The Albany Gazette - Wind lull offers hope in Los Angeles fires as blame game begins

At least 10 people have died as flames ripped through neighborhoods and razed thousands of homes this week in a disaster that US President Joe Biden likened to a "war scene."

As the scale of the damage to America's second-biggest city came into focus -- one new estimate suggested the bill could hit $150 billion -- Angelenos grappled with the heart-rending ruin.

"I lost everything. My house burned down and I lost everything," Hester Callul, who reached a shelter after fleeing her Altadena home, told AFP.

With fears of looting and crime growing, California Governor Gavin Newsom deployed the National Guard to bolster law enforcement.

A nighttime curfew has been imposed in evacuated areas, and dozens of arrests made.

"This curfew will be strictly enforced," said Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna. "We are not screwing around with this."

The five separate fires have so far burned more than 35,000 acres (14,000 hectares), California's fire agency reported.

"It reminded me of more of a war scene, where you had certain targets that were bombarded," said Biden, as he received a briefing on the fires at the White House.

- 'Devastating' -

A lull in winds enabled much-needed progress in tackling the fires Friday.

The biggest of the blazes has burnt down more than 20,000 acres of the upscale Pacific Palisades and Malibu neighborhoods, where firefighters said they were starting to get the fire under control.

By Friday eight percent of its perimeter was contained -- meaning it can't spread any further in that direction.

"Braveheart" actor Mel Gibson was the latest celebrity to reveal his Malibu home had burnt down, telling NewsNation the loss was "devastating."

The Eaton fire in the Altadena area was three percent checked, with almost 14,000 acres scorched and key infrastructure -- including communication towers -- threatened.

Fire chief Jason Schillinger said Friday that "significant progress" had been made in quelling the blaze.

A third fire that exploded Thursday afternoon near Calabasas and the wealthy Hidden Hills enclave, home to celebrities like Kim Kardashian, was 35 percent surrounded.

But emergency chiefs warned the situation is "still very dangerous" and the reprieve from intense gusts that spread embers will not last.

"The winds have died down today, but... are going to increase again in the coming days," said Deanne Criswell, administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

- 'Need answers' -

Authorities have said it was too early to know the cause of the blazes, but criticism has mounted of officials' preparedness and response.

Newsom ordered on Friday a "full independent review" of the city's water utilities, describing the lack of water supplies and loss of pressure at hydrants during the initial fires as "deeply troubling."

"We need answers to how that happened," he wrote in an open letter.

Los Angeles fire chief Kristin Crowley blamed funding cuts to her department, telling Fox News affiliate KTTV: "We are still understaffed, we're still under-resourced, and we're still underfunded."

Meanwhile, emergency managers apologized Friday after false evacuation alerts were erroneously sent to millions of mobile phones, sparking panic.

"I can't express enough how sorry I am," said Kevin McGowan, the director of the Los Angeles County Office of Emergency Management.

And aviation authorities were investigating who had piloted an illegal drone that struck a water-dropping aircraft, punching a fist-sized hole in the plane and taking it out of action.

- Misinformation -

Biden also took a veiled swipe at incoming president Donald Trump, who has spread misinformation over the flames that has then been amplified on social media.

"You're going to have a lot of demagogues out there trying to take advantage of it," Biden said of the fires.

Wildfires occur naturally, but scientists say human-caused climate change is altering weather and changing the dynamics of the blazes.

Two wet years in southern California have given way to a very dry one, leaving ample fuel on the ground primed to burn.

The fires could be the costliest ever recorded, with AccuWeather estimating total damage and loss between $135 billion and $150 billion.

(D.Sanchez--TAG)