Getty Fire Update: Nearby Residents Might Return Home in a ‘Couple Days,’ LAFD Chief Says

LAFD chief Ralph Terrazas spoke at a press conference on Wednesday

LAFD chief Ralph Terrazas said Wednesday it may be a “couple days” before residents near Southern California’s Getty Fire are back in their homes.

“I still think we’re a couple days out. Tonight does not look good. I think tomorrow — There’s a possibility of late tomorrow,” Terrazas said during a livestreamed press conference near the site.

“This high-wind event will continue until tomorrow afternoon. We want to be confident we are past this wind event before we make that decision,” he continued.

Around 7,091 residences are in the Mandatory Evacuation Zone and are considered to be threatened, according to the LAFD. Twelve residences have been destroyed, and five residences have been damaged.

At an earlier press conference staged near the scene Tuesday, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said that investigators had determined the fire was not caused by any kind of equipment failure. Instead, a tree branch near the 1900 block of North Sepulveda Boulevard was broken by strong Santa Ana winds and thrown toward nearby power lines, which sparked, causing the fire. The mayor referred to it as an “act of God.”

As of Wednesday, the size of that “act of God” fire was updated to 745 acres. Containment, according to stats posted by the LAFD, was at 27%.

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