Firefighters make progress containing California fires

WASHINGTON: Firefighters are progressing in containing the blazes that have levelled complete neighborhoods in the U.S. city of Los Angeles.

As of Saturday morning, the Palisades Fire was 43% contained, up from 31% on Friday, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, known as Cal Fire. That fire has burned through nearly 10,000 hectares of land.

Meanwhile, the Eaton Fire was 73% contained by Saturday morning, up from 65% on Friday, according to Cal Fire. The Eaton Fire has burned through more than 5,700 hectares of land.

Those two fires have killed at least 27 people and destroyed more than 12,300 structures. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said Thursday that 18 people are still missing after the fires.

The cause of the Palisades Fire is still under investigation. The department has not yet filed an incident report.

The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power’s potential liability for the Palisades Fire will depend on whether the utility’s power lines or assets were involved in sparking the wildfire, according to a Friday report by the credit rating agency Moody’s.

But Moody’s said the utility’s distribution lines and other infrastructure will likely not substantially impact its finances and credits because much of the department’s power infrastructure in the fire area was underground, shielding it from damage.

Calmed winds mean some residents have been allowed back into neighborhoods affected by the Eaton and Palisades fires.

Although winds have calmed down in the area over the past few days, the National Weather Service said dangerous conditions are expected to return next week. The strongest winds are predicted Tuesday night.

In the wake of the fires that have destroyed so many homes, some residents are now struggling to find affordable places to live as rent surges and the status of insurance settlements remains uncertain.