All-out aerial assault works to save homes in Brentwood, Encino as Palisades fire approaches

LOS ANGELES — Calmer winds and higher humidity helped firefighters make progress Saturday battling an unprecedented fire siege that has devastated the foothill community of Altadena and coastal enclave of Pacific Palisades — but officials warned that Santa Ana gusts will pick up again next week and cautioned the public to stay on alert.

“These winds, combined with low humidity and low fuel moisture, will keep the fire threat in Los Angeles County high,” Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said Saturday. “Please understand that the inevitable public safety power shutoffs that will be implemented prior to this life-threatening Santa Ana wind event are crucial to preventing new fire starts, and that they help save lives.”

At least 16 people have died in the two fires, officials said, as they warned that the toll was likely to rise.

The respite from powerful winds that drove the devastating firestorms earlier this week aided an epic aerial assault Saturday as a fleet of aircraft worked to prevent the Palisades fire from scorching homes in Brentwood and Encino.

As the weekend began, a shift in winds sent the fire north and east through the Santa Monica Mountains, forcing evacuations of Brentwood and the hills of Encino and Tarzana. That kept a fire-weary Los Angeles on edge for Day 5 of the catastrophic fires that have already damaged or destroyed more than 10,000 structures.

Firefighting helicopters and airplanes dropped water and fire retardant on fire lines not far from the 405 Freeway in an attempt to prevent flames from engulfing more neighborhoods. The drops seemed productive, but still it appeared at least two remote hillside homes in Mandeville Canyon had burned, according to aerial video on local TV stations.

The aircraft were cycling between the fire zone and the Encino Reservoir to refill with water, while firefighters on the ground were assisting in the mission. During the worst of the firestorm Tuesday, the winds were so bad that air operations were suspended.

“We’re a nervous wreck,” said Sarah Cohen, 29, who lives with her parents in Braemar Country Club Estates, a gated community off Reseda Boulevard in Tarzana — just outside the evacuation zone. “Every time they drop water, it gets better. But then it gets worse again.”

The Palisades fire grew by about 1,000 acres late Friday into Saturday in the Mandeville Canyon area, officials said Saturday.

The sight of flames and smoke visible from across the region heightened anxiety across Los Angeles even though there were some signs of progress. But by sundown Saturday, it was clear the air campaign had made a difference, though communities were still under threat.

“Despite the flare-up, relentless air and ground assaults have led to increased containment,” Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said.

As of Saturday evening, the Palisades fire was 11% contained and the Eaton fire, which devastated much of Altadena and is now burning mostly in the San Gabriel Mountains, was 15% contained. On Friday, the Palisades fire was 8% contained and the Eaton fire was 3% contained.

But officials emphasized it was far too premature to assume the danger has lessened.

The red flag fire weather warning for Los Angeles County ended Friday afternoon as winds slowed — aiding the firefighting effort — but the region was expected to see increased winds late Saturday and remain in a fire weather watch through Wednesday.

“Our concern is winds picking up tonight and then on Monday through Wednesday. The general duration of this is not looking good,” National Weather Service meteorologist Rose Schoenfeld said Saturday.

James White, a meteorologist for the interagency team handling the Eaton fire, said that gusty northeast winds were expected to build through Sunday but would most probably stay on ridgetops at higher elevations.

The biggest concern, he said, was Tuesday, when winds from a more easterly direction could drop to lower elevations and affect some areas of the fire. But those gusts might build to only 20 or 25 mph, he said — far weaker than the hurricane-force winds last week that drove showers of embers and flames through the Palisades and Eaton Canyon areas.

“Although it’s something we’re watching closely, it’s nowhere near the level of concern or critical fire weather we saw that started this event,” White said.

He added that weather forecasters are increasingly confident of greater moisture — and even the slight potential for rain — toward the end of the week. Schoenfeld said Thursday could bring a respite, offering a 20% chance of rain and higher humidity.

The Palisades and Eaton fires have become two of the most destructive fires in state history, with more than 5,000 structures destroyed or damaged in each, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Structures can include homes, businesses, smaller outbuildings, sheds or vehicles.

