The California National Guard has boots on the ground Thursday night in the fight against the fires ravaging L.A. County and preying looters.
Armored vehicles were seen on the 210 freeway late tonight traveling towards the Eaton Fire that has torn through Pasadena and Altadena the past several days, forcing thousands to evacuate and burning homes and other buildings to the ground.
There have been 20 arrests of looters in evacuation zones so far, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said in a press conference today. “You will be arrested and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” he said, referring to looters and those scamming residents of impacted communities.
Initially, the guard troops will be in place around the Eaton Fire and the devastating Palisades Fire. However, those orders could include other municipalities and neighborhoods over the next few days depending on the need, a law enforcement source tells Deadline.
Under criticism for waiting too long to get the guard out on the streets and not approving the request from the county until Thursday afternoon, California Gov. Gavin Newsom tonight made sure the show of force was well-known.
As the Sunset Fire around the Hollywood Hills was contained late Wednesday, a new blaze ignited in Calabasas and Hidden Hills on Thursday afternoon. Now called the Kenneth Fire, the flames were buoyed by the Santa Ana winds and tore through almost 1000 acres by 5:30 p.m. today. Even though Friday is a Red Flag Warning day in the county, winds are predicted to die off by mid-morning, well down from the 100 mph gusts experienced earlier this week.
A suspect was taken in for questioning by the LAPD today for potentially being the arsonist behind the Kenneth Fire.Half a dozen fires have hit L.A. County as the Santa Ana winds have swept over the region this week. The fires have destroyed tens of thousands of acres, killed 10 people, and damaged or destroyed thousands of homes and structures.
