The Brief
- Evacuations were expanded overnight as wildfires continue to rage for a fifth day in the Los Angeles area.
- At least 11 people have been killed.
- The wildfires are far from contained and are already expected to be the costliest in U.S. history and among the worst natural disasters.
The Los Angeles area is grappling with a fifth day of wildfires after a massive flare-up of the Palisades fire forced more evacuations Friday night.
The Palisades and Eaton wildfires have killed at least 11 people and destroyed some 12,000 structures as of Friday. Evacuation orders were lifted in some areas as firefighters make progress on the Kenneth, Hurst and Lidia fires.
Fire air planes and helicopters drop water over flames in Topanga Canyon during Palisades wildfire in Topanga, Los Angeles, California, United States on January 10, 2024. (Photo by Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Government officials haven’t given a damage estimate yet, but an estimate from AccuWeather, a private firm that provides weather data, estimated the toll to be about $135 billion to $150 billion. …