16 missing, 150,000 evacuated, 70,000 without power.
IMAGE: A firefighter works on the Palisades Fire, one of several simultaneous blazes that have ripped across Los Angeles county, in Mandeville Canyon, a neighbourhood of Los Angeles, January 12, 2025. Photograph: Ringo Chiu/Reuters
The devastating and deadly Los Angeles wildfires raging for a week have claimed 24 lives so far and destroyed 12,000 structures.
At least 16 people were missing and the number was expected to rise.
About 150,000 were evacuated and 700 taking refuge in neighbourhoods including Pacific Palisades, Altadena and others, reported Associated Press.
Nearly 70,000 customers were without power across California till Sunday morning, more than half of them in Los Angeles county, according to PowerOutage.us, reported AP.
IMAGE: Firefighters work to clear a firebreak. Photograph: Ringo Chiu/Reuters
The weather forecast warned of dangerous weather with the return of strong winds this week.
AP further reported that the National Weather Service has issued warnings for severe fire conditions through Wednesday, with sustained winds of 80 kilometres per hour and gusts in the mountains reaching 113 kilometres per hour.
The fires which started on January 7 have been largely attributed to strong Santa Anas winds. The fires have brought deadly devastation and destroyed entire neighbourhoods around LA.
IMAGE: Firefighters extinguish a fire. Photograph: Ringo Chiu/Reuters
The fire fighting response includes personnel from California and nine other states. 1,354 fire engines, 84 aircraft and around 14,000 personnel, including fire fighters from Mexico have been pressed into service, reported AP.
Hundreds of female and male prisoners from California's prisons have also been providing assistance to contain the fires, according to the BBC.
IMAGE: Firefighters watch as the Palisades Fire burns. Photograph: Ringo Chiu/Reuters
IMAGE: A utilities worker views damage from the Palisades Fire. Photograph: David Ryder/Reuters
IMAGE: Pedram Salimpour and Stacy Weiss look through the remains of their home, which was destroyed by the Palisades Fire, in the Pacific Palisades neighbourhood in Los Angeles. Photograph: David Ryder/Reuters
IMAGE: Firefighters look for hotspots at a burnt down home due to the Palisades Fire along the Pacific Coast highway in Malibu. Photograph: Daniel Dreifuss/Reuters
IMAGE: Kelly Kirshner looks at the mailbox of the house where she grew up and where her mother used to live after it was destroyed by the Palisades Fire. Photograph: Carlos Barria/Reuters
IMAGE: A plane makes a drop as smoke billows from the Palisades Fire at the Mandeville Canyon. Photograph: Carlos Barria/Reuters
IMAGE: Remains of homes destroyed by the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighbourhood in Los Angeles. Photograph: David Ryder/Reuters
IMAGE: A partially burned US flag flies behind the remains of a vehicle and home destroyed by the Palisades Fire. Photograph: David Ryder/Reuters
IMAGE: A structure with a cross stands next to the remains of a devastated church in Altadena, California. Photograph: Shannon Stapleton/Reuters
IMAGE: Residents affected by the fire in Altadena at a community meeting in Pasadena. Photograph: Carlos Barria
Photographs curated by Manisha Kotian/Rediff.com
Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com