Damage inspection teams have confirmed 426 homes have been lost in the Palisades blaze, though inspections are ongoing, said Todd Hopkins, a Cal Fire unified incident commander for the Palisades fire. In the Eaton fire, 750 homes have been confirmed destroyed and 132 damaged among 1,702 inspected as of Saturday.

Search-and-rescue teams, equipped with cadaver dogs, began operations early Saturday with house-to-house inspections and would continue daily, officials said.

L.A. County Sheriff Robert Luna confirmed an additional two fatalities in the Eaton fire, where the death toll stood at 11 on Saturday night. The Los Angeles County medical examiner had previously confirmed five deaths in the Palisades fire.

Luna said his deputies were also still working on 13 reports of missing people, which he said may or may not overlap with the confirmed deaths.

“We hope to find everybody safe,” Luna said. “We want to bring closure to the families.”

Curfews remained in place in evacuated areas of Altadena, barring access from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. Four people were arrested for curfew violations, which are subject to misdemeanor charges and a $1,000 fine, L.A. County Sheriff Commander Tania Plunkett said. Fifteen other people were arrested, mostly on suspicion of looting and burglary.

All evacuation orders for the nearby foothill city of La Cañada Flintridge were lifted Saturday.

Along Brentwood’s Mandeville Canyon Road, where large, multimillion-dollar homes sit, the blaze appeared close. Evacuation orders remained in place for large swaths of Brentwood and Encino, including MountainGate Country Club and the Getty Center, with its vast collection of art.

Areas under an evacuation warning include portions of Encino south of Ventura Boulevard, including the Gelson’s supermarket, and east of the 405 Freeway around Mulholland Drive, including American Jewish University.

The University of California, Los Angeles was not yet in an evacuation zone, but students were put on high alert Saturday with its campus right next to an area under an evacuation warning. University housing officials sent an email to campus residents urging them to “stay vigilant and ready to evacuate,” county officials said. Remote instruction will continue for all undergraduate and graduate classes through Jan. 17, UCLA Chancellor Julio Frenk announced Saturday.

In an affluent section of Tarzana, residents in gated communities off Reseda Boulevard spent the night on edge watching the skyline to see if the Palisades blaze would encroach into the San Fernando Valley.

Cohen stayed up all night, anxiously catching occasional flare-ups on the dark hillside, and early Saturday drove up Reseda Boulevard to try to get a better sense of the fire.

She praised the work of the firefighters, saying that “they deserve a parade and bonuses.”

At one of the nearby gated communities, security guard Angel Guerrero said shifting winds appeared to cause some residents to panic.

“People were asking, ‘Am I OK to sleep tonight or should I be leaving now?’” Guerrero said.

Lamont Reeves, 56, who lives in Corbin Canyon in Tarzana, also drove toward the top of Reseda Boulevard early Saturday, trying to see the blaze’s path.

“I saw the fire moving over the hill,” said Reeves, showing a reporter a video he’d taken from his home. “I don’t think anyone knows what’s going on.”

Reeves lives with his elderly mother and planned to relocate her and then come back and defend his home if need be. He had installed sprinklers on his roof and around the perimeter of his property. He said that he’d seen wildlife, including deer and rabbits, taking refuge in his backyard — the first time he’d seen such a sight.

Hamid Jay had already fled his Pacific Palisades home Tuesday — where he lost everything — and on Saturday, he found himself again in the path of the blaze.

“We didn’t sleep last night,” said Jay, 60, who was ready to flee in the middle of the night from his friend’s home in Brentwood, where he’s been staying. “It was horrible. You can see the ash. The smells were extremely concerning.”

A massive charcoal-colored cloud loomed over the neighborhood, which is in an evacuation warning zone, as some residents watered their lawns and roofs, doing whatever they could to prevent an ember from starting another spot fire.

Asked where he might go if the Palisades fire chases him a second time, Jay flashed a sad smile and threw his hands up.

“There is no answer,” he said. “I don’t know what I’m going to do.”

In Encino, Alex Rade and his family evacuated from their hillside home late Friday as the Palisades fire climbed northward toward a ridge in the Santa Monica Mountains.

