Palisades Fire 63% contained; Red Flag warning back in effect

The deadly Palisades Fire was 63% contained Tuesday ahead of another dangerous Santa Ana wind event that could bring isolated gusts as high as 100 mph.

Forecasters took the rare step of issuing a "particularly dangerous situation warning" for a large portion of Los Angeles and Ventura counties due to damaging Santa Ana winds and very low humidity.

That warning will be in effect until 10 a.m. Tuesday for the Santa Clarita Valley, San Fernando Valley including Calabasas and Agoura Hills, Malibu coast, western Santa Monica Mountains recreation area, the Interstate 5 corridor, San Gabriel Valley and north of the Foothill (210) Freeway including Altadena and Glendora.

Those areas will remain under a standard red flag warning until 10 p.m. Tuesday, with many other areas in the Southland under warning until 2 p.m. Tuesday.

Forecasters say a "moderate to strong" Santa Ana wind event is expected, with isolated gusts of 80 to 100 mph expected in most wind-prone mountain locations, such as the San Gabriel, western Santa Monica and Santa Susana Mountains, according to the National Weather Service.

Officials urged residents to review their evacuation plans and make sure emergency kits are stocked with needed items should they have to evacuate.

L.A. enacted red-flag parking restrictions at 8 a.m. Monday, and they will remain in effect until further notice. The restrictions are aimed at keeping streets clear in high fire-danger areas to facilitate evacuations and access of firefighting equipment.

Firefighters are making steady progress, Cal Fire reported Monday. Crews are working with utility providers to repair infrastructure and address hazards like fallen trees and downed power lines, according to Cal Fire.

The Palisades Fire has scorched 23,713 acres and killed at least 11 people since erupting Jan. 7. Authorities said they anticipate the number of fatalities to rise as crews continue sifting through the ash and rubble.

More evacuation orders were lifted Monday, affecting neighborhoods in the Topanga area, generally east of Topanga Canyon Boulevard in the area of Colima Drive and south of Encina Road. The area was opened for residents only.

Evacuation warnings were lifted Sunday for more than a dozen other fire zones, including

-- north of Mildas Drive/Loma Metisse Road and south of Baynes Road/Stunt Road;

-- north of Malibu Canyon Road and south of Piuma Road/Malibu Canyon Road;

-- north of Sweetwater Mesa Road and south of Costa del Sol Way; and,

-- north of Sweetwater Mesa Road and West Carbon Canyon Road.

Santa Monica officials said Saturday that all evacuation orders have been lifted within that city, and Pacific Coast Highway is now accessible for local residents, businesses and patrons. Access to PCH north of the Santa Monica city limits is being managed by the L.A. Police Department.

A curfew continues to be in effect nightly from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. in the mandatory evacuation areas in the Palisades and Eaton fire zones. Only firefighters, utility workers and law enforcement personnel are allowed in those areas.

A man and a woman from Oregon were arrested Saturday for impersonating firefighters and entering an evacuation zone, according to the L.A. County Sheriff's Department.

Authorities said the pair claimed to be from the Roaring River Fire Department in Oregon, which deputies found was not a legitimate agency. Dustin Nehl, 31, and Jennifer Nehl, 44, were found wearing Cal Fire T-shirts under turnout gear, helmet and radios in a fire truck purchased at an auction, sheriff's officials said. The relationship of the two was not disclosed.

The sheriff's department and other law enforcement agencies have reported dozens of arrests for alleged looting, burglaries and curfew violations since the fires in Palisades and Altadena broke out on Jan. 7.

The Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority said it would re- open most of its parks outside of the Santa Monica Mountains. MRCA-managed parks and trails in the Santa Monica Mountains and in the fire evacuation zone, including Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space Preserve, are still closed until the fire emergency is over.

The closures include Temescal Gateway Park, King Gillette Ranch, all Topanga Canyon Parks, parking lots and beach accessways in and directly adjacent to Malibu including Escondido Canyon Park, Fryman Canyon Park, Wilacre Park, Franklin Canyon Park and Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space Preserve.

As of Sunday, L.A. Department of Water and Power crews had restored electric service to customers in the Brentwood, Encino and Bel-Air areas that were previously without power to protect public safety.

The LADWP had approximately 8,000 customers remaining without power in the Pacific Palisades and Santa Monica Canyon areas, where workers cannot safely access homes or in areas where it is unsafe to re-energize power lines. Customers with questions about the status of their service can call 800-342- 5397.

Southern California Gas Co. had shut off service to about 13,600 customers in the Palisades Fire area for safety reasons, but the utility reported Monday that it has restored service for 3,463 of those customers, and was continuing restoration efforts in the northwest areas of Malibu beyond Pepperdine University.

The Gas Co. has established an information booth for residents that will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Pavilions store at 29211 Heathercliff Road in Malibu, and from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the FEMA Disaster Recovery Center at UCLA Research Park West, 10850 W Pico Blvd., to provide information for customers.

L.A. County officials said its damage assessments can be viewed at recocery.lacounty.gov/palisades-fire. They will be updated daily in real time.

Malibu campuses in the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District are scheduled to reopen Tuesday, following Monday's Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.

President Donald Trump said Saturday that he will "probably" travel to California this week to view the devastating wildfires in L.A. County.

"I will be, probably, at the end of the week," he told NBC's "Meet the Press."

At least 6,207 structures have been destroyed in the blaze, according to Cal Fire, and another 821 have been damaged. Those numbers may rise as property assessments continue.

Some 5,677 personnel were committed to the firefighting effort.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

The Palisades Fire erupted around 10:30 a.m. Jan. 7 in the area of Piedra Morada and Monte Hermoso drives as the area was under a red flag warning for critical fire danger due to a historic wind event that saw gusts of 80 mph. It continued to grow exponentially Jan. 7 and Jan. 8, driven by heavy fuel loads and powerful Santa Ana winds.