by Mick the Ram

The death toll from the devastating wildfires in Los Angeles have doubled to ten known victims, and whilst no official announcement has been made regarding names, a woman has contacted the press to confirm two members of her family have perished.

That figure of 10 is almost certainly going to increase over the coming days and by a great deal, but at present some areas are not accessible and powerful winds are being forecast, which will continue to exacerbate the situation.

There remains five fires still active in the Palisades, Eaton, Kenneth, Hurst and Lidia regions and shocking reports have emerged that a homeless man has been detained on suspicion of arson, although at this stage no firm evidence has been provided.

Another shameful development has been the number of people looking to profit from the desolation by looting undamaged homes that have been evacuated.

The LA Sheriff’s Office announced there had been at least 20 arrests so far in connection with such crimes and the National Guard have been brought in to give added security.

Mel Gibson is the latest movie star to confirm his home has been destroyed as the fires destroy all in their path, despite the best efforts of the fire service who are being aided by up to 800 incarcerated volunteer firefighters helping to stop the spread of the flames.

President Joe Biden has announced that the federal government will cover the full cost of measures to “protect lives and property” in southern California for six months, hopefully the in-coming leader will not overturn that decision in the coming weeks.

Identifying the dead to take weeks

In the latest officially released figures from the Los Angeles Department of Medical Examiner there are so far 10 fire-related deaths, but in their statement they said that identification is expected to take several weeks as their department is not at this stage able to respond to all death locations due to the fire conditions and safety concerns.

They continued to say: “The Department of Medical Examiner understands how important it is to identify those lost in the wildfires and is working diligently, while following safety protocols, to provide the information to the next of kin as soon as reasonably possible.”

Desperately sad loss

Nevertheless, there has been news reported that a wheelchair-bound great-grandfather and his son who had cerebral palsy, died at their home in Altadena on Wednesday 8 January, as the Eaton fire struck his area.

Retired salesman Anthony Mitchell, a 67-year-old amputee, and his bedridden son Justin, who is in his twenties, lost their lives just minutes after telling a family member that they were about to evacuate.

Daughter Hajime White said her father had called her at her home in Arkansas to let her know they would be evacuating their home, but then he suddenly interrupted the conversation and said: “Baby, I’ve gotta go, the fire’s in the yard.”

Several hours later she learned that they didn’t manage to get out, such was the speed of the wildfire.

Still areas unable to be contained

There are currently five fires still burning in the LA area, with the largest remaining to be at Palisades, as it continues to burn through nearly 20,000 acres, destroying more than 5,300 structures.

It has been ablaze since Tuesday 7 January and even now it is only 6% contained. That though is 6% more than in Eaton where the fire spans 14,000 acres and so far the fire service have not been able to contain any of its progress.

Pasadena seems to have escaped the brunt, but neighbouring Altadena, a predominately working class part of LA, has been completely devastated.

Everything gone… including pet cat

Publicist Harlan Boll – who has represented a number of Hollywood stars during his 35-year career – lost his home and beloved pet cat to the Eaton Fire. He fled the suburb “before it was too late” and sure enough his stunning 100-year-old Altadena home was reduced to ashes and rubble.

He rescued some “important items” before leaving, but his pet cat was petrified and ran back into the house: “we couldn’t find him in the dark” he said, before remarking: “many people in the area have lost their entire family histories and were literally left with the shirt off their back.”

Prisoners not seeking to escape

In the Kenneth and Hurst areas there is containment between 35% and 37% and in Lidia where almost 400 acres are affected, officials have managed to bring containment to around 75%.

California’s Department of Corrections have made it known that nearly 800 prisoners are working with Cal-Fire to slow the spread of the wildfires, as part of a voluntary program.

There are some 4,700 first responders deployed, but the additional assistance is most welcome, as the prisoners put to good use their fire training. Over 1,800 incarcerated volunteer firefighters are housed in the training camps, and typically earn little to no pay.

Actor remains positive despite home loss

Actor and director Mel Gibson is the latest huge star to report the loss of his property. His home of over a decade burned to nothing in the time it took for him to record a podcast interview with Joe Rogan.

He later said he returned to find his home “completely toasted”, calling the situation “emotional” and “devastating”, but philosophically added: “my family are happy and healthy and out of harm’s way”.

Arrests made after looting spree

A sickening development over the past couple of nights has been the number of individuals seeking to gain from the devastation, by plundering vacated properties for valuables.

“Taking advantage of evacuated communities is absolutely sick and any form of looting will not be tolerated” said LA Sheriff, Robert Luna. He added that this “unacceptable behaviour” had prompted them to call in the National Guard to “send a stronger message”.

LA Mayor Karen Bass confirmed that there will be “zero tolerance” for anybody who “would dare to enter houses or loot property”.