Thousands of structures destroyed by Los Angeles wildfires as authorities confirm 10 deaths

WASHINGTON

Thousands of homes have been destroyed by nearly a half-dozen wildfires tearing through Los Angeles communities Thursday evening as the grim death toll was confirmed to have risen to 10.

The remains of two victims of the Palisades Fire were found as authorities continue their search, multiple news outlets quoted the Los Angeles County fire chief as saying. Officials had earlier warned that casualties are expected to rise as investigative teams and cadaver dogs comb through multiple sprawling debris sites across Los Angeles.

All cases are currently pending identification and legal next of kin notification, the County of Los Angeles Department of Medical Examiner said.

A fifth fire known as the Kenneth Fire was first reported at 3.34 p.m. local time (2334GMT) near the border of Los Angeles and Ventura Counties. It has quickly grown to become the third-largest inferno, consuming 960 acres in less than half-a-day.

The Palisades Fire was the first to erupt on Tuesday and has grown to become the largest blaze, burning nearly 20,000 acres so far. The Eaton Fire, which began just hours later, has torn through 13,690 acres in and around the foothill city of Altadena.

The Palisades Fire is now 6% contained after authorities were able to begin carrying out air operations as fierce winds began to die down on Wednesday. The Eaton Fire, however, remains at 0% containment alongside the Kenneth Fire.

Firefighters have made some progress on two smaller fires — the Hurst and Lidia Fires. Those blazes have been brought under 10% and 60% containment respectively.

Officials have confirmed that the Palisades and Eaton fires have damaged or destroyed 9,000 structures so far, according to the Los Angeles Times newspaper. That figure includes homes, businesses, other buildings, and mobile homes.

Financial firm JP Morgan said earlier that the fires have been the costliest in California history as they continued to spread. Economic losses are now estimated to run nearly $50 billion with insured losses expected to potentially exceed $20 billion.

Kenneth Fire probed as arson

Meanwhile, police confirmed that a suspect has been detained in the Woodland Hills area in connection with the Kenneth Fire, which erupted Thursday afternoon in the West Hollywood Hills and has since spread over 800 acres.

The individual was taken into custody about half-an-hour after the fire began, LAPD Senior Lead Officer Charles Dinsel said in an interview with NewsNation. The cause and motive remain unclear.

The Los Angeles Police Department has reportedly launched an arson investigation at the Victory Trailhead, where the fire began, treating the area as a crime scene.