Los Angeles fire evacuees will have to wait a week to return to their homes

The tens of thousands evacuated by wildfires in Los Angeles were told Thursday they will not be able to return to their homes for at least a week because of the risk of electrical shocks, landslides flooding or exposure to toxic materials.

Frustration, AFP explained, is mounting among residents of areas ravaged by regulations that prevent them from returning to their homes, even if the structures survived the blaze.

The Eaton and Palisades fires have burned more than 40,000 acres and left at least 25 dead. Meanwhile, firefighters are improving containment of the fires as winds diminish.

Similarly, it was learned that the University of California, Los Angeles, located just outside the Palisades fire warning and evacuation zones, will resume in-person classes on Tuesday. The information was confirmed by university officials.

"In-person classes will meet as regularly scheduled beginning on Tuesday, Jan. 21 after the Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday. We are sharing this information as quickly as possible, so that you and your families can make plans and travel arrangements if needed," UCLA Chancellor Julio Frenk reported in a statement.

Meanwhile, authorities are moving forward in learning details about what may have started the fires. In addition, a group of people affected by the flames that are sweeping Southern California filed four lawsuits against Southern California Edison (SCE), a company that supplies utilities in the state such as electricity and heating, accusing it of being responsible for the origin of the fires.

Similarly, over the weekend, it was also learned that California Governor Gavin Newsom ordered an independent investigation into the loss of water pressure in local hydrants and the unavailability of water supplies from the Santa Ynez Reservoir.