“As it got dark, you see this big glow and it just seems like the fire is approaching,” Rade, 52, said. “And then the plumes of smoke also started moving more towards us, in a very dramatic way.”

They’ve sought refuge with family in Sherman Oaks but remain anxious and weary from watching the TV news — though not giving up hope.

“I’m slightly optimistic, hoping for the best, but no one wants to be in this situation,” Rade said. “Still, you feel bad for the people in Brentwood and Mandeville Canyon. I hope people are going to keep their homes there.”

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health has declared a local health emergency because of the fires. Health officials extended a smoke advisory of unhealthful air quality to Sunday 10 p.m.

In an alert Saturday, the department said that small particles in wildfire smoke can cause burning eyes, runny nose, scratchy throat, headaches and illness such as bronchitis. Children, the elderly and people with respiratory or heart conditions, or anyone with compromised immune systems, may experience more severe effects such as difficulty breathing, wheezing, coughing, fatigue and chest pain.

The health emergency declaration prohibits the use of powered leaf blowers or other devices that could stir up ash and particulate matter into the air until further notice. The agency recommended residents wear N95 or P100 masks if outside for long periods.

Adding to firefighting hurdles, multiple unauthorized drones flew above the Palisades fire Friday afternoon, forcing firefighting aircraft to leave the area for safety.

These sightings came just a day after a drone collided with — and damaged — a “super scooper” fixed-wing aircraft, grounding the plane for several days of repairs and reducing the number of aircraft available to fight the fire.

Questions are also being raised over Los Angeles officials’ handling of the fire disaster, and why n umerous fire hydrants went dry, hampering firefighting efforts.

The Los Angeles Times found that a large reservoir in Pacific Palisades that is part of the Los Angeles water supply system was out of commission when the ferocious wildfire hit. Officials said that the Santa Ynez Reservoir had been closed since about February for repairs to its cover, leaving a 117-million-gallon water storage complex empty in the heart of the Palisades for nearly a year.

Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday ordered an independent investigation of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power over the loss of water pressure and the empty Santa Ynez Reservoir, calling it “deeply troubling.”

Local fire officials acknowledged Wednesday that they were overwhelmed by the power and size of the largest fires burning in Los Angeles County this week and that crews and resources were taxed to the extreme.

Elsewhere in L.A. County, firefighters gained the upper hand on smaller wildfires — showing how, with milder winds, the ability to drop water on flames using aircraft can play a major role in limiting a fire’s spread.

Officials on Friday praised firefighters’ quick action in the Kenneth fire, which started near the western edge of Woodland Hills about 2:30 p.m. Thursday, where Victory Boulevard terminates into the rolling hills of the Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space Preserve.

Firefighting helicopters worked swiftly to douse the flames with water. The fire had consumed 1,052 acres of brush as of Saturday and was 80% contained, officials said.

A man “attempting to start a fire” Thursday in a West Hills neighborhood that was burning from the Kenneth fire is under investigation in connection with the blaze, according to law enforcement officials and a document reviewed by The Times.

But in Brentwood, residents continued to worry about what will come next. Retired Santa Monica Police Officer Pete Redheffer stood on Kenter Avenue, cautiously optimistic that he wouldn’t need to flee his childhood home.

“I’m not so good at evacuating,” the 69-year-old said, letting loose a little laugh.

Redheffer said he and his wife packed their two trucks with everything they’d need days ago as a precaution, but the breadth of the danger they were in didn’t hit until Saturday morning. Redheffer said growing up in the canyons, he’s used to wildfires, but the rapidly changing winds driving the Palisades blaze have been a “roller coaster.”

Although he is confident firefighters have gotten a hold of the situation, he’s also prepared to make a stand for his family’s home of 65 years if the situation changes — a decision officials have repeatedly warned against.

“I’m going to stay and fight,” he said staring at the well-maintained tree line over his backyard that could easily turn into kindling. “Let’s put it this way. I’ll be on the roof with a beer in one hand and a hose in the other.”

(Staff writers Ben Poston, Ruben Vives, Rebecca Ellis, Hannah Fry, Matt Hamilton, Ian James, Sandra McDonald, Luke Money, Nathan Solis, Jack Flemming and Richard Winton contributed to this report.)