FEARS are emerging that the deadly Los Angeles wildfires may have been caused by surging spikes in faults on the power grid.
Speculation has grown over the last few days around what could have resulted in the devastating disaster with over 1,000 prisoners now being deployed to fight the roaring flames.
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Firefighters watch as water is dropped on the burning Palisades FireCredit: AP
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Thousands of homes in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood have been burnt to the groundCredit: Reuters
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A horrifying fire rips through LACredit: Reuters
At least 13 people have died with another 13 still missing as officials warn the fires could rage on for days.
But the cause of the fire remains unclear with cops still searching for if the initial spark was the result of an arson attack or a far more unfortunate result.
Bob Marshall, the chief executive of Whisker Labs, a company that monitors electrical activity, has revealed that his firm noticed massive spikes hours before the fires first erupted.
He told Fox News that data shows the power to areas near to the Eaton, Palisades and Hurst Fires was not instantly shut off as the surges started.
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This then may have resulted in “tree limbs touching wires or wires blowing in the wind and touching”, Marshall added.
According to Whisker Labs data, the worst affected Pacific Palisades region felt 63 faults in the hours before the fire ignited.
Eaton Fire saw 317 grid faults and the Hurst Fire saw around 230 faults.
Normally the company would experience very few registers, Marshall confirmed.
This could have resulted in sparks flying away from the faults and igniting vegetation in the nearby areas.
If this was highly dried out then a fiery flicker could have formed and been carried across LA due to the high winds at the time.
Paris Hilton says her heart has ‘shattered’ as she returns to her destroyed Malibu home amid LA wildfires
This theory was further fuelled after the Southern California Edison energy company said on Friday one of its high-voltage power lines short-circuited at around the same time of the Hurst Fire.
It is unclear the exact time of the short circuit with speculation still existing around whether it may have been after the initial flames.
Days on from the first fires forming six out of control wildfires are continuing to burn through LA.
Flames are roaring towards more star-studded neighborhoods after dozens of a-listers were left in dismay as their homes were left burnt.
High winds have caused the deadly Palisades Fire in Southern California to spread towards the east – leaving them in the direct path of a millionaires row.
Affluent residents of Mandeville Canyon and Brentwood are now desperately looking for a way out as the fire approaches the area.
Thousands of locals have been ordered to evacuate immediately.
Terrified LA residents trying to flee the deadly wildfires have been left trapped in gridlocked traffic at the nearby Sunset Boulevard.
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Thousands of firefighters have been deployed to help find any survivorsCredit: Getty
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Many homes at the Mandeville Canyon are at serious riskCredit: Reuters
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It has started to overflow with escaping motorists as long queues are starting to form on the busy roads.
Traffic hasn’t been helped with the immediate closure of several slip roads.
Several off-ramps to the 405 Freeway including Getty Center Drive, Skirball Center Drive, Sunset, Wilshire, Santa Monica and Olympic boulevards are all closed off.
This has left those fleeing stuck for hours trying to move away from the burning embers.
One panicked woman said she hardly moved in two hours as the mood and environment around her rapidly changed.
She told ABC: “There was a visibility when I first got here, a little bit of blue sky, and it has unfolded to absolutely ugliness.”
Authorities issued fresh mandatory evacuation orders earlier today as wind gusts as high as 70mph are set to hit – making it even more difficult to contain the blazes.
LA’s fire chief Kristin Crowley said last night saw a “significant flare up” in parts of the Palisades Fire tragedy.
This led to the decision being made to allow nearly 1,000 prison inmates to work as firefighters to contain the wildfires, according to US media reports.
The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation told CNN prisoners can earn between $5.80 and $10.24 per day.
Cal Fire is also set to pay the crew members an additional $1 per hour.
‘War zone’ LA feels ‘broken’ as fires still ravage the city – but we will rebuild
The U.S. Sun’s Assistant Editor for Exclusives Katy Forrester is an LA resident and she witnessed first-hand the horror as flames engulfed the city. She said the city feels like a “war zone
Every year Los Angeles braces itself for wildfires. It is not uncommon to see flames torching the hills and even houses burning to the ground.
But many residents have never witnessed anything as devastating as this week. And it’s nowhere near over.
I spent time near Pacific Palisades, where thick smoke filled the air, and saw desperate families fleeing the city while others begged police to give them access to their properties as roads were blocked off.
“Everything is gone” was heard many times, as thousands of people were left homeless and with few possessions.
I was lucky to only have the power go out in my home, but I’ll never forget what I witnessed traveling throughout the city.
It was like a war zone.
During a visit to a shelter, I spoke with a resident who has lived in his home for almost 30 years and is battling cancer. He stayed long after he was told to pack up and go.
It was only when flames began leaping around his building that he finally gathered his belongings and ran out.
I reported from Altadena, where buildings were still engulfed in flames, and few fire trucks were in sight as emergency services were overwhelmed.
Cars and school buses were completely torched, and heartbroken families stood around in shock, not being able to process what had happened.
As the sun went down, I drove back home towards the city center, which I felt was safe, until I saw orange flames leaping behind buildings just minutes from my house.
I felt sick. I’ve never known wildfires so close to Hollywood, and suddenly, phones were blaring with emergency notifications to evacuate the area.
Traffic lights and street lamps were out, and areas filled with fallen trees from the strong winds became gridlocked.
I feel extremely lucky I live minutes outside of the evacuation zone, but friends panicked and fled their homes.
Although many worldwide will merely shrug when they hear wealthy people have lost their homes, the reality is very different.
The city as a whole feels broken, everyone from single mothers to elderly people have been through hell.
And people are angry.
Dozens have spoken of their insurance policies being canceled just months before the fires, while others are reeling over alleged corruption and mismanagement.
They may be angry. But they are also hopeful. The people of Los Angeles are made of strong stuff.
We will get through this. And we will rebuild.
The fire chief added that “we will be facing another critical weather event” due to the high winds as the flames continue to starch the region.
Search and rescue efforts are finally getting underway today after days of devastation.
Cadaver dogs are leading the hunt to help find “remains and reunite families”, Sheriff Robert Luna said.
Brentwood – one of the poshest areas of LA known for its large homes and celebrity residents is set to be engulfed in hours.
Celebrities including Lebron James, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Kamala Harris, Jennifer Garner and US politician Robert F. Kennedy Jr all have homes in the area.
But their residences are all now under threat as the fatal flames roar across the neighborhoods.
Eight people have died in the Eaton Fire with the remaining five being killed in the Palisades Fire.
Around 153,000 people have been evacuated across the county with 166,000 more being placed under severe warnings.
Tens of thousands of structures have been burnt to the ground across several areas.
The devastating fires are set to have a costly impact on the city and its residents – with private forecaster Accuweather estimating the total damage and economic loss up to $150 billion.
Governor Gavin Newsom has deployed over 1,400 firefighters, with additional teams arriving from neighbouring states, but the battle to contain the flames is far from over.
He has also called for an independent investigation after firefighters complained about dropping water pressure in many hydrants across the city.
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Thousands of homes have been up in flamesCredit: Getty
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A plane drops water over the Palisades FireCredit: AP