At least 25 dead as LA fires rage on, with more heavy winds expected to fuel blazes

At least 12,300 homes and businesses have been destroyed, with estimated costs of rebuilding at $10 billion

HOUSTON, United States 

At least 25 people are confirmed dead as the Los Angeles wildfires continue to cause massive destruction in the US state of California, and forecasts for more heavy winds are expected to fuel the blazes in the days to come, officials say.

The two raging fires in the Eaton and Palisades areas have charred more than 40,000 acres of land, destroying over 12,300 homes, business, churches and schools.

Firefighters are still working to contain the blazes, but officials are warning that conditions could worsen over the course of the next week, with additional Santa Ana winds expected to cause gusts between 45 and 65 miles per hour (72.4 and 104.6 kilometers per hour).

While forecasters said the winds have peaked for most of the Los Angeles area, more gusts will have the potential to fuel the flames.

“Good news: We are expecting a much-needed break from the fire weather concerns to close this week,” the National Weather Service-Los Angeles says on X.

But it continued: “Bad News: Next week is a concern. While confident that we will NOT see a repeat of last week, dangerous fire weather conditions are expected.”

The causes of both fires remain unknown, but investigators continue to comb through the devastation for the root of the blazes and have not ruled out the possibility of arson.

The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection says it is also investigating whether electrical transmission lines could have sparked the Eaton Fire, which killed 16 people. As of Tuesday night, Eaton was 45% contained and the Palisades Fire was 21% contained.

Preliminary damage estimates from the wildfires were estimated in the tens of billions of dollars, according to President Joe Biden, with some estimates ranging as high as $50 billion.

“They’re relatively serious assessments, because you look at the fair market value of particular assets, but no one has that answer yet, period, full stop,” said California Gov. Gavin Newsom in an interview with NBC News. “Tens of billions. President Biden’s right, that’s the estimate.”

“This will be, if not the most costly, among the most costly disasters in US history, the scale and scope of the structures, 12-plus thousand between the two major fires,” he added.

Newsom said he has already asked the federal government for an initial $2.5 billion in startup relief funds for cleanup and rebuilding and told NBC News that he had a meeting with insurance company executives to make sure that the claims process is expedited and handled fairly for fire victims.

“I just met with 40-plus leaders in the insurance industry, CEOs and presidents, we just had a ‘Come to Jesus’ (meeting) on making sure it’s a transparent process, a responsible process,” said Newsom. “We’re going to hold folks accountable to actually getting checks in people’s hands.”

Tech giants Google and YouTube announced a combined $15 million in donations for relief and rebuilding efforts in the wake of the wildfires.

“Los Angeles is the heart of entertainment and storytelling and has an impact on culture all over the world. It’s also where many YouTube creators, artists, partners and our employees call home,” said YouTube CEO Neal Mohan in a statement.

“Like so many, we’ve been heartbroken by the devastation from the wildfires and want to do our part to support the community as it rebuilds,” he continued.

Disney has also pledged $15 million in assistance, in addition to opening up its wardrobe warehouse to employees and their families who lost their homes in the wildfires.

“We really want to emphasize to the families: ‘If you come here, we’ve already organized everything for you. It’s all on display on the racks. You can find what you need’,” said Heidi Chong, vice president of production shared services for Disney Entertainment Television, in a statement. “There are no limits to the amounts that people are getting; it’s really about what they need.”

Hollywood celebrities are also contributing to the recovery efforts. Actors Leonardo DiCaprio, Eva Longoria and Jamie Lee Curtis have all announced donations of $1 million each. Singer Beyonce’s BeyGood Foundation made a donation of $2.5 million.