- Firefighters are bracing for deadly new winds as the LA fires enter their second week.
- The fires have burned more than 40 thousand hectares. One figure puts the damage at up to $275 billion.
- More than 88,000 people were under evacuation orders – and 84,000 under warnings on Tuesday.
Parts of Los Angeles remained engulfed in flames on Tuesday as strong winds continued and officials warned that things were unlikely to improve soon.
And while the fires left misery and destruction in their wake, they could end up causing as much as $275 billion in economic damage and losses, according to a new estimate from AccuWeather.
That would make the Los Angeles wildfires more economically damaging than the 2023 Maui wildfires, which AccuWeather said caused up to $16 billion in damage — and more destructive than 2024’s Hurricane Helene, which caused 225 up to $250 billion in damages, AccuWeather estimates.
Meanwhile, Los Angeles City Fire Chief Kristin Crowley said Tuesday that the area was far from clear: “Life-threatening and destructive and widespread winds are already here,” she said.
The National Weather Service said conditions were ripe for “extreme” fire danger at least Tuesday — and warned of “critical” conditions Wednesday across much of Southern California.
One potentially good news: Winds, which have spread the fires and also made fighting them more challenging, were expected to generally weaken by Wednesday evening.
Counting the devastation after the LA fires
The extent of the devastation caused is already beginning to emerge.
AccuWeather’s estimate calculates more than just damage to buildings and infrastructure — it also includes the expected financial impact of evacuation orders, the long-term cost of rebuilding or relocating for people whose homes were destroyed, projected cleanup and recovery costs, of emergency housing. immediate and long-term health care costs for those who were injured or exposed to unhealthy air quality, as well as lost wages for people whose jobs will have been affected.
Since the fires first broke out on Jan. 7, firefighters have tackled several smaller fires in Los Angeles County, but the three largest — the Palisades, Eaton and Hurst fires — burned a total of 38,629 acres as of the morning of on Tuesday, with limited control.
About 88,000 people were under evacuation orders and another 84,000 are under evacuation warnings as of Tuesday morning, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said.
Luna noted that while evacuation numbers have decreased since Monday, “it’s still very dangerous for the next 24 hours, so we’re keeping a very close eye on it.”
Winds pose ‘extreme fire danger’
Strong winds can spread existing fires and ignite new ones, like the Auto Fire seen here on Jan. 13. Etienne Laurent/AFP via Getty Images
On Tuesday, the National Weather Service in Los Angeles issued “Red Flag Specially Hazardous Situation Warnings” for parts of Ventura and Los Angeles counties as “critical to extremely critical fire weather conditions” persist across the region. until Wednesday.
He said these warnings are only used in “extreme fire weather scenarios”, adding that “this setup is as bad as it gets”.
Strong winds of up to 70 miles per hour are expected to last through at least Tuesday, the NWS said, increasing the risk of “extreme fire behavior.”
Dry, brisk winds over open ground fueled the growth of the Palisades, Eaton and Hurst fires, which continue to burn.
More than 8,500 firefighters have been deployed to battle the fires, which have so far caused at least 24 reported deaths and destroyed more than 12,000 structures, which include homes, buildings, cars and sheds.
Palisades Fire
A mobile home community destroyed by the Palisades fire, seen Jan. 13. Agustin Paullier/AFP via Getty Images
The Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades area north of Santa Monica has burned more than 23,700 acres and was 17% contained as of Tuesday morning, according to Cal Fire.
The cause of the fire, which first started last week, is still under investigation. The area is home to a number of celebrities whose homes were destroyed by the disaster.
The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office has received reports of eight fire-related deaths in the Palisades so far.
Eaton Fire
Homes and cars burned in the Eaton fire in Altadena. Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images
The Eaton Fire, which has ravaged parts of Pasadena and Altadena since starting last week, has now burned more than 14,100 acres, according to Cal Fire. It is 35% contained as of Tuesday morning.
“It’s one thing to see it on television, it’s another thing to see it from the air,” Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said at a news conference Tuesday morning, referring to the devastation she saw across the region during a tour aerial. “The massive, massive destruction is unimaginable until you actually see it.”
The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office has received reports of 16 deaths related to the Eaton fire so far.
Hurst Fire and others
The Hurst Fire burned a hillside above a residential community in Sylmar on January 8. Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
A number of other fires have broken out in the past week as strong winds continue to batter the region.
The Hurst Fire, which started last week in the northern San Fernando Valley, has spread to 799 acres and was 97% contained as of Tuesday morning, Cal Fire said.
The vehicle fire, which broke out Monday night in Ventura, had burned 56 acres, with zero percent containment. The forward progress of the fire was halted and no structures remained threatened, officials with the Ventura County Fire Department said early Tuesday.
After burning over 1,400 combined acres, several other fires are 100% contained, including: the Kenneth Fire near the border of Los Angeles and Ventura counties, the Sunset Fire in the Hollywood Hills, the Lydia Fire near Antelope Valley, and the Woodley Fire south of the San Fernando Valley.
This is a developing story. Please refresh for updates.
