California weather forecasters warn that fierce Santa Ana winds, which fueled wildfires around Los Angeles, are expected to intensify from Sunday night through Wednesday, reaching speeds of up to 60 mph (96 km/h). Fire crews are racing to control three ongoing wildfires before the winds worsen.
Progress has been reported in containing the deadly Palisades and Eaton fires, aided by firefighters from eight U.S. states, Canada, and Mexico. The LA County medical examiner updated the death toll to 24, with 16 people still missing.
The Palisades fire, the largest, has scorched over 23,000 acres and is 11% contained. The Eaton fire has burned 14,000 acres and is 27% contained, while the Hurst fire, now at 799 acres, is nearly fully contained.
Accuweather has revised its preliminary estimate of financial losses from the wildfires to $250-$275 billion, making them among the costliest in U.S. history.
