National Guard troops arrived at the Los Angeles wildfires on Friday (January 10), as a pause in the fierce winds that super-charged the ring of fire that devastated the city this week helped crews make progress in bringing the infernos under control.
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.
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.
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.
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 13,750 hectares — some 53 square miles or 2 1/2 times the land area of Manhattan — and turning entire neighborhoods to ash.
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. Strong gusts could return over the weekend, forecasters said.
Officials are still investigating what ignited the blazes.
(Production: Matt M. McKnight)