Fires continue burning in Los Angeles as winds die down

Dry, fast-blowing Santa Ana winds were forecasted Thursday to dwindle by the end of the week as cooler weather moved into the Los Angeles area, according to the National Weather Service. However, fire conditions were expected to worsen early next week, while not becoming as severe as last week when multiple large fires ignited around the city.

Meanwhile, firefighters on Thursday continued to battle three fires in Los Angeles County, one other in Ventura County, and another in San Bernardino County. The massive Palisades Fire was only 21% contained as of Thursday morning, while the Eaton Fire was 55% contained. The fires burned more than 63 square miles and destroyed more than 12,300 structures, according to Cal Fire. The fires killed at least 24 people.

Do officials have any ideas about what caused the fires? Officials have generated more than 150 leads from tips submitted to officials, according to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ Los Angeles Field Division. The ATF deployed 15 investigators from around the country to partner with local, state, and federal officials to identify possible causes for the devastating fires. Meanwhile, federal and local law enforcement agencies this week formed a task force to investigate and prosecute fire-related crimes.

Attorneys this week brought a lawsuit against Southern California Edison, claiming poorly maintained power lines and equipment helped spark the Eaton Fire, causing damage or destruction of their client’s property. The public utility disputed the claim and said no fire agency has suggested its equipment contributed to the fire. In a separate filing, more than a dozen people impacted by the Palisades Fire sued the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, alleging inadequate water supply contributed to the fire’s destruction. The city department said the extreme demand to meet the unprecedented fire interrupted water service to some fire hydrants. It is investigating how to improve its operations.

Dig deeper: Read Christina Grube’s report about California communities grieving the fire’s devastation.