Search for bodies as LA firefighters brace for more wind

Nevin Al Sukari - Sana'a - LOS ANGELES, United States, Jan 14 — Search teams moved from house to house Monday looking for people killed in devastating Los Angeles blazes, as firefighters girded for hurricane-force winds that could spark further flare-ups.

With the disaster in America’s second biggest city in its seventh day, 24 people are known to have died, with the toll expected to rise, and more than 90,000 people are still displaced.

But the first glimmers of normal life began to re-emerge.

Schools — shuttered since roaring winds spread flames through whole communities — re-opened, while the beloved Los Angeles Lakers basketball team was set to play again.

However, with strong Santa Ana winds returning, officials in southern California were bracing for new problems.

Forecasters say “extremely critical fire weather conditions” were developing in the region, and would last until Wednesday, with winds already gusting to 75 miles (120 kilometers) per hour in parts of Los Angeles and Ventura counties.

“Not only will these extreme and dangerous conditions make fighting ongoing fires much more difficult, but these will make new ignitions much more likely,” the National Weather Service said.

Children

The renewed danger was doing little to soothe frayed nerves, with parents struggling to make sense of the disaster for their children.

Zahrah Mihms, whose Altadena neighborhood was levelled, said she hoped to minimise the trauma for four-year-old Ethan.

“I’m trying to take this moment out of his mind, and just be like, ‘It’s all good. Our house got a little owie, we are gonna fix it. It’s gonna be fine,’” she said, still wearing the slippers in which she fled last week’s blaze.

There was some good news for youngsters as hundreds of thousands of children went back to school.

“Conditions have improved for a majority of areas across the Los Angeles region and the District is confident it is safe for students and employees to return to campuses,” the LA Unified School District wrote.

Damaged schools and those in evacuation areas would remain closed, a statement said.

Dozens of people have been arrested in evacuation zones, where an overnight curfew is in place to prevent looting.

Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan Hochman said Monday he would be announcing the first charges against those arrested.

“I am working with over 750 Deputy District Attorneys and the entire law enforcement community to bring these people — who are despicable and disgraceful — to justice,” he said.

US President-elect Donald Trump, who takes office in a week, was quick to politicize the disaster, taking to social media to criticize California’s “incompetent” politicians.

State Governor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, urged him to come witness the damage in person.

Meanwhile teams with cadaver dogs were going plot to plot in ruined areas searching for victims.

“It is a very grim task, and we unfortunately, every day we’re doing this, we’re running across the remains of individual community members,” County Sheriff Robert Luna said.

“That is not easy work, he said, adding: “I believe we’ll continue to find remains.”

The Palisades Fire has consumed almost 24,000 acres (9,700 hectares) and was 14 percent contained, with limited fire activity at its boundaries.

The Eaton Fire stood at 14,000 acres and one third containment.

More than 12,000 structures lie in ruins, a figure that includes homes, outbuildings and some vehicles.

In the ravaged city of Altadena, new aerial footage revealed the extent of the damage. Helicopter cameras showed an enormous area blackened by the blaze.

Fresh resources

A huge firefighting effort was concentrating on mopping up hotspots, with fire chief Kristin Crowley telling reporters strike teams were ready for the wind, which is expected to worsen on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Operations were bolstered by teams from across the western United States and from neighboring countries.

Mexican firefighter Benigno Hernandez Cerino said he and his countrymen were honored to help.

“Our mission is to support our brothers and sisters in Los Angeles, and to do the best possible job to help them prevent fires,” he told AFP.

Fire investigation experts combed the wreckage looking for clues to what caused the blazes, with residents desperate for answers and social media overflowing with unsubstantiated videos showing everything from hikers to power lines seemingly at fault.

While wildfires can be deliberately ignited, they are often natural and a vital part of an environment’s life cycle.

But urban sprawl puts people more frequently in harm’s way, and the changing climate — supercharged by humanity’s unchecked use of fossil fuels — is exacerbating the conditions that give rise to destructive blazes. — AFP