The deadly Palisades and Eaton wildfires have finally been 100% contained — more than three weeks after they broke out in Los Angeles and the nearby Altadena area, according to California authorities.
The official, and much anticipated, designation that the fires were contained, came just after 5 p.m. local time on Friday, according to California’s Department of Forestry and Fire Protection website.
Containment is defined by how much of a perimeter has been established by first responders around the blaze.
Each fire continues to burn as of Friday night, though they are both now considered under control.
The blaze in the Pacific Palisades — a celebrity enclave in LA — ignited on Jan 7. and torched 23,448 acres, killing twelve Angelinos as it crawled through residential neighborhoods.
The Eaton Fire sparked the same day, burning over 14,000 acres, and resulting in the deaths of 17 people in the Altadena area of Los Angeles County.
Combined, the two fires are responsible for the destruction of over 16,000 structures including homes and businesses in urban and residential areas in the city of stars.
Property damages for those that are insured and were affected by the fires will exceed $28 billion.
Welcomed rain showers brought some relief on fire-scarred Southern California on Monday in the first significant rainfall in the region in nearly eight months.
However, those rain storms did result in both flooding and mudslides and led to the closing of the Pacific Coast Highway on Monday.
The Pacific Coast Highway, one of the nation’s most scenic roadways, will officially reopen on Sunday, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Friday.
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