California fires updates: Death toll in Los Angeles fires rises to 24

A man masquerading as a firefighter was among several people arrested over the weekend on charges of burglarizing homes in a mandatory evacuation fire zone, authorities said Sunday.

The man dressed as a firefighter was arrested on Saturday in the Malibu area, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said during a news conference Sunday.

Luna said that while touring fire-ravaged areas, he came across deputies taking the man into custody and initially mistook him for a real firefighter and asked him if he was OK.

"I didn't realize we had him in handcuffs and we were turning him over to LAPD," Luna said.

Luna said the total number of people arrested on charges of looting, burglary, or failing to obey a 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew is up to 29 since the fires started on Tuesday.

He said six people were arrested Saturday night at the Eaton Fire burning near the communities of Pasadena and Altadena.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed an executive order on Sunday that he says will speed up the rebuilding of homes and businesses destroyed in the Los Angeles County firestorm.

Newsom said the executive order will cut bureaucratic red tape and streamline certain building permits for the thousands of people whose homes were leveled or substantially damaged by multiple wind-whipped wildfires ravaging the region.

"When the fires are extinguished, victims who have lost their homes and businesses must be able to rebuild quickly and without roadblocks," Newsom said in a statement. "The executive order I signed today will help cut permitting delays, an important first step in allowing our communities to recover faster and stronger. I've also ordered our state agencies to identify additional ways to streamline the rebuilding and recovery process."

Newsom's order suspends permitting and review requirements under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and the California Coastal Act to allow victims to restore their homes and businesses faster.

The governor said he is also directing state agencies to identify additional permitting requirements, including provisions of the building code, that can safely be suspended or streamlined to accelerate rebuilding and make it more affordable. He said he is also working with the state legislature to identify statutory changes that can help expedite rebuilding

Calmer winds gave thousands of firefighters battling several active wildfires a chance to expand containment lines overnight on two of the three biggest infernos, but officials said Sunday the fire threat remains high and winds are expected to pick up.

The number of confirmed deaths from the fires stayed at 16 on Sunday, according to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner's Office.

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California officials give update on LA wildfires

Thousands of firefighters are battling several blazes across Los Angeles County.

ABCNews.com

Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said during a press conference Sunday that 16 people remain unaccounted for in the Eaton and Palisades fires, but he expects that number to grow as search and rescue teams with cadaver dogs sift through the rubble.

Chief Anthony Marrone of the Los Angeles County Fire Department said containment on the Eaton Fire burning in the Pasadena and Altadena areas has been expanded to 27%. Marrone said firefighters managed to keep the fire in check at 14,117 acres.

Marrone said more than 7,000 structures have been destroyed by the Eaton Fire and that 3,155 firefighting personnel were assigned to the blaze.

Chief Kristin Crowley of the Los Angeles Fire Department said the Palisades Fire in Pacific Palisades, the largest fire burning, had grown to 23,707 acres by Sunday morning and remained 11 % contained. More than 4,700 personnel were battling the blaze, she said.

Marrone said firefighters made significant progress on the Hurst Fire burning near Sylmar, getting containment up to 89% and preventing the fire from growing beyond 799 acres.

The pressing fire danger in Southern California will continue through Sunday with the critical fire risk zone covering an area encompassing more than 8 million people.

The fire risk will stay critical for through Monday and likely into Tuesday and Wednesday, with no major relief in sight.

From Saturday night into Sunday morning, winds were in the 35-55 mph range, with some gusts reaching as high as 70 mph in the mountains surrounding Los Angeles.

A red flag warning will remain in effect for much of southern California through Wednesday, with humidity as low as 10% and gusty Santa Ana winds up to 70 mph.

-ABC News' Dan Amarante