Over two weeks into the devastating wildfires in Los Angeles, California, at least 28 fatalities have now been confirmed, up from an earlier count of 27, the county medical examiner’s office said on Tuesday.
Four wildfires are still burning across Los Angeles County, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
The fires burned 40,687 acres as of Tuesday and destroyed more than 15,000 structures, with over 100,000 people under evacuation orders.
The largest inferno has burned 23,448 acres in and around the upscale Pacific Palisades neighbourhood near the coast. Further inland, the Eaton Fire has burned 14,021 acres in the foothills in and around the city of Altadena, northeast of downtown Los Angeles.
The Palisade Fire is 65 per cent contained, while the containment of the Eaton Fire has hit 89pc, as firefighting efforts have started to succeed.
Two other smaller fires, which have burned a cumulative 123 acres, ignited early on Tuesday in the city of San Diego, some 195 kilometres southeast of Los Angeles, with containment efforts at 50pc and 40pc, respectively.
