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Death toll in fires stands at 10, expected to rise

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More than 10,000 structures destroyed

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'It looks like an atom bomb' dropped, LA County Sheriff

says

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Firefighters report progress in controlling some fires

By Jorge Garcia and Rollo Ross

LOS ANGELES, Jan 10 (Reuters) -

A pause in the fierce winds that super-charged the ring of

wildfires that devastated Los Angeles this week helped crews

make progress in bringing the infernos under control on Friday

but strong gusts could return over the weekend, forecasters

said.

The fires, which have devastated Los Angeles neighborhoods

on the east and west sides of the city, have so far killed 10

people and destroyed nearly 10,000 structures, with those

figures expected to grow.

"It looks like an atomic bomb dropped in these areas. I

don't expect good news, and we're not looking forward to those

numbers," Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said at a press

conference late on Thursday, referring to Pacific Palisades in

the west and Altadena in the east.

Wind conditions in the Los Angeles area will improve Friday

through the weekend to about 20 mph with gusts between 35 mph to

50 mph, according to the National Weather Service, a far cry

from days ago when wind gusts blasted at upwards of 80 mph.

"It's not as gusty so that should help firefighters,

hopefully," NWS meteorologist Allison Santorelli said, adding

that conditions were still critical with low humidity and dry

vegetation.

Even as red flag wind conditions were expected until

Friday afternoon, any periods of easing would allow crucial

support from the air for firefighters on the ground for aircraft

can dropping water and fire retardant on the flaming hills.

"There's a bit of good news, if there can be,"

Santorelli said.

Farther south in San Diego, winds will pick up, with

sustained winds of 40 mph and gusts up to 70 mph, creating

dangerous fire conditions there over the weekend, she added.

As of early Friday, three major fires were still burning in

Los Angeles.

The Palisades Fire and the Eaton Fire already rank as the

most destructive in Los Angeles history, consuming more than

34,000 acres (13,750 hectares) - some 53 square miles or 2 1/2

times the land area of Manhattan - and turning entire

neighborhoods to ash.

The Palisades Fire is now 6% controlled, while the Eaton

Fire still blazed out of control, according to California's

Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

Some Pacific Palisades residents ventured back to areas

where the fire had already swept through. Brick chimneys loomed

over charred waste and burnt-out vehicles.

"I can't describe it," the 44-year-old psychiatrist Kelly

Foster said as she combed through the ashy rubble where her home

once stood with her children while smoke rose from neighboring

homes and planes dropped water nearby. "I have no words."

One rapidly growing blaze that broke out on Thursday near

Calabasas, a wealthy enclave home to numerous celebrities and

gated communities, was 35% under control by early Friday, fire

officials said. The so-called Kenneth Fire had expanded to 960

acres (388 hectares) in a matter of hours.

U.S. media outlets said the Los Angeles Police Department

was investigating the Kenneth Fire as a possible case of arson

and had taken a suspect into custody. An LAPD spokeswoman

confirmed that an arson suspect was being held but would not

comment on which fire was involved.

Smaller fires were also putting pressure on overstretched

firefighting resources. The Hurst Fire was 37% contained, while

the Lidia Fire was 75% contained.

Firefighting crews managed to bring the Sunset Fire in the

atop the Hollywood Hills fully under control on Thursday, after

flames had engulfed a ridge overlooking Hollywood Boulevard's

Walk of Fame on Wednesday night.

Officials said the Eaton Fire had damaged or destroyed

4,000 to 5,000 structures while the Palisades Fire destroyed or

damaged another 5,300 structures, including many homes of movie

stars and celebrities.

In Altadena, a racially and economically diverse community

near Pasadena, many residents said they were concerned

government resources would be channelled toward wealthier areas

and insurance companies might short-change less affluent

households who lacked the means to contest fire claims.

"They're not going to give you the value of your house ...

if they do you really have to fight for it," said Kay Young, 63,

as she tearfully looked over the smoking rubble of a house that

she said had been in her family for generations.

Officials said they were establishing curfews for areas

affected by mandatory evacuation orders to prevent looting and

had requested California National Guard support to help local

law enforcement with traffic control and infrastructure

protection.

About 20 people had been arrested for looting so far,

according to the LA County Sheriff's Department.

BILLIONS IN LOSSES

The catastrophic losses are already

weighing on insurers

, which are bracing for billions of dollars in potential

claims.

Private forecaster AccuWeather estimated the damage and

economic loss at $135 billion to $150 billion, portending an

arduous recovery and soaring homeowners' insurance costs.

President Joe Biden, who will hold a briefing on the fire

response later on Friday, has declared the fires a major

disaster and said the federal government would reimburse 100% of

the recovery for the next six months.

The Democratic president hands over the government Jan.

20 to his successor Republican Donald Trump, who along with his

allies have

sought to blame

Democratic state and local officials as well and

environmentalists for the deadly disaster.

This week's fast-moving blazes swept across Southern

California at a time when the region has not seen any

significant rainfall for months and were fanned by unrelenting

Santa Ana winds.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and fire officials have

said water hydrants in the urban area were not designed to deal

with such a massive, unprecedented wildfire.

Officials are still investigating what ignited the

blazes.

Edison International ( EIX ) unit

Southern California Edison

on Friday said insurers had asked it to preserve evidence

related to the Eaton Fire but that no fire agencies have cited

any connection by the utility to the blaze.