2 dead, multiple 'significant injuries' in LA wildfires

Two people are dead and several other individuals have suffered from “significant injuries” due to the Eaton Fire spreading in Los Angeles County, according to authorities.

L.A. County Fire Chief Anthony C. Marrone confirmed Wednesday that there are two fatalities from the fire in Altadena and Angeles National Forest. The wildfire has been able to spread with Santa Ana winds, prompting evacuations and causing power outages.

Marrone added that the Eaton Fire, one of four in Southern California, has burned over 2,200 acres with no containment, adding that over 100 structures there have been destroyed.

An investigation is underway to determine the cause of the fire to which over 500 personnel are assigned.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass (D) declared a local state of emergency in Los Angeles on Tuesday. She has received criticism for being on a trip to Ghana as part of a U.S. delegation while the city has suffered from wildfires, forcing tens of thousands of residents to evacuate.

Apart from the Eaton Fire, there are four more in the region: the Palisades Fire, Hurst Fire, Tyler Fire and Woodley Fire. The fires have destroyed homes, disrupted travel and caused power outages. President Biden said he has been “frequently briefed” on the matter.

Marrone said the Palisades Fire has burned over 5,000 acres and is getting bigger with zero percent containment. He estimated that some 1,000 structures were destroyed. He said during the briefing that, for now, there are no reported deaths, but a high count of “significant injuries to residents who did not evacuate.”

The Los Angeles County Fire has asked for mutual aid from neighboring counties while additional first responders are making their way to California from Washington, Oregon and Nevada, according to Marrone.

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