The Eaton Fire, which ravaged more than 14,000 acres (57 square km) east of Los Angeles, has officially been contained, according to fire officials on Friday. This marks a significant milestone, though it comes over three weeks after two catastrophic wildfires erupted on opposite sides of the city.
The larger of the two, the Palisades Fire, which burned 23,448 acres (95 square km) on the west side of Los Angeles, has also been fully contained, as reported by Cal Fire.
Together, these two massive fires, along with several smaller blazes, have caused the worst natural disaster in Los Angeles County’s history. The fires have claimed 28 lives and damaged or destroyed more than 16,000 structures. At the peak of the crisis, 180,000 people were under evacuation orders, according to Los Angeles County officials.
AccuWeather estimates that the total damage and economic losses will surpass $250 billion.
Containment refers to the percentage of a fire’s perimeter that is under control, with the expectation that the fire lines will hold. However, some interior areas of the fire may still be active.
Recent rain in Southern California, which arrived last week, has helped in containing the fires but also introduced new risks, such as flash floods, mudslides, and the spread of toxic materials from the destruction.
While the fires are now considered 100% contained, this is more symbolic, as the remaining fires are confined to hard-to-reach mountain areas. “The critical moment was when we halted forward progress,” said Margaret Stewart, a spokesperson for the Los Angeles Fire Department.
Forward progress was stopped about a week after the fires began on January 7.
Stewart pointed out that while the rain was helpful in some ways, it also posed challenges, causing mudslides and blocking roads, which delayed firefighters’ efforts. “If this rain had come two weeks ago, it might have been more beneficial,” she noted.
