 "The devastating wildfires in Los Angeles have reportedly killed at least 24 people. AP")
The Los Angeles police on Wednesday announced that it has arrested 50 people for crimes like looting and flying drones over active fire zones. The arrests come as millions of Southern Californians were on edge as a final round of dangerous fire weather was forecast for the region along with a rare warning of a “Particularly Dangerous Situation” for an area near where two massive blazes killed at least 25 and destroyed thousands of homes.
LA Police Chief Jim McDonnell said that out of the 50 people, three have been arrested on suspicion of arson after they were seen setting small fires that were immediately put out. The three had used objects like barbecue lighters and ignited brush and set fire to trash cans and other things.
Meanwhile, a group of looters who were arrested on Wednesday stole an Emmy award from an evacuated house, Los Angeles County district attorney, Nathan Hochman, said.
The National Weather Service issued red flag warnings – done when temperatures are warm, humidity is low and strong winds are expected – from 3 a.m. to 3 p.m. from the Central Coast 275 miles (443 kilometers) south to the border with Mexico. The “Particularly Dangerous Situation” was in effect for an area that includes parts of Los Angeles and Ventura counties.
“Key message: We are not out of the woods yet,” the weather service said in a post late Tuesday. “The winds underperformed today, but one more enhancement could happen tonight-tomorrow.”
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Karen Bass, the mayor of Los Angeles, warned that while the winds have subsided, the emergency situation is not over yet.
“While we’re going through what I hope is the final hours of this emergency, it’s also time to begin to talk about our recovery,” she said.
“This is a crisis that impacts the nation,” Bass added.
Weary and anxious residents were told to be ready to flee at a moment’s notice. They remained vigilant, keeping an eye on the skies and on each other: Police announced roughly 50 arrests, for looting, flying drones in fire zones, violating curfew and other crimes.
With inputs from AP