Los Angeles: Fires continue – child star Rory Sykes dies in the fire

After the flames spread further east and north from the Pacific Palisades district on Saturday, authorities warned on Sunday of new strong winds that could further fan the fires dangerously. The official death toll rose to at least 16.

“The winds will potentially become dangerous and strong again,” warned the head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency Fema, Deanne Criswell, on CNN on Sunday. The US Weather Service predicted that the winds would weaken later on Sunday. But they would then increase again at night.

The flames continued to spread in the upscale Pacific Palisades district and also threatened the famous Getty Center art museum. The flames also moved towards the densely populated San Fernando Valley.

While the Los Angeles County coroner’s office released the new death toll of 16, there were fears that the death toll could continue to rise. Emergency services with sniffer dogs combed the ruins looking for missing people.

Former Australian child star Rory Sykes is among the dead, his mother announced on online networks. Sykes appeared on a British television show in the 1990s.

New official figures documented the full extent of the disaster. The so-called Palisades Fire was only eleven percent contained and had already destroyed 9,500 hectares. The Eaton Fire, which raged in the suburb of Altadena among other places, was considered to be 15 percent under control and consumed around 5,650 hectares.

According to Cal Fire, about 12,000 buildings were destroyed. Annexes, mobile homes and sheds were also included.

However, the German cultural sites Thomas Mann House and Villa Aurora in the Pacific Palisades, which were particularly hard hit, seemed to continue to withstand the flames. According to available findings, both houses were not damaged, but were still in the danger zone, the sponsoring association said. The writers Thomas Mann and Lion Feuchtwanger lived in the houses during their exile.

There was also great fear of looting in the southern California metropolis. To prevent such raids, night curfews were imposed in several neighborhoods. Two people were arrested for violating the curfew near Vice President Kamala Harris’ home in Brentwood. According to media reports, the police had previously received information about break-ins in the area.

A sign warning “Looters will be shot” hung next to the U.S. flag on a house in Pacific Palisades. Police and National Guard set up checkpoints on the edge of the disaster zones to control curfews and ensure security. However, the checkpoints caused frustration among residents who had temporarily fled, who had to wait in line for up to ten hours because of the controls to return to their homes or what was left of them.

More than 150,000 people had to leave their homes in the past few days, including numerous Hollywood stars and other celebrities. The major fires had broken out since Tuesday and had spread explosively due to the strong winds.

The fires also noticeably worsened air quality. The local health authority advised residents to leave their homes as little as possible. Anyone who has to work outdoors should use N95 respirators – which corresponds to the FFP2 standard in Europe. The administrative district had already declared a health emergency on Friday due to increased air pollution.

Meanwhile, who was responsible for the extent of the fires continued to be debated. Future Republican President Donald Trump accused the authorities in Democratic-dominated California of “incompetence.” The authorities simply couldn’t put out the fires, he wrote in his online service Truth Social. “What’s wrong with them?” Trump asked.

California Governor Gavin Newsom rejected Trump’s massive criticism and his “insults”. At the same time, he invited the president-elect to Los Angeles to see the destruction on site. The mayor of Los Angeles, Karen Bass, who has been criticized, assured that all authorities were working together to fight the fire. The local fire chief had previously complained about inadequate funding for her agency.

Meanwhile, Newsom announced a “Marshall Plan” for rebuilding Los Angeles. The “Marshall Plan” was the name of the US program for the economic reconstruction of West Germany after the Second World War. A team is already in place to develop concepts for an “LA 2.0,” Newsom said on NBC.