Tens of thousands of people displaced by massive fires ravaging Los Angeles will not be able to return home for at least four days, according to officials on Sunday. Frustrated evacuees have lined up at checkpoints, hoping for access to areas closed off due to the Palisades Fire and Eaton Fire. Many are desperate to retrieve medicine or clothing they left behind, while others simply want to know if their homes survived the fires.
However, Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone stated that the ongoing fire threat, fueled by strong winds forecast for the week, means the emergency is not yet over. “They can’t go home because it’s not safe,” he said during a press conference. “It’s our collective priority to get residents back into their homes as soon as possible, but that conversation won’t happen until after the predicted red flag event, which will last until Wednesday.” He assured evacuees that the repopulation process would begin Thursday.
In the meantime, long lines of evacuees have waited for up to 11 hours for escorted visits to their homes in evacuation zones. One woman, Janelle, shared her pain, acknowledging that her home was likely gone but needing “closure.” “I know it’s gone, but I just want to see it for myself,” she said, visibly upset.
Henry Levinson, an editor, was trying to retrieve his late father’s and grandmother’s ashes from his home in Pacific Palisades, but escorted visits were halted on Sunday due to concerns that high winds could reignite smoldering fires. Firefighters are working on a system that will allow residents to check online if their homes were damaged or destroyed.
Los Angeles City Councilor Traci Park empathized with the residents’ frustration but emphasized that safety must come first. “These are hard decisions… but safety must remain our top priority,” she said.
Around 100,000 people are still under mandatory evacuation orders, a decrease from the peak of 180,000 last week. The affected areas have been heavily damaged, with entire streets destroyed and infrastructure severely impacted. Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna reiterated the dangers, stating that some areas look as though they were hit by a bomb, with live electrical wires and gas lines posing further risks.
The latest official death toll stands at 24, though it is expected to rise as search teams continue to comb through the affected areas.
