Firefighters holding Eaton, Palisades fires in check, but new wind event is on the way

Birds are returning to areas of Altadena on Sunday morning as a cloud of smoke hangs over the seemingly endless blocks of destroyed homes and businesses.

As residents slowly trickle back to check out the scope of the destruction, Moogega Cooper and her fiancé Alex Shekarchian were stunned to see their Altadena home reduced to ashes.

"I can see my washing machine. I can see so many remnants of what used to be," remarked Cooper.

"What do you regret not taking with you?" asked ABC's Jaclyn Lee.

"Definitely my box of keepsakes," said Cooper. "My dad fought in World War II came back to a segregated country and there were little fragments of his tours around the Pacific that I really wish I'd kept."

Stories are now emerging about the lack of adequate water supply as both firefighters and residents battled the flames during some of the largest fires in Los Angeles history.

"I blame that lady," said Altadena resident Marcela Banuelos. "The mayor?" asked Lee. "Yes," replied Banuelos. "Because of how she cut the funds to the fire department."

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass does not have jurisdiction over Altadena, which is in Los Angeles County, but residents are frustrated.

Banuelos, 24, watched her home burn to the ground in Altadena and then ran to her grandmother's home, grabbed a water hose, climbed to the roof, and tried to save it all.

"I jumped on the roof, and we were spraying the water," said Banuelos. "There was no water pressure. There was nothing. They shut the water off on us. And, you know, there was nothing we could do. Like we didn't have any water to try to put out anything. And, you know, I tried my best. And thankfully, you know, my grandma's house is still there."

"We were using garden hoses, we were using the Sparkletts gallons of water, just the plastic bottles and filling buckets and just throwing it overboard," said Banuelos. "And we were also scooping the dirt, throwing the dirt, the water supply cut off. Yeah, they shut the water off on us."

Banuelos choked up recalling the moment she watched the flames tear through her beloved home.

"It was like straight flames and black smoke and dust and it was just really sad, because I'm only 24 and I was about to make two years that I moved out of my parents, and I took a lot of pride in that and I was very happy there," said Banuelos.

As residents try to figure out next steps, Cooper and Shekarchian are determined to rebuild but plan to do so differently.

"I'm definitely worried about this happening again," said Cooper. "And I'm going to be very conscious since we're rebuilding from the ground up of the materials that we use to make sure that it's a fire deterrent and in hopes that this doesn't happen again."

The couple said they are worried about the ability to obtain home insurance after rebuilding.

A man dressed like a firefighter was arrested after being caught burglarizing a home in the Malibu area, LASD Sheriff Robert Luna said during a Sunday press conference.

Luna said he was in the area when he saw the man, who "looked like a firefighter," sitting down. Luna said he asked the man if he was OK before realizing that he was in handcuffs.

A man dressed like a firefighter was arrested after being caught burglarizing a home in the Malibu area, LASD Sheriff Robert Luna said during a Sunday press conference.

The sheriff's department turned the man over to LAPD officers. LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell said the man was arrested for impersonating a firefighter.

"We have people who will go to all ends to do what it is they want to do to exploit the victims of this tragedy," McDonnell said.

About 29 people have been arrested around the wildfires in the Los Angeles area, LASD Sheriff Robert Luna said during a Sunday morning press conference.

Luna said 25 people were arrested in the vicinity of the Eaton Fire. Authorities on Saturday night arrested six people - three for curfew violations and three others for additional charges, including carrying a concealed firearm and narcotics-related charges.

About 29 people have been arrested around the wildfires in the Los Angeles area, LASD Sheriff Robert Luna said during a Sunday morning press conference.

Luna said four people were arrested in the vicinity of the Palisades Fire area, including one on Saturday for a curfew violation.

LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell urged the public to avoid areas where mandatory evacuation orders are in place.

McDonnell also said a curfew order will remain in effect from 6 p.m. Sunday night to 6 a.m. Monday.

He said the curfew order is an important tool to "keep the burn areas and evacuated properties secure, keeping looters out." It also helps keep public safety personnel safe, he said.

"Unless you're public safety personnel or some other disaster workers, you have no reason to be at these locations, and if you are in those areas, you will be subject to arrest," McDonnell said.

As firefighters continue to battle the Palisades Fire, many residents are wondering when they can return to their homes.

Several residents told Eyewitness News people waited more than four hours just to see if they can get into the area.

During a press conference Sunday morning, city and county officials issued an update on both the Palisades and Eaton fires, saying the areas near the fires are simply just not safe enough to allow residents to return.

LAPD Chief McDonnell said during the early stages of the evacuation process, officers allowed some people to get through fire zones with the help of an LAPD escort. That is changing. McDonnell said they'll no longer be offering that service, effective immediately.

"I'd like to express and explain the why ... why our residents are not allowed to come back into that area," said Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristin Crowley. "There are still active fires that are burning within the Palisades area, making it extremely, extremely dangerous for the public. There's no power, there's no water, there's broken gas lines, and we have unstable structures. The first responders are working as quickly as possible to ensure that it is safe for you to return into your communities."

Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna echoed that message, urging residents to follow all evacuation warnings and orders.

As firefighters continue to battle the Palisades Fire, many residents are wondering when they can return to their homes.

"I just want to remind everybody, if you are asked to leave and you're in an evacuation order area, your life is in danger," said Luna. "You need to leave. I know, and it's been stated already, a lot of our residents are trying to get back, and they're frustrated."

Luna said he stopped by several checkpoints in Altadena and Malibu where he met with residents hoping to be let in, but he wants to make it clear that it's just not safe yet.

"I'm just going to say this, in driving around some of these areas, they literally look like war zones," he said. "There are downed power poles, electric wires. There are still some smoldering fires. It is not safe. The minute it is safe, we understand the inconvenience, and every conversation we're having about evacuations, that depopulation conversation, is continuously coming up. We do care. We want to get you back into your homes, but we can't allow that until it is safe for you to do so."

LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell said that during the early stages of the evacuation process, his department allowed limited access to certain areas, meaning some people were able to get through fire zones with the help of an LAPD escort.

This allowed some people to grab any necessary medications or even their pets.

That, however, is changing. McDonnell said they'll no longer be offering that service, saying "the numbers became overwhelming."

"There was frustration, there were long waits to be able to do it and we still try to facilitate it although we weren't able to do that for everyone," he said.

LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell said that during the early stages of the evacuation process, his department allowed limited access to certain areas, meaning some people were able to get through fire zones with the help of an LAPD escort. That, however, is not happening anymore.