‘Stop misinformation’: Oregon says California not stopping fire trucks sent to cut blazes in Los Angeles

The Oregon State Fire Marshal has refuted widespread false claims circulating on social media about the strike teams deployed to combat the Southern California wildfires.

Describing the rumours as “misinformation,” the agency clarified the situation, saying that 15 strike teams arrived in Southern California Thursday and started 24-hour shifts on Friday.

“TO BE CLEAR: THIS IS FALSE,” the Oregon State Fire Marshal said in a statement.

In a post on X, it said “Our equipment is held to the highest safety standard to ensure the safety of our firefighters. This equipment also does not regularly travel hundreds of miles at a time. Firefighter safety is our number one priority.”

“No engine was turned away. They all completed the safety check, and all 15 strike teams arrived in Southern California on Thursday and began their 24-hour shift early Friday morning,” it said.

Meanwhile, firefighters prepared for a return of dangerous winds that could again stoke the flames, after making some progress battling wildfires that destroyed thousands of homes and killed at least 24 people in the Los Angeles area.

The relative calm Sunday allowed some people to return to previously evacuated areas. But even as containment increased in the worst of the fires, more bad news emerged from the ashes: The death toll surged late Sunday with an update from the Los Angeles County medical examiner. At least 16 people were missing, a number of authorities said was also likely to rise.

And the forecast was worrying. The National Weather Service issued a rare warning of a “particularly dangerous situation,” beginning overnight Monday into Tuesday.

It predicted severe fire conditions through Wednesday, with sustained winds of up to 40 mph (64 kph) and gusts in the mountains reaching 65 mph (105 kph). The most dangerous day will be Tuesday, warned fire behavior analyst Dennis Burns at a community meeting Sunday night.

Fierce Santa Ana winds have been largely blamed for turning the wildfires sparked last week into infernos that leveled entire neighborhoods around the nation’s second-largest city where there has been no significant rainfall in more than eight months.

In all, four fires have consumed more than 62 square miles (160 square kilometers), an area larger than San Francisco. The Eaton Fire near Pasadena and the Palisades Fire, in a wealthy enclave along the Pacific Coast, alone accounted for 59 square miles (nearly 153 square kilometers). Each fire had some containment, which increased over the weekend.

Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony C. Marrone said 70 additional water trucks arrived to help firefighters fend off flames spread by renewed gusts. “We are prepared for the upcoming wind event,” Marrone said.

Fire retardant dropped by aircraft will act as a barrier along hillsides, officials said.

With inputs from agencies.