Jan 31 (Reuters) - The Eaton Fire that scorched more

than 14,000 acres (57 square km) east of Los Angeles has been

100% contained, fire officials said on Friday, a largely

symbolic milestone more than three weeks after two devastating

wildfires broke out on either side of Los Angeles.

The larger Palisades Fire, which has consumed 23,448 acres

(95 square km) on the west side of Los Angeles, was also now

100% contained, the California Department of Forestry and Fire

Protection (Cal Fire) said.

The two major fires plus several smaller ones created the

worst natural disaster in Los Angeles County history, killing 28

people and damaging or destroying more than 16,000 structures,

Cal Fire said. At one point, 180,000 people were under

evacuation orders, according to Los Angeles County officials.

Private forecaster AccuWeather projects damage and economic

losses at more than $250 billion.

Containment measures the percentage of a fire's perimeter

that firefighters have under control, with confidence that those

lines can be maintained. Parts of the fire's interior may still

be burning.

Long overdue rain reached Southern California in the past

week, helping firefighters contain the fires while also

increasing the danger of flash floods and mudslides in the

denuded hills and the spread of toxic material left in the

fire's devastation.

Firefighters say 100% containment is largely symbolic at

this point as the last remaining fires were isolated in steep

mountain terrain.

"It's more important when we say forward progress is

stopped," said Margaret Stewart, a spokesperson for the Los

Angeles Fire Department.

Forward progress was halted about a week after the two major

fires started on Jan. 7.

The rain was "more of a hindrance," Stewart said, because it

caused mudslides and blocked roads used by responders.

"Had this rain come two weeks ago, it might have been more

helpful," Stewart said.