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A man dressed as a firefighter and burglarising homes in the Malibu area during the devastating Los Angeles wildfires has been arrested by the authorities, according to a report in Fox News. During a press conference on Sunday (Jan 12), Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Sheriff Robert Luna confirmed the arrest, stating he was also nearly fooled by the robber's get-up as he went on to check on the supposed fireman.
"When I was out there in the Malibu area, I saw a gentleman that looked like a firefighter. And I asked him if he was okay because he was sitting down. I didn't realise we had him in handcuffs," Mr Luna told the reporters.
"We are turning him over to LAPD because he was dressed like a fireman, and he was not. He just got caught burglarising a home. So those are issues that our front line deputies and police officers are dealing with."
As per Mr Luna, about 29 people have been arrested around the wildfires in the Los Angeles area. One person was arrested Saturday night for violating a curfew order in the city while three others were arrested the night before in connection to an alleged burglary.
The chief warned that the 6 pm to 6 am local time curfew remained in effect from Sunday night into Monday.
"Unless you're a public safety personnel or some other disaster worker, you have no reason to be at these locations. And if you are in those areas, you will be subject to arrest. Enforcing a curfew is an important tool to keep the burn areas and evacuated properties secure, keeping looters out."
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Devastation by LA wildfire
As per the authorities, the conditions are expected to worsen in the coming days which could exacerbate the wildfire area. Winds reaching up to 120 kmph are forecasted for the coming days.
"Our concern is winds picking up tonight and then on Monday through Wednesday. The general duration of this is not looking good," a meteorologist was quoted as saying by the LA Times.
The number of people confirmed dead in two wildfires - that burned for the sixth straight day on Sunday - rose to 24 over the weekend. Eight of the dead were found in the Palisades Fire zone, and 16 in the Eaton Fire zone.
The LA wildfires are poised to become one of the costliest natural disasters in US history, with estimated losses already surpassing $135 billion. The total losses could reach as high as $150 billion, making it one of the most expensive wildfires the country has ever seen, as per a BBC report.