Ravaged area is bracing itself for more gusts

The Los Angeles area braced for more high winds this week that could erode progress in controlling raging wildfires, which have destroyed thousands of homes and businesses and killed at least 16 people.

Officials said they expected the toll from the fires to rise as search teams with cadaver dogs scoured burned-out neighborhoods from the inland hills to the Pacific Coast.

At least 16 people had been reported missing as of Sunday from the areas of the two largest fires — the Eaton fire, in the Altadena and Pasadena area, and the Palisades fire, between Santa Monica and Malibu — Sheriff Robert Luna of Los Angeles County told reporters Sunday.

“I expect or anticipate that the number of missing persons will absolutely go up,” he said. “Hour by the hour, the numbers increase.”

Authorities reported making some headway Sunday in the fight against the fires, which are still burning largely out of control and have devoured a combined area larger than the city limits of San Francisco, Boston or Miami.

The Palisades fire, which has consumed more than 23,700 acres, was 11% contained Sunday, and crews worked to stall its advance into Mandeville Canyon in the Brentwood section of West Los Angeles, officials said.

The fire’s northern edge was the area of biggest concern, from Mandeville Canyon to Monte Nido, a small community about 3 miles north of Malibu, said Robert Clark, a fire behavior analyst at the state firefighting agency, known as Cal Fire.

The Palisades fire was tricky to wrangle, and it was difficult to forecast where the flames would go next, Clark said, because it was burning through a rugged landscape of mountains and canyons, driven by winds that ebb, flow and shift.

“The fire is still in a state of flux and concern, due to our widespread winds that are occurring and forecast to occur over the next several days,” Clark said.

The Eaton fire, which has scorched more than 14,100 acres, has killed at least 11 people, making it one of the deadliest wildfires in California history. It was 27% contained as of Sunday, Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said.

He and other officials warned that gusty desert winds were expected to return in force Monday, bringing another stretch of potentially dangerous fire conditions.

Brian Hurley, a National Weather Service meteorologist, cautioned that while the winds may not be quite as strong as they were last week, their duration could make the fire risk worse, especially in the western Los Angeles basin and at higher mountain elevations.

Gusts up to 60 mph are possible in the mountains, while the Santa Clarita Valley, north of Los Angeles, and parts of Los Angeles and Ventura counties could see gusts of 35 mph to 55 mph.

“I think the biggest thing that people need to know is that this is still dangerous, and they still need to be listening to their local officials to keep themselves safe,” Deanne Criswell, the administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, said on CNN.

Chris Harvey, a Cal Fire spokesperson, said that the winds could ground firefighting planes, which have been vital in beating back the fires. Firefighting flights were briefly suspended last week because of extremely strong winds.

Some hydrants ran dry when the Palisades fire erupted last week, hampering crews during their initial attack. But Marrone said he believed the Los Angeles County water system was ready to supply firefighters who might have to battle any additional fires that erupt.

“We are prepared for the upcoming wind event,” he said.

The fires have ravaged a cross-section of Los Angeles, leveling opulent estates owned by celebrities as well as modest bungalows and mobile homes where middle- and working-class families lived.

At the Pacific Palisades Bowl Mobile Estates on the Pacific Coast Highway, nearly all of the 200 homes were destroyed.

Even those who have not lost property have been affected by smoky, ash-filled skies.

Air quality in Los Angeles has been improving somewhat as more of the fires have been contained, Dr. Anish Mahajan, chief deputy director of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, said Sunday. But smoke advisories remain in effect in areas close to the fires, where residents are encouraged to wear masks when they are outside, he said.