Eaton Fire Burns 14,117 Acres As Crews Gain Some Ground: 'Warzone'

UPDATE AS OF 8:30 A.M.:

Containment of the Eaton Fire had grown to 27 percent as of Sunday morning, according to authorities. The blaze had resulted in 11 deaths and burned 14,117 acres.

One of the victims was identified as 66-year-old Victor Shaw of Altadena, who died in his residence after suffering from smoke inhalation and thermal injuries, according to the County Medical Examiner's Office. The L.A. County Sheriff's Department announced that family assistance centers were available for people looking for missing loved ones.

An army of firefighters worked overnight clearing more lines of vegetation around the fire while cutting down falling trees that were making it dangerous for firefighters and the public to get around.

Owing to fast-spreading fires, SoCalGas officials said the utility had temporarily shut off natural gas service to 16,700 customers Saturday in the Pasadena, Altadena and Sierra Madre communities. SoCalGas was working with contractors and mutual aid from San Diego Gas and Electric, Northwest Natural, and Pacific Gas and Electric to restore service, the company stated, adding it could take days or even weeks to restore service due to the large number of impacted customers.

ALTADENA, CA — Firefighters achieved 15% containment of the Eaton Fire, which has devastated the community of Altadena. As of Saturday morning, the fire had swelled to 14,117 acres.

CalFire estimates that more than 7,000 structures have been destroyed, and hte death toll from both the Palisades and Eaton fires reached 16, authorities announced Saturday. At least 11 people have died in the Eaton fire, the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department confirmed Saturday.

The previous number of confirmed fatalities was 11, but officials said they expected that figure to rise as cadaver dogs search leveled neighborhoods and crews assess the devastation. Authorities have established a center where people can report the missing.

Firefighters, made progress Friday afternoon on the Eaton Fire north of Pasadena. Officials said most evacuation orders for the Pasadena area had been lifted. California National Guard troops arrived on the streets of Altadena before dawn to help protect property in the fire evacuation zone, and evening curfews were in effect to prevent looting after several earlier arrests.

And while the wind cooperated with firefighting efforts late Friday night, north-to-northeast winds are expected to gradually increase Saturday, peaking in strength Saturday evening. Gusts could reach 25 mph through Sunday, according to the National Weather Service.

A curfew and area-wide evacuation order was still in place for the entirety of Altadena on Saturday, amid dangerous conditions in the aftermath of the fire. Downed power lines, smoldering telephone poles, falling branches, and choking ashes are among the hazards plaguing the area. The unincorporated community has a population of more than 42,000.

On Friday, authorities told residents that Altadena would be closed off until further notice.

"I promise you, we are going to make it a priority for the residents to be able to get back and do an assessment in terms of their property," county Supervisor Kathryn Barger said at a Friday afternoon press conference.

Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Capt. Jabari Williams said that residents will be turned away even if they provide ID because the area is still not safe due to debris in the road, active fires and wires down throughout streets.

Supervisor Barger described the scene on the ground: "It looks like a warzone. I've never seen anything like it."

A Family Assistance Center was opened in Pasadena to help residents whose loved ones are still missing. The center is from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday at the Pasadena Convention Center Visitor’s Bureau. LA Sheriff Robert Luna on Saturday also said residents who have lost their identification or other important identifying paperwork can seek help at the center. The convention center has been serving as a place of refuge for evacuees and a donation center.

On Friday, Prince Harry and his wife Meghan visited the Pasadena Convention Center to help hand out food to evacuees. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who live in the Montecito area, also listed organizations supporting fire victims on their website.

Here's an interactive CalFire map of the evacuations in place for the Eaton Fire.

Survivors return to the wreckage of their homes

On Friday, many residents returned in a state of shock. For some, it was a first look at the stark reality of what was lost as the region of 13 million people grapples with the ominous challenge of overcoming the disaster and rebuilding.

Bridget Berg, who was at work when she watched television coverage of her house in Altadena erupt in flames, came back for the first time with her family two days later “just to make it real.”

Their feet crunched across the broken bits of what had been their home for 16 years.

Her kids sifted through debris on the sidewalk, finding a clay pot and a few keepsakes as they searched for Japanese wood prints they hoped to recover. Her husband pulled his hand out of rubble near the still-standing fireplace, holding up a piece of petrified wood handed down by his grandmother.

“It’s OK. It’s OK,” Berg said as much to herself as others as she took stock of the destruction, remembering the deck and pool from which her family watched fireworks. “It’s not like we just lost our house — everybody lost their house.”

While some residents sifted through rubble for keepsakes, officials urged them not to, warning that the ash can contain lead, arsenic, asbestos and other harmful materials.

“If you’re kicking that stuff up, you’re breathing it in,” said Chris Thomas, a spokesman for the unified incident command at the Palisades Fire. “All of that stuff is toxic.”

Residents will be allowed to return — with protective gear — after damage teams have evaluated their properties, Thomas said.

Evacuation orders lifted

As of 3 p.m. Saturday, evacuation orders for the Eaton Fire were lifted for the following areas:

• The city of Bradbury, and Bradbury estates
• The city of DuarteIn La Canada Flintridge, from Angeles Crest Highway east to Oakwood Avenue, north of Angeles Crest Highway at the curve West to Haskel Street, north of Foothill Boulevard to Knight way and the intersection of Gould Canyon Trail at Crown Avenue, east to Varo Road.

Evacuation orders will change to evacuation warnings for the following areas:

• In La Canada Flintridge, north of Knight way/Gould Canyon Trail and east of Oakwood Avenue/Angeles Crest Highway at the curve, to Gould Mesa Road and Starlight Crest Drive
• NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory

The hunt for bodies continues

Even as the fires spread, the grim work of sifting through the devastation continued Saturday, with teams conducting systematic grid searches with cadaver dogs, said Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna. A family assistance center also was being set up in Pasadena, said Luna, who urged residents to abide by curfews.

“We have people driving up and around trying to get in just to look. Stay away,” he said. “We understand that this is extremely stressful and absolutely challenging, but we appreciate the public’s cooperation as we work together to get through this crisis.”

Here are the open evacuation centers for the Eaton Fire:

• Ritchie Valens Recreation Center – 10736 Laurel Canyon Blvd., Pacoima, CA 91331
• Calvary Community Church - 5495 Via Rocas., Westlake Village, CA 91362
• Pan Pacific Recreational Center – 7600 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90036
• Westwood Recreation Center – 1350 Sepulveda Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90025
• Stoner Recreation Center - 1835 Stoner Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90025
• Pomona Fairplex (Gate 3) – 601 W McKinley Ave, Pomona, CA 91768

City News Service and the Associated Press contributed to this report.