire in Los AngelesPAP/EPA/ALLISON DINNER

County Sheriff Robert Luna said police arrested 22 people suspected of looting and violating curfew restrictions.

Initial assessments by the fire brigade show that over 12,000 buildings were destroyed. The fires covered an area of ​​145 square kilometers, the Lost Angeles Times reported.

READ ALSO: They received an alert before noon. Four hours later, their house was gone

Even though powerful forces in the form of firefighters and equipment were mobilized to fight the element, the fires persisted and forced the issuance of further evacuation orders, this time in the eastern part of Pacific Palisades. There is, among others, the famous Getty Center museum, built partly of stone, housing 125,000 works of art.

The wind is expected to pick up again

The winds fanning the flames, which had weakened slightly on Friday, are expected to intensify again on Saturday evening, local time, according to forecasts from the federal Emergency Response Agency (FEMA).

“These winds, combined with dry air and dried vegetation, threaten to expand the county's wildfires to new levels,” Los Angeles Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said.

The authorities have not yet provided estimates of the amount of damage, but private companies believe it will amount to more than $100 billion.

Main photo source: PAP/EPA/ALLISON DINNER



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