O=C=OL.A. County declares health emergency due to smoke and ash Smoke hovers over the L.A. Basin
“The fires, coupled with strong winds, have severely degraded air quality by releasing hazardous #smoke and #particulate matter, posing immediate and long-term risks to public #health,” the department said in a statement Friday evening.
Live updates: Winds prolong fire risk as investigators probe electrical tower as possible origin of Eaton fir
There have been at least 24 deaths and more than 12,000 structures damaged or destroyed in the L.A.-area fires. After a day of progress in containing the Eaton and Palisades fires, crews are bracing for several days of winds that could hamper efforts to contain the firestorms.