Cal Fire and the Los Angeles County Fire Department have reported that containment efforts continue for all three active fires still burning in Southern California.

The fires have resulted in 27 confirmed deaths, according to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner. More deaths are expected as search and rescue operations continue.

The repopulation of evacuated areas in the Eaton Fire and Palisades Fire areas began on Thursday, Jan. 16 as some residents were allowed back into closed areas to see their homes.

The wildfires in Los Angeles County have burned more than 40,000 acres. It is estimated that more than 12,000 structures have been damaged or destroyed.

Fire status as of 1 p.m. Friday, Jan. 17

Palisades Fire:

23,713 acres

5,000+/- structures damaged or destroyed

31% contained

Resources assigned:

Personnel

4,471

Helicopters

44

Engines

476

Dozers

48

Water Tenders

58

Crews

113

Other Assigned

8

Overnight and this morning, cooler temperatures, light winds and good humidity were observed. Weak to moderate Santa Ana winds expected for Monday, through the middle of next week.

Crews continue to establish and improve containment lines to minimize fire spread around structures that are within the controlled areas, as well as provide for the safety of the public and incident personnel. An increased need for specialized supplies related to all-hazards response for responders and repopulating civilians, including masks, respirators, gloves, eye protection and decontamination, is present.

Eaton Fire

14,117 acres

7,000+/- structures damaged or destroyed

65% contained

Resources assigned:

Engines

273

Water Tenders

87

Helicopters

13
Dozers

25

Hand Crews

65

Total Personnel

3,333

Firefighters continue to work on constructing and improving containment lines in steep, inaccessible terrain near Winter’s Creek. Containment continues to grow, and the fire is expected to stay within its current footprint.

Urban Search and Rescue teams have completed 8,856 inspections and covered 1,100 miles in grid search patterns. Utility companies continue to restore infrastructure damaged by the fire.

Fire suppression repairs are in progress, along with watershed assessments to evaluate potential risks to life, property, and infrastructure from debris flows, flooding, and rockfall hazards. Both the Watershed Emergency Response Team (WERT) and the Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) Team are in place and are continuing their assessments of the burned area to address immediate post-fire impacts.

Mild south and west winds will help build a moist marine influence today into the weekend. Very dry weather and an offshore flow will return next Monday.

Auto Fire

61 acres

100% contained

The cause of the Auto Fire is still under investigation.