Cause of raging Los Angeles wildfires still undetermined as Mayor Karen Bass defends her leadership
Los Angeles officials say multiple wildfires remain uncontained across the city and urged residents to comply with ongoing evacuation orders on Thursday.
Mayor Karen Bass delivered the message alongside police and firefighting leaders at a press conference on Thursday. Police said they have already arrested 20 people for looting and burglary in evacuation areas, and more arrests are expected.
"This is absolutely an unprecedented historic firestorm," Bass said. "But we are all hands on deck. We need to continue to cooperate. We need to evacuate when asked to do so. We need to help others, help our neighbors. And first and foremost, we need to stay united."
The mayor faced sharp questions from reporters following the briefing, with inquiries highlighting that she was out of the country when the fires began.
PALISADES FIRE: HEIDI MONTAG, SPENCER PRATT LOSE HOME; CELEBRITIES FLEE RITZY NEIGHBORHOOD
"Do you think your leadership was effective in responding to this disaster?" a reporter asked.
Bass argued her focus was on saving lives, but said there would be time to investigate how Los Angeles was prepared for the crisis at a later date.
Bass also responded to criticism of her slashing the fire department’s budget last year, saying "there were no reductions that were made that would have impacted the situation that we were dealing with over the last couple of days."
From the 2023-2024 to the 2024-2025 budgets, the LAFD’s budget was reduced by over $17 million from $837,191,237 to $819,637,423.
Bass had proposed a larger budget cut to the LAFD, about $23 million, but it was not adopted.
Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone announced that the wildfires in Eaton and the Palisades are 0% contained. The Eaton fire has spread to 10,600 acres, and the Palisades has reached 17,234 acres.
Another wildfire in Lidia has been 40% contained, Marrone said. That blaze was limited to just 348 acres. Firefighters have successfully stopped the forward progress of the fire in the Hollywood Hills and Sunset, officials said.
Meanwhile, the Hurst fire remains 0% contained, according to Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristin Crowley. She noted that firefighters have successfully kept the blaze within a pre-planned containment area, however, and they are shoring up the perimeter lines.
Authorities say they have deployed arson investigators to the Palisades to determine the origin of the blaze that consumed thousands of structures in the neighborhood.
"The cause of the fire remains unknown and it continues to be under active investigation," Marrone said.
As of Thursday afternoon, roughly 180,000 people have been evacuated from their homes, and 200,000 more are under evacuation warnings.
Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell also noted that he was "not satisfied" with the current reporting on fatalities from the firestorms. The current official tally sits at five deaths, and McDonnell says he expects that number to rise.
Bass also noted that aircraft are once again able to join the firefighting efforts Thursday. High winds had prevented planes and helicopters from operating over the blazes on Wednesday.