Meteorologist Edgar McGregor, 24, has been praised for warning Altadena residents about the LA fires
A meteorologist saved hundreds of lives by issuing an early warning about the fires across Los Angeles.
A revised death toll from Los Angeles’ coroner’s office confirmed that 24 people have sadly lost their lives as a result of the fires, with eight of the deaths being attributed to Palisade fire, while the Eaton fire has been confirmed to have killed 16.
So far, Palisade and Eaton have been regarded as the two biggest fires out of the eight across the county, with the fires having destroyed around 59 of 62 square miles of LA.
And climate scientist Edgar McGregor was warning Altadena residents about the LA blaze before it even happened.
McGregor, 24, took to the Facebook page, Altadena Weather and Climate, to tell locals not to go to sleep and to pack a bag and prepare for evacuation on 7 January.
He is now being credited with saving hundreds of lives, with him now revealing what warning sign he’d noticed that made him decide to warn everyone.
“I knew on 30 December that when this windstorm hit, the conditions would be carbon copies of the conditions that were on the ground in Lahaina, Hawaii, and in Paradise, which both were completely levelled and lost around a hundred people each,” the meteorologist explained to PEOPLE.
“I told people, if a wildfire breaks out, there’ll be a thousand homes burned down. This would be cataclysmic.
“I knew that that warning might’ve been a little bit excessive, but as it turns out, a thousand homes are not even a fraction of the loss, the ones that were lost.”
On what made him realise, McGregor added: “For years I’ve been telling people this canyon, it’s been decades since we last had a wildfire, and the fuels are abundant.
“I see dead trees that have accumulated everywhere. So I knew this was coming. I certainly didn’t think January was the month it would occur, but I hope that I did my job in warning everybody.”
McGregor has since been hailed a local hero – something he wasn’t prepared for.
“I haven’t even been able to process that mentally,” he said. “I didn’t run into a burning building and get third-degree burns trying to save someone’s life.
“So people are sending me all these comments and I’m thinking to myself, I just did my job.”
With the death toll rising to 24 and thousands left without a home, McGregor continues to post regular updates on the Facebook page.
“I think for the most part the immediate threat is over,” he said. “The next couple of windstorms are not going to be all that impressive, especially not compared to what we saw on Tuesday.
“But it still hasn’t rained. So in the next couple of weeks, if we get another major windstorm, it could be Hollywood that faces disaster next. Santa Barbara.
“Any of these foothill towns. And then when it rains, we have the mudslides to get through.”
What we know so far about the LA wildfires:
2 January
The first warning
The US’ National Weather Service issued a warning of potential strong Santa Ana winds and extreme fire conditions five days before the first wildfire broke out.
In the following days, a Fire Weather Watch warning was issued, as well as state and local officials giving warnings to the Los Angeles area.
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7 January
The first fire ignites
The Palisade’s Fire ignites, triggering an emergency call to be sent to LA residents advising people near the fire to get set for ‘a potential evacuation’.
Later that day, however, the City of Santa Monica issued an Evacuation Order for all areas of the city north of San Vicente: “Evacuation Order: Immediate threat to life. This is a lawful order to LEAVE NOW.”
Two more wildfires begin
Just hours after the first wildfire ignites, the second – named the Eaton Fire – breaks out in the Altadena area of LA.
And following this, the Hurst Fire ignites in LA’s Sylmar area as the National Weather Service report gusts of 99mph. A new evacuation order goes out to those in the affected areas as the blazes rapidly spread, scorching and destroying thousands of acres that contain homes and businesses.
9 January
Prison inmates deployed to help fight fires
Hundreds of incarcerated men and women were deployed to help fight the growing wildfires, with the number of inmates at the frontline standing at 939, the BBC reports.
This practice isn’t uncommon in California, as it is one of 14 US states that uses inmates to help fight fires. Inmates aren’t forced to take part and do so on their own accord, with it being reported they are being paid between $5.80 and $10.24 per day.
However, inmates with certain convictions – such as arson and sexual offences – aren’t eligible to volunteer.
10 January
Man arrested for arson
Three days on from the first fire igniting, the LAPD make an arrest after local residents claim that a man on a bike carrying a large blow torch had been trying to set bins and old Christmas trees on fire.
Authorities believe the Kenneth Fire was started intentionally, with the man believed to be responsible being held in custody.
Billion dollar energy company investigated over possible link to wildfires
Southern California Edison, a subsidiary of energy giant Edison International, admitted that its grid experienced a short circuit issue on 7th January, the evening the first fires broke out.
“On January 10, Southern California Edison (SCE) filed an Electric Safety Incident Report (ESIR) related to the Hurst Fire once SCE learned fire agencies are investigating whether SCE equipment was involved in the ignition, which is a triggering event for reporting,” Edison International said in a press release.
“SCE noted that the fire was reported at approximately 10:10pm on 7 January, and preliminary information reflects the Eagle Rock – Sylmar 220 kV circuit experienced a relay at 10:11pm. A downed powerline was discovered at a tower associated with the Eagle Rock – Sylmar 220 kV circuit. SCE does not know whether the damage observed occurred before or after the start of the fire.”
A-list celebrities forced out of their homes
A number of celebrities have been forced to evacuate their homes, many of which have been destroyed. This includes the likes of Paris Hilton, Miles Teller, Anna Faris, Billy Crystal and Eugene Levy.
13 January
40,000 acres of land destroyed
According to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, more than 40,000 acres have been burned in the Eaton, Palisades, Kenneth and Hurst fires.
Homes and businesses are among the more than 12,000 structures that have been destroyedla fir
The death toll rises
Almost a week on from the first fire starting, 24 people have been confirmed by the LA County medical examiner to have died as a result of the blazes.
Officials also confirmed that at least another 23 people remain missing.
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