Los Angeles' Eaton Fire is 100% contained, Cal Fire says

(Reuters) - The Eaton Fire that scorched more than 14,000 acres (57 square km) east of Los Angeles has been 100% contained, fire officials said on Friday, a largely symbolic milestone more than three weeks after two devastating wildfires broke out on either side of Los Angeles.

The larger Palisades Fire, which has consumed 23,448 acres (95 square km) on the west side of Los Angeles, was also now 100% contained, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) said.

The two major fires plus several smaller ones created the worst natural disaster in Los Angeles County history, killing 28 people and damaging or destroying more than 16,000 structures, Cal Fire said. At one point, 180,000 people were under evacuation orders, according to Los Angeles County officials.

Private forecaster AccuWeather projects damage and economic losses at more than $250 billion.

Containment measures the percentage of a fire's perimeter that firefighters have under control, with confidence that those lines can be maintained. Parts of the fire's interior may still be burning.

Long overdue rain reached Southern California in the past week, helping firefighters contain the fires while also increasing the danger of flash floods and mudslides in the denuded hills and the spread of toxic material left in the fire's devastation.

Firefighters say 100% containment is largely symbolic at this point as the last remaining fires were isolated in steep mountain terrain.

"It's more important when we say forward progress is stopped," said Margaret Stewart, a spokesperson for the Los Angeles Fire Department.

Forward progress was halted about a week after the two major fires started on Jan. 7.

The rain was "more of a hindrance," Stewart said, because it caused mudslides and blocked roads used by responders.

"Had this rain come two weeks ago, it might have been more helpful," Stewart said.

(Reporting by Daniel Trotta; Editing by Rod Nickel)