- At least 24 people have been killed in the southern California wildfires.
- More than 14,000 personnel from multiple states as well as Mexico and Canada, are working to combat the fires.
- The fire-enabling weather conditions are expected to break on Thursday.
The devastating wildfires which first ignited last Tuesday continue to burn in the greater Los Angeles area. Even as the fires become more contained, the amount of destruction is still increasing and the death toll continues to rise.
There have been at least 24 people killed in the fires, according to NBC.
The fires have burned over 62 square miles, an area larger than San Francisco, and have left entire communities destroyed in their wake, per The Associated Press. Over 12,300 structures have been burned down.
As of Sunday morning, there were at least 16 people missing in the areas where the wildfires have burned.
It is estimated that the total damage and economic loss from the fires now equals between $250 billion and $275 billion, per NBC.
According to the AP, there are more than 14,000 firefighting personnel from California, nine other states, Mexico and Canada working to help fight the fires. This also includes 1,400 fire engines and 84 aircraft.
There are still 105,000 people under evacuation orders, and another 87,000 are in evacuation warning zones, per NBC.

How contained are the Los Angeles wildfires?
The Palisades Fire, the largest and most destructive of the fires, has burned 23,713 acres and as of Monday morning is 14% contained, per NBC.
Firefighters have also been working on containing the Eaton fire, which has killed 16 people; as of Monday morning, it was 33% contained, according to The Washington Post. The fire has burned over 14,000 acres.
The other eight confirmed deaths came from the Palisades fire, per the AP.
According to The New York Times, the other smaller fires are almost all completely contained. The Kenneth and Lidia fires are both 100% contained and the Hurst fire, covering 800 acres, is 89% contained.
What does it look like going forward?
The National Weather Service issued a rare red flag warning of severe fire conditions through Wednesday, and winds are expected to reach up to 40 mph with gusts up to 65 mph in the mountains, according to the AP. Tuesday will be the most dangerous day, with the strongest winds forecast.
By Thursday, there should be a break in the fire-enabling weather; a drop in wind speeds is forecast to last through the weekend. The weather this weekend in LA is predicted to be much cooler, with higher humidity and “typical sea-breeze winds,” per The New York Times.
The majority of the evacuation orders are expected to be lifted by Wednesday evening, when the red flag warning expires.
Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony C. Marrone said the focus starting on Thursday will be repopulation, per the AP.
