LA wildfire death toll hits 25 as three arrested on arson suspicion
The death toll in the major wildfires that have been ravaging the Los Angeles area rose to 25 on Tuesday, as police highlighted three “noteworthy” arrests of arson suspects.
Seventeen of the fatalities are related to the Eaton Fire near Pasadena, the city’s medical examiner said on Tuesday, while the other eight are related to the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades district.
Fourteen people were arrested in relation to the Palisades fire, Los Angeles Police Department’s Steve Embrich said at a Tuesday news conference.
“We have three noteworthy arrests throughout the outside of the fire zone, very significant to our efforts,” Mr Embrich said.
The three arson suspects were arrested on Sunday and Monday.
Mr Embrich said that the other suspects have been detained for violating curfews, impersonating a firefighter and police officer, vandalism, and burglary.
“Looting is not just a crime against property, it also takes away any sense of security from evacuated residents and it will not be tolerated,” he said.
Mr Embrich also said that at least 13 people were still considered missing in connection with the Palisades Fire, but they are not presumed dead.
Authorities also reported progress in fighting the blazes.
The Palisades Fire is now 14 per cent contained.
The fire department said on Tuesday afternoon that the flames had hardly spread over the previous few hours. The flames have charred an area of almost 96 square kilometres within a week.
The Eaton Fire was 33 per cent under control. Firefighters warned that the danger was not over yet, as a red flag warning remained in place as strong winds were expected through Wednesday morning.
The winds were not expected to drop significantly until Thursday when temperatures were also expected to cool.
(day/NAN)
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