13 people missing and 22 arrested in wildfires as prisoners 'deployed to fight blazes'
11 January 2025, 21:29
Wildfires are continuing to burn in Los Angeles, with at least 11 people killed in the blazes and 153,000 people under evacuation orders.
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The public health authority has urged people to stay indoors due to the high levels of smoke and ash in the air.
Approximately 13 people are reported missing and 22 people have been arrested during the wildfires, according to LA authorities.
It's not known if the missing people relate to the 11 deaths already confirmed.
A curfew has been enforced, and police have arrested the 22 for curfew violations, trespassing, burglary and looting in areas affected by the Eaton and Palisades fires, LA county sheriff Robert Luna said.
153,000 people are under evacuation orders, and 166,000 are under evacuation warnings.
He said: "An evacuation order is a mandatory directive for residents to leave the area immediately due to imminent danger.
"Evacuation warnings are precautionary alerts informing residents that they should be prepared to evacuate as the situation may worsen."
The city's fire chief Anthony Marrone says the Eaton fire has damaged or destroyed 7,000 structures.
The fire has spread to 14,117 acres, with 15 per cent containment.
Containment refers to the proportion of the fire around which lines of control have been placed, which it should not be able to cross.
The Palisades fire stands at 21,596 acres, having destroyed 5,316 structures.
It is 11 per cent contained.
Structures do not necessarily mean homes - they include sheds and vehicles.
"We still have over 105,000 citizens that have been evacuated," a fire official says.
Nearly 1,000 prison inmates have been working as firefighters to contain the wildfires, according to US media reports.
The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation said prisoners can earn between $5.80 and $10.24 per day during the emergency.
Cal Fire also pays the crew members an additional $1 per hour.
A former incarcerated firefighter, Royal Ramey, told CNN he performed the same work as regular firefighters.
"We're out there. We're in the front lines," he said.
Since 1915, there have been camps in California where incarcerated people were able to train to fight fires.
There are now 35 minimum-security facilities across the state.
California's corrections department said prisoners do not face disciplinary action if they choose not to serve in a fire camp.
