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LA fires: Search and rescue crew inspect a mobile home park destroyed by the Palisades Fire in Palisades, Calif. is seen, Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

LOS ANGELES – Calm weather greeted firefighters for another day Friday on the lines of the Eaton and Palisades blazes that have killed more than two dozen people and flattened thousands of structures, allowing crews to extend containment lines.

Authorities continue to search the rubble for other possible victims in the remnants of the blaze in the Altadena and Pasadena areas. “Containment continues to grow, and the fire is expected to stay within its current footprint,” Cal Fire reported in a Friday morning update.

Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said Thursday he understands the desire for people to return, especially if their homes are undamaged and habitable, but he expects it to be “at least another week, and that’s an estimate, but I believe it’s going to be longer than that” before most evacuations are lifted.

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Luna also said their search and rescue efforts continue, saying that “… There are areas we are holding because we believe there may be deceased victims there.”

While much of the active fire has been doused, Luna and county Fire Chief Anthony Marrone noted that there is extensive work still going on in the fire zones, including securing utilities to ensure safety, removing hazardous wastes from the area and — most delicately — searching for human remains.

He said the process is “going to take a little while. Please be patient with us.” He added that while he is empathetic to people anxious to return home, he is more empathetic to people waiting to learn about missing loved ones who may have died in the fires.

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Luna also noted that in many of the severe burn areas, “It literally looks like a bomb dropped. There are things everywhere.”

Marrone also estimated that it could be a week or more for many residents to return, saying authorities have to ensure the areas are safe to reoccupy.

“The last thing we want as public safety and the county and city leadership, we don’t want people going back to an area and getting injured,” he said. “We know there’s a lot of conversation about when we can come back, they want a date. We don’t have a date.”

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But some evacuation orders have been lifted in recent days in the Eaton and Palisades Fire burn areas, including more than three dozen neighborhoods on the outskirts of the Palisades Fire on Friday.

According to the National Weather Service, the region will see a “significant cooling trend through the weekend.”

And more importantly for firefighters, humidity levels will rise, alleviating the dry conditions that helped fuel the spread of wildfires over the past week.

Forecasters warned, however, that Santa Ana winds are likely to return early next week, “especially later Monday into Tuesday,” but it was too early to judge how strong that event might be.

As of Friday, the nearly 24,000-acre Palisades Fire was 31 percent contained, and containment of the 14,117-acre Eaton Fire was at 65 percent.

The federal and state governments’ tax revenue reached a total of 86.2 billion euros ($93.54 billion) last month, according to the ministry’s monthly report.

As of Thursday, 27 deaths have been reported in the two fires — 10 in the Palisades Fire and 17 in the Eaton Fire, according to the county Medical Examiner’s Office. That total is up two from Wednesday.

Marrone said residents can visit recovery.lacounty.gov for damage information on individual properties in the burn areas.

The website has maps of the fire areas, with icons placed on properties that have been inspected. It is updated in real time as more properties are surveyed.

Roughly 5,000 structures are believed to have been destroyed or damaged in the Palisades Fire, and at least 7,000 in the Eaton Fire. Those numbers could rise as more inspections are completed.

The county has implemented a curfew that continues to be in effect nightly from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. in the mandatory evacuation areas in the Eaton and Palisades fire zones. Only firefighters, utility workers and law enforcement personnel are allowed in those areas.

Dozens of arrests have been reported in the fire areas for violations including burglary, drug and weapon possession, curfew violations, DUI, vandalism and other offenses.

At least two people were arrested for allegedly impersonating a firefighter, and another for impersonating a police officer toenter the burn area. Luna said two people were arrested Thursday for trying to use phony media credentials to enter the area.

On Monday, AccuWeather experts increased their estimate of total damage and economic loss from the fires to between $250 billion and $275 billion. That’s up from its estimate last week of $135 billion to $150 billion. (With CNS report)

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