LOS ANGELES (AP) — It has been more than a week since two massive fires forced tens of thousands of people to flee their homes in the Los Angeles area, and officials said Thursday residents won’t be going home soon. As the search continues for human remains in the leveled neighborhoods, properties also face new dangers with burned slopes at risk of landslides and the charred debris laden with asbestos and other toxins.
More than 80,000 people are still under evacuation orders, and many do not know what, if anything, is left of their houses, apartments and possessions. Scores of people have gathered at checkpoints to plead with police and soldiers restricting access to their neighborhoods.
Officials said they understand their frustration, but they asked residents for patience as hazardous materials teams and cadaver dogs comb the sites block by block. They said it will be a week or more before people can go back.
“The properties have been damaged beyond belief,” Los Angeles County Public Works Director Mark Pestrella said at a briefing. “They are full of sediment, debris, silt and hazardous materials.”
Hillsides have become unstable behind some damaged homes, and a small landslide in Pacific Palisades this week sent debris into the streets, he added.