Arson investigators in Los Angeles are probing whether the devastating Palisades Fire may have been started deliberately.
The LA Fire Department’s Chief Kristin Crowley said 16 arson specialists had been deployed alongside a dog that can pick up the scent of accelerant.
Crowley spoke as efforts to extinguish five blazes across the city continue.
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At least five people have been killed. But LA Sheriff Robert G Luna conceded the death toll could rise sharply as people comb the 2,000 homes destroyed by the Palisades and Eaton fires.
Meanwhile, Santa Monica has declared a state of emergency and imposed a 9pm-9am curfew in a bid to deter looters.
More than 130,000 have been forced to flee, with multiple celebrity homes destroyed in the fires, which have so-far caused an estimated $50 billion of damage.
LA city imposes curfew to stop looting as homes continue to burn in California wildfires
The city of Santa Monica has imposed a strict curfew in a bid to prevent looting being carried out amid the chaos of the wildfires.
The directive sets out restrictions from sunrise to sunset in areas under evacuation orders.
City manager David White signed the order late Wednesday, affecting almost 2,500 homes.
‘The local emergency order provides Santa Monica Police and our mutual aid partners another tool to continue to protect our community,’ White said.
‘Our first responders are out patrolling, staying vigilant and coordinating with our partners throughout this emergency on all fronts.
‘The order helps us ensure nobody enters impacted areas who is not supposed to, particularly those with nefarious intentions attempting to take advantage of the mandatory evacuations.’
So far least 20 people have been arrested for looting or similar crimes, Kathryn Barger, chair of Los Angeles county’s Board of Supervisors said.
‘Shame on those who are preying on our residents during this time of crisis,’ she added.
