The death toll from California wildfires climbs to 24 as new urgent alert issued for powerful winds

LOS ANGELES — At least 24 people are believed to be dead and more than a dozen others remain unaccounted for as multiple wildfires, fueled by severe drought conditions and strong Santa Ana winds, continue to rage across Southern California, leaving fire crews scrambling to contain the historic destruction.

Thousands of firefighters are battling several sprawling wildfires across 45 square miles of densely populated Los Angeles County. About 105,000 people remain under mandatory evacuation orders and another 87,000 are under evacuation warnings.

According to the medical examiner, there have been 16 confirmed deaths linked to the Eaton Fire and eight fatalities due to the Palisades Fire.

The number of fatalities is expected to rise as officials continue to battle the dual fires.

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The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection listed three ongoing wildfires in the Los Angeles area as of Sunday night.

The Palisades Fire began in the Pacific Palisades area of the city on Jan. 7. It is at 23,713 acres in size with 13% containment. Approximately 5,000 structures have been destroyed.

The Eaton Fire north of Pasadena also began on Jan. 7. It is burning at 14,117 acres with 27% containment on Sunday. Around 7,000 structures are believed to have been damaged or destroyed.

The Hurst Fire in Sylmar, northwest of San Fernando, began on Jan. 7 and has burned 799 acres. It is at 89% containment.

California Governor Gavin Newsom warned late Sunday that the week was beginning with a forecast for a “Particularly Dangerous Situation” for new wildfires, even as the firefight against the several fires still burning continued.

“Emergency responders are ready tonight. Pre-positioned firefighters and engines are spread around Southern California,” he said on social media. “Stay safe. Be ready to evacuate if you get the order.”

The warning, which comes from the National Weather Service, says that the fire risk is high in Santa Barbara, Ventura and Los Angeles counties amid strong winds, a lack of recent rainfall and relatively low humidities. The warning begins Monday night and runs through Wednesday morning, the service said.

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It’s is the fourth of its kind in three months, Newsom said. The first came ahead of the Mountain Fire in Ventura, which destroyed 243 structures. The second preceded the Franklin Fire in Malibu, which destroyed 20 structures.

And the third preceded the Palisades and Eaton Fires, which have now destroyed thousands of homes and structures, he said.

ABC News contributed to this report.