Crackdown on Looting in Burnt-Out Areas as Fires Rage On in LA | US News
Officials in California have pledged to apprehend anyone found looting in charred neighborhoods, with one official asserting, “We are serious about this.”
Currently, five wildfires are raging across Los Angeles County, including the Pacific Palisades fire, which has consumed over 20,000 acres and resulted in the destruction of approximately 5,000 structures.
Los Angeles Sheriff Robert Luna indicated that a curfew imposed overnight on Thursday will resume at 6 PM local time on Friday (2 AM Saturday, UK time).
LA fires updates:
Wildfires persist for a fourth day, claiming at least 10 lives
This curfew, which prohibits anyone from entering mandatory evacuation zones between 6 PM and 6 AM, was instated after authorities arrested multiple individuals for looting in the affected areas. Sheriff Luna emphasized that the curfew will be “strictly enforced.”
“This is no joke; we do not want individuals exploiting our residents who have already suffered,” he stated at a press conference.
The penalty for looting includes a $1,000 fine and possible jail time.
Fire crews working against the Kenneth Fire overnight. Pic: AP
National Guards present near structures charred by the Eaton Fire. Pic: Reuters
The National Guard has been called in to secure areas impacted by the fires. They are assisting in managing checkpoints in restricted zones and deterring looting.
Pacific Palisades, severely hit by the fires, is an affluent neighborhood favored by celebrities, many of whom have lost their homes entirely.
Paris Hilton’s property in the nearby Malibu has also been obliterated, alongside several other coastal estates.
Only a staircase remains upright in a property after the fires devastated the area. Pic: AP
Beachfront structures ravaged by the Palisades fire. Pic: AP
Authorities are increasingly cracking down on unauthorized drone operations in fire zones after a firefighting ‘super scooper’ plane was grounded due to a drone incident.
The investigation into the fires’ origin is ongoing. A suspected arsonist was apprehended near the Kenneth fire on Thursday afternoon local time.
Officials warned looters as 153,000 individuals remain under evacuation orders. While the fires are still active, some evacuated residents have been briefly allowed to return to their neighborhoods, where many have found their homes reduced to rubble.
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LA residents grieving as they return to their burned homes
Authorities have reported a minimum of 10 fatalities.
One of the victims was Rodney Nickerson, an 82-year-old who chose to remain in his home in Altadena, a suburb located north of Los Angeles.
His daughter, Kimiko Nickerson, shared with Sky News: “He refused to evacuate. He has lived here since 1968 and has been in Altadena for my entire life.”
“Like many on our block and in neighboring blocks, he never anticipated it would be this devastating.”
Read more:
Before and after images of the devastation
Details on the fires’ origins
Outraged resident confronts LA governor
The Pacific Palisades blaze, the largest of the five, is only 8% contained, while the Kenneth fire, which poses a threat to another celebrity-favored neighborhood, Calabasas, has burned approximately 1,000 acres and is currently 35% contained.
So far, at least 10,000 structures, including numerous homes, have been lost throughout the region.
