Los Angeles officials on Thursday told most residents evacuated from wildfire-ravaged areas to stay away from their homes for at least another week.
Officials asked evacuees to be patient and said it was still too dangerous to return home as emergency responders searched burned areas.
“Properties have been damaged beyond belief,” Los Angeles County Public Works Director Mark Pestrella said in a briefing. “They are filled with sediment, debris, silt and hazardous materials.”
More than a week after fires ravaged the Los Angeles area, at least 25 people have died in the blaze.
How much of the Los Angeles fires have been contained?
Smaller fires in Southern California have been completely or mostly contained, but two larger fires are still burning.
The Palisades fire on the western edge of Los Angeles was 22% contained, while the Eaton fire was 55% contained, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
The two fires combined have burned an area of 59 square miles (153 square kilometers) – an area larger than Paris.
More than 80,000 people are still under evacuation orders, with another 90,400 warned of evacuation. Many evacuees wished to return home to assess property damage and retrieve any personal items that may have survived the fire.
Economic loss of Los Angeles fire
The wildfire has destroyed at least 12,000 buildings – many of which are homes.
The government has not released damage estimates, but private companies estimate losses could reach tens of billions of dollars.
The ongoing fire is likely to become the costliest fire disaster in American history.
ESS/SMS (AP, Reuters)