Calmer winds help Los Angeles firefighters as death toll hits 10

A pause in the fierce winds that super-charged the ring of wildfires that devastated Los Angeles this week helped crews make progress in bringing the infernos under control on Friday but strong gusts could return over the weekend, forecasters said.

The fires, which have devastated Los Angeles neighbourhoods on the east and west sides of the city, have so far killed 10 people and destroyed nearly 10,000 structures, with those figures expected to grow.

"It looks like an atomic bomb dropped in these areas. I don't expect good news, and we're not looking forward to those numbers," Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said at a press conference late on Thursday, referring to Pacific Palisades in the west and Altadena in the east.

Wind conditions in the Los Angeles area will improve Friday through the weekend to about 20 mph with gusts between 35 mph to 50 mph, according to the National Weather Service, a far cry from days ago when wind gusts blasted at upwards of 80 mph.

"It's not as gusty so that should help firefighters, hopefully," NWS meteorologist Allison Santorelli said, adding that conditions were still critical with low humidity and dry vegetation.

Even as red flag wind conditions were expected until Friday afternoon, any periods of easing would allow crucial support from the air for firefighters on the ground for aircraft could drop water and fire retardant on the flaming hills.

Farther south in San Diego, winds will pick up, with sustained winds of 40 mph and gusts up to 70 mph, creating dangerous fire conditions there over the weekend, she added.

The Palisades Fire and the Eaton Fire already rank as the most destructive in Los Angeles history, consuming more than 34,000 acres (13,750 hectares) - some 53 square miles or 2 1/2 times the land area of Manhattan - and turning entire neighbourhoods to ash.

The Palisades Fire is now 6% controlled, while the Eaton Fire still blazed out of control, according to California's Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

Some Pacific Palisades residents ventured back to areas where the fire had already swept through. Brick chimneys loomed over charred waste and burnt-out vehicles.

"I can't describe it," the 44-year-old psychiatrist Kelly Foster said as she combed through the ashy rubble where her home once stood with her children while smoke rose from neighbouring homes and planes dropped water nearby. "I have no words."

One rapidly growing blaze that broke out on Thursday near Calabasas, a wealthy enclave home to numerous celebrities and gated communities, was 35% under control by early Friday, fire officials said. The so-called Kenneth Fire had expanded to 960 acres (388 hectares) in a matter of hours.

U.S. media outlets said the Los Angeles Police Department was investigating the Kenneth Fire as a possible case of arson and had taken a suspect into custody. An LAPD spokeswoman confirmed that an arson suspect was being held but would not comment on which fire was involved.

Smaller fires were also putting pressure on overstretched firefighting resources. The Hurst Fire was 37% contained, while the Lidia Fire was 75% contained.

Firefighting crews managed to bring the Sunset Fire in atop the Hollywood Hills fully under control on Thursday after flames had engulfed a ridge overlooking Hollywood Boulevard's Walk of Fame on Wednesday night.

Officials said the Eaton Fire had damaged or destroyed 4,000 to 5,000 structures while the Palisades Fire destroyed or damaged another 5,300 structures, including many homes of movie stars and celebrities.

In Altadena, a racially and economically diverse community near Pasadena, many residents said they were concerned government resources would be channelled toward wealthier areas and insurance companies might short-change less affluent households who lacked the means to contest fire claims.

"They're not going to give you the value of your house ... if they do you really have to fight for it," said Kay Young, 63, as she tearfully looked over the smoking rubble of a house that she said had been in her family for generations.

Officials said they were establishing curfews for areas affected by mandatory evacuation orders to prevent looting and had requested California National Guard support to help local law enforcement with traffic control and infrastructure protection.

About 20 people have been arrested for looting so far, according to the LA County Sheriff's Department.

The catastrophic losses are already weighing on insurers, which are bracing for billions of dollars in potential claims.

Private forecaster AccuWeather estimated the damage and economic loss at $135 billion to $150 billion, portending an arduous recovery and soaring homeowners' insurance costs.

President Joe Biden, who will hold a briefing on the fire response later on Friday, has declared the fires a major disaster and said the federal government would reimburse 100% of the recovery for the next six months.

The Democratic president handed over the government on Jan. 20 to his successor Republican Donald Trump, who along with his allies has sought to blame Democratic state and local officials as well as environmentalists for the deadly disaster.

This week's fast-moving blazes swept across Southern California at a time when the region has not seen any significant rainfall for months and were fanned by unrelenting Santa Ana winds.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and fire officials have said water hydrants in the urban area were not designed to deal with such a massive, unprecedented wildfire.