Written by Jorge Garcia, Rollo Ros, and María Alejandra Cardona

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – The largest of the raging wildfires that have devastated parts of Los Angeles this week reportedly changed direction on Saturday, prompting more evacuation orders and posing a new challenge for exhausted firefighters.

Six simultaneous fires that have torn through Los Angeles County neighborhoods since Tuesday have killed at least 11 people and damaged or destroyed 10,000 structures. The number of casualties is expected to rise when firefighters are able to conduct house-to-house searches.

The strong Santa Ana winds that fanned the fires subsided Friday night. But the Los Angeles Times reported that the Palisades Fire on the city’s western edge was heading in a new direction, prompting another evacuation order as it moved toward the Brentwood neighborhood and the foothills of the San Fernando Valley.

“The Palisades Fire has created a new major flare in the eastern portion and is continuing to the northeast,” Los Angeles Fire Department Captain Eric Scott told local station KTLA, according to a report on the Los Angeles Times website.

The fire, the most destructive in Los Angeles’ history, leveled entire neighborhoods, leaving only the smoldering ruins of what had been people’s homes and property.

Before the latest fire, firefighters reported progress in subduing the Palisades Fire and Eaton (NYSE:) A fire is burning in the foothills east of D.C. after burning out of control for several days. The Palisades fire Friday night was 8% contained and the Eaton fire was 3% contained, state agency Cal Fire said.

The two large fires combined consumed 35,000 acres (14,100 hectares) or 54 square miles, two and a half times the area of ​​Manhattan.

Los Angeles County Police Chief Robert Luna said about 153,000 people are still under evacuation orders, and another 166,800 face evacuation warnings, with a curfew imposed in all evacuation zones.

Seven neighboring states, the federal government and Canada rushed to provide assistance to California, bolstering air teams dropping water and fire retardant on burning hills and crews on the ground attacking fire lines with hand tools and hoses.

The National Weather Service said conditions in the Los Angeles area will improve over the weekend, with sustained winds slowing to about 20 mph (32 kph) and gusts between 35 and 50 mph.

“It’s not windy, so that should help firefighters,” said Alison Santorelli, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, adding that conditions remain critical with low humidity and dry vegetation.

Cal Fire said there is a chance of strong winds again on Tuesday.

“There will still be a high probability of fire weather conditions over the next week,” she added.

Officials declared a public health emergency due to the thick, toxic smoke.

Houses turned to ashes

Residents of Pacific Palisades, who ventured back to their devastated neighborhoods on Friday, were shocked to find brick chimneys looming above charred waste and burned-out vehicles as acrid smoke lingered in the air.

“This was a beloved home,” Kelly Foster, 44, said as she combed through the rubble where her home once stood.

Foster’s 16-year-old daughter, Ada, said she tried to get in but “I just got sick. I couldn’t even… yeah, it’s hard.”

In Rick McGaig’s Palisades neighborhood, only six of the 60 homes survived, and all that was left standing at his farmhouse was a statue of the Virgin Mary.

“Everything else is ashes and rubble,” said McGaig, 61, a commercial real estate broker who, along with his wife, raised three children in their home.

On Friday morning, hundreds of people streamed into the parking lot near the Rose Bowl in Pasadena to pick up donated clothes, diapers and bottled water.

Denise Doss, 63, said she was eager to return to her destroyed home in Altadena to see if there was anything that could be saved, but officials held her back due to safety concerns.

“At least let’s say goodbye so we can rebuild. I’ll let God lead me,” Doss said.

Losses in billions

Many Altadena residents said they worry that government resources will go to wealthier areas and that insurance companies may turn to those who can’t afford to appeal fire claim denials.

Along with those who lost their homes, tens of thousands remained without power, and millions of people were exposed to poor-quality air, as fires left traces of metal, plastic and other synthetic materials.

Private forecasting firm AccuWeather estimated damage and economic losses at between $135 billion and $150 billion, portending an arduous recovery and rising insurance costs for homeowners.

California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara called on insurers on Friday to suspend pending non-renewals and cancellations homeowners received before the fires started and extend the grace period for payments.

President Joe Biden declared the fires a major disaster and said that the US government would reimburse 100% of the recovery costs during the next six months.