By Kolawole Ojebisi
A raging wildfire sweeping through communities across Los Angeles County has left both human and infrastructural destruction in its wake.
This is as over 2,000 homes, businesses and other buildings have been damaged or destroyed, and at least five people confirmed dead.
The five bodies were discovered in three structures in Altadena, where the Eaton fire erupted Tuesday night, leaving residents with little time to escape.
County Fire Department estimates that over 1,000 structures have been destroyed in the Palisades fire, with another 1,000 either damaged or destroyed in the Eaton fire.
Firefighting resources faced additional strain when the Sunset fire ignited in the Hollywood Hills area around 5:45 p.m. Wednesday, prompting evacuations in the Runyon Canyon area.
As of Wednesday afternoon, the Palisades fire had charred more than 15,800 acres, reaching the Pacific Coast Highway and consuming multimillion-dollar homes along this iconic route.
L.A. County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone reported that, while there were no fatalities in the Palisades fire, many residents who did not evacuate sustained significant injuries, as did first responders on the fire line.
The Eaton fire, which broke out Tuesday night, had burned 10,600 acres near Altadena and Pasadena by Wednesday evening, exacerbated by wind gusts reaching up to 99 mph, according to Angeles National Forest staff on X.
The causes of death for the five individuals found in the Eaton fire remain undetermined. Marrone noted during a Wednesday evening news conference that the agency has requested K-9s trained in human remains detection to ensure no other victims are unaccounted for.
Meanwhile, the Hurst fire quickly spread amid high winds overnight in Sylmar, burning approximately 700 acres by Wednesday evening.
The causes of all the fires are currently under investigation, and none are contained as of now.
“What we saw here in the last 24 hours is unprecedented,” LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell stated Wednesday afternoon. “I’ve never seen anything like this.”
On Wednesday, roughly 2,500 firefighters battled the Eaton and Palisades blazes, facing challenging conditions fueled by extreme winds, parched brush, and low humidity. As these large fires continued, crews across the region worked to contain smaller blazes that erupted in Fontana, Sun Valley, and Brentwood.
L.A. County Sheriff Robert Luna reported that 70,000 residents were under evacuation orders or warnings in the Eaton fire area, while 60,000 residents faced similar notices in the Palisades fire region. Three individuals have been arrested on suspicion of looting in the evacuation zones.
