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PACIFIC PALISADES (CNS) – Containment of the deadly Palisades Fire inched upward to 77% Friday ahead of a visit to the scene by President Donald Trump, while an extended period of critical red flag fire conditions finally came to an end.
Much of the Los Angeles area was under a red flag warning of critical fire danger since Monday, but the warning was finally allowed to expire at 10 a.m. Friday as a cooler weather pattern moved in, promising rain by Saturday or Sunday.
The Palisades Fire has scorched 23,448 acres and killed at least 11 people since erupting Jan. 7. As of Friday, 6,809 structures have been destroyed by the blaze, and another 972 damaged. One firefighter was injured, along with three civilians, according to fire officials.
More evacuation orders were lifted Thursday, in and around the Tuna Canyon area. On Wednesday, evacuations were lifted on the western end of the fire area. Only residents were being admitted to the previously evacuated areas. Residents being allowed back to their homes were asked to check in at a staging area at the Malibu Pier to receive instructions from fire personnel.
County public health officials are distributing personal protective equipment to residents returning to their homes.
A curfew continues to be in effect nightly from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. in the mandatory evacuation areas in the Palisades and Eaton fire zones. Only firefighters, utility workers and law enforcement personnel are allowed in those areas.
The sheriff’s department and other law enforcement agencies have reported dozens of arrests for alleged looting, burglaries and curfew violations since the fires in Palisades and Altadena broke out on Jan. 7.
The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power reported that as of Thursday morning, there were about 8,410 customers remaining without power in the Pacific Palisades area, mainly in areas where workers cannot safely access homes or in areas where it is unsafe to re-energize power lines. Customers with questions about the status of their service can call 800-342-5397.
Southern California Gas Co. had shut off service to about 13,600 customers in the Palisades Fire area for safety reasons, but the utility reported Thursday that it has restored service for 4,925 of those customers.
The Gas Co. has representatives available from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the FEMA Disaster Recovery Center at UCLA Research Park West, 10850 W Pico Blvd., to provide information for customers.
Los Angeles County officials said its damage assessments can be viewed at recocery.lacounty.gov/palisades-fire. They will be updated daily in real time.
President Donald Trump, who spoke about the Los Angeles fires during his inaugural address Monday, will visit the Palisades area Friday afternoon, touring a neighborhood with representatives of the Los Angeles Fire Department and three area residents. He will then take part in a fire briefing with Mayor Karen Bass, county Supervisor Kathryn Barger and more than a half-dozen local congressional representatives.
The number of personnel committed to the firefighting effort was at 2,420 as of Friday morning, according to Cal Fire.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
The Palisades Fire erupted around 10:30 a.m. Jan. 7 in the area of Piedra Morada and Monte Hermoso drives as the area was under a red flag warning for critical fire danger due to a historic wind event that saw gusts of 80 mph. It continued to grow exponentially Jan. 7 and Jan. 8, driven by heavy fuel loads and powerful Santa Ana winds.
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