California fires live updates: Death toll hits 7 as new Kenneth blaze threatens Calabasas; arson suspect arrested
Death toll continues to climb as more than 7,500 firefighting personnel are deployed across California, with two of the most ferocious fires at zero percent containment
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Your support makes all the difference.At least seven people have been killed and countless others injured as fast-moving wildfires continued to tear across the outskirts of Los Angeles, leaving thousands of firefighters battling desperately to extinguish the blaze.
Officials said Thursday that while progress had been made on the Sunset, Woodley, Hurst and Sunswept Fires, more “extreme fire behavior” and wind gusts up to 60 mph are continuing to challenge firefighting efforts.
Los Angeles Sheriff Robert Luna said fire-ravaged neighborhoods in west L.A. “look like a bomb was dropped in them.”
Police announced that an arson suspect was arrested early evening Thursday allegedly attempting to light a fire in Woodland Hills near the area’s newest blaze, the Kenneth Fire. Neighborhood residents reportedly held the man down until police arrived.
The Palisades Fire, one of the most destructive natural disasters the city has seen, is at a mere 6 percent containment. The fire has burned at least 19,978 acres, while the Altadena and Pasadena-based Eaton fire has scorched some 13,690 acres.
The new Kenneth Fire broke out north of the Palisades fire on Thursday afternoon, threatening homes near Calabasas and Hidden Hills. The blaze is believed to have been started intentionally, and a suspect is in custody, per the LAPD.
The causes of all of the wildfires are under active investigation, but thousands of buildings and businesses have been destroyed.
Numerous California customers remained without power on Thursday, with roughly 115,895 outages in Los Angeles County and another 32,725 or so in neighboring San Bernadino County, according to tracker PowerOutage.us.
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Eaton Fire picking up near Mount Wilson
The Eaton Fire has reached the top of nearby Mount Wilson, threatening television transmitters on the peak in the San Gabriel Mountains, Carlos Herrera, a public information officer for Los Angeles County, told CNN.
“This was something we hadn’t anticipated that might be a potential,” he said, adding, “It just kind of picked up. We are attacking it via aerial support.”
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