Death Toll Rises To 16 As Palisades And Eaton Fires Continue To Burn

UPDATE AS OF 9:40 A.M.:

The combined death toll from the Palisades and Eaton fires rose to 16 Saturday, according to the Los Angeles County coroner's office. At least 16 people were also missing, and authorities said that number was expected to rise.

Five of the deaths were attributed to the Palisades Fire and 11 resulted from the Eaton Fire, the coroner’s office said in a statement Saturday evening.

The previous number of confirmed fatalities before Saturday was 11, but officials said they expected that figure to increase as teams with cadaver dogs conduct systematic grid searches in leveled neighborhoods. Authorities have established a center where people can report the missing.

Twelve people were missing within the Eaton Fire zone and four from the Palisades Fire, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said Sunday morning.

As of Sunday morning, the Palisades Fire was at 11 percent containment and had reached 23,707 acres and the Eaton Fire was at 15 percent containment and had reached 14,117, according to Cal Fire.

LOS ANGELES, CA — While thousands of firefighters had gained some containment over the two largest fires ripping through Los Angeles by Saturday morning, swaths more residents fell under evacuation orders and warnings overnight as the Palisades Fire flared up.

SEE A LIVE MAP OF EVACUATIONS IN LOS ANGELES

Eleven people have been confirmed dead in the Palisades and Eaton fires combined. The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department has received 13 missing persons reports related to the fires, though some of those might overlap with the fatalities. The fires have burned more than 12,000 structures, a term that includes homes, businesses and vehicles.

While the winds were calm enough for firefighters to gain some ground late Friday night, north-to-northeast winds are expected to gradually increase Saturday, peaking in strength Saturday evening into the overnight hours.

The Palisades Fire has scorched 22,660 acres with 11% containment, while the Eaton Fire has burned 14,117 acres with 15% containment, according to the latest report from CalFire.

Since the fires broke out on Tuesday, some 13 million people across the Los Angeles region have anxiously awaited the fate of their communities.

As the Palisades fire closed in on the 405 freeway on Saturday morning, residents were on edge waiting to see if the fire would reach Encino or Brentwood or jump the freeway into Bel Air. Evacuations in parts of Brentwood, Tarzana and Encino have been issued as the fire spread both east and north, NBC4 reported. The West LA VA Medical Center also evacuated its facility, the station also reported.

County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath said the LA area "had another night of unimaginable terror and heartbreak, and even more Angelenos evacuated due to the northeast expansion of the Palisades Fire."

Meanwhile, the entirety of Altadena remains closed off to the public amid dangerous conditions. And a strictly enforced curfew from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. was being enforced in all mandatory evacuation zones.

What to know as of 1 p.m.:

• The Palisades Fire has reached Mandeville Canyon, home to Arnold Schwarzenegger and other celebrities not far from the Pacific coast.
• New shelters have opened in Van Nuys and Canoga Park for those displaced. (See list of shelters below).
• Parts of Encino, Tarzana and Brentwood have been evacuated as Palisades Fire marches toward those communities.
• UCLA Housing sent an email urging students to stay vigilant and ready to evacuate due to the nearby Palisades fire.
• Ocean waters from Surfrider Beach to Dockweiler State Beach should be avoided due to contamination caused by the fires, authorities said Saturday morning.
• Water is being drawn from the Encino Reservoir to stop the Palisades blaze from spreading.
• A local health emergency has been declared in LA amid traveling ash, smoke and soot which has hampered air quality.
• Attorney General Rob Bonta issued a warning to business owners and landlords against price gouging on Saturday morning. "It is illegal. You cannot do it," he said, warning that perpetrators would be arrested, prosecuted, spend up to a year in jail and/or pay a $10,000 fine. Those who witness or experience price gouging — from gas stations to rental units — should report it here.
• An insurance workshop will be held at 10 a.m. on Jan. 25 and 26 at Pasadena City College. Schedule an appointment by calling 1-800-927-4357.
• Here's where evacuees can pick up their mail, as reported by NBC4.

As of 1 p.m., here's the latest on fires burning:

• Palisades: 22,660 acres burned, 11% containment. Evacuations in place. READ LATEST.
• Eaton: 14,117 acres burned, 15% containment. Evacuations in place. READ LATEST.
• Kenneth: 1,052 acres burned, 80% containment.
• Hurst: 799 acres burned, 76% containment.

Officials Face Critical Questions As Fires Level Whole Neighborhoods

Authorities and political figures, particularly LA Mayor Karen Bass, are increasingly being questioned and receiving criticism for the general response to the multiple fires that decimated swaths of the county.

At a news conference on Saturday morning, Sheriff Robert Luna acknowledged and welcomed tough questions from reporters but defended first responders. He characterized the crisis as an anomaly.

"We weren't dealing with two fires. We were dealing with multiple incidents all around our county. And I gotta tell you, from a first responder perspective, we're still answering 911 calls. We are still responding to people who are asking for help throughout the entire county of Los Angeles," he said.

LAFD Fire Chief Anthony Marrone echoed that sentiment at the same meeting.

"It wasn't for a lack of preparation and decision-making that resulted in this catastrophe, it was a natural disaster," Marrone said.

Allegations of leadership failures and political blame have begun and so have investigations. Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday ordered state officials to determine why a 117 million-gallon reservoir was out of service and some hydrants had run dry. Meanwhile, Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristin Crowley said city leadership failed her department by not providing enough money for firefighting. She also criticized the lack of water.

“When a firefighter comes up to a hydrant, we expect there’s going to be water,” she said.

Here is a list of evacuation centers for those displaced in the LA fires:

• Calvary Community Church, 5495 Via Rocas, Westlake Village, CA 91362
• Ritchie Valens Recreation Center – 10736 Laurel Canyon Blvd., Pacoima, CA 91331
• Pan Pacific Recreational Center – 7600 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90036
• Westwood Recreation Center – 1350 Sepulveda Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90025
• Pasadena Civic Auditorium – 300 East Green Street, Pasadena, CA 91101
• Pomona Fairplex (Gate 3) – 1101 W McKinley Ave, Pomona, CA 91768
• Stoner Recreation Center – 1835 Stoner Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90025
• Lanark Recreation Center – 21816 Lanark Street, Canoga Park, CA 91304
• Van Nuys-Sherman Oaks Rec Center – 14201 Houston St, Sherman Oaks, CA 91423

The Associated Press contributed to this report.