After making some progress that destroyed thousands of homes and killed at least 24 people in the Los Angeles area, firefighters prepared for a return of dangerous winds that could again stoke the flames.

The relative calm Sunday allowed some people to return to previously evacuated areas. But even as in the , more bad news emerged from the ashes: The death toll surged late Sunday with an update from the Los Angeles County medical examiner. At least 16 people were missing, a number authorities said was also likely to rise.

And the forecast was worrying. The National Weather Service issued a rare warning of a 鈥減articularly dangerous situation,鈥� beginning overnight Monday into Tuesday.

It predicted through Wednesday, with sustained winds of up to 40 mph (64 kph) and gusts in the mountains reaching 65 mph (105 kph). The most dangerous day will be Tuesday, warned fire behavior analyst Dennis Burns at a community meeting Sunday night.

Fierce have been largely blamed for turning the wildfires sparked last week into infernos that around the nation鈥檚 second-largest city where there has been no significant rainfall in more than

In all, four fires have consumed more than 62 square miles (160 square kilometers), an area larger than San Francisco. The Eaton Fire near Pasadena and the Palisades Fire, in a wealthy enclave along the Pacific Coast, alone accounted for 59 square miles (nearly 153 square kilometers). Each fire had some containment, which increased over the weekend.

Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony C. Marrone said 70 additional water trucks arrived to help firefighters fend off flames spread by renewed gusts. 鈥淲e are prepared for the upcoming wind event,鈥� Marrone said.

Fire retardant dropped by aircraft will act as a barrier along hillsides, officials said.

Residents check on their homes

Some residents have been able to return to their homes to survey the damage.

Jim Orlandini, who lost his hardware store in Altadena, next to Pasadena, said his home of 40 years survived.

鈥淭uesday night we didn鈥檛 sleep at all because we figured the house was gone,鈥� he said Sunday as he recalled the moment the fires spread to his neighborhood.

鈥淭he whole time I was thinking, I don鈥檛 know what I鈥檓 going to find when I get back here and after 40 years, you know, you got a lot of stuff you forget about that would disappear if the house burned down. So we鈥檙e thankful that it didn鈥檛.鈥�

Sixteen of the 24 deaths were attributed to the Eaton Fire and eight to the Palisades Fire, according to the Los Angeles County coroner鈥檚 office.

Twelve people were missing within the Eaton Fire zone and four were missing from the Palisades Fire, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said. Investigators were trying to figure out if some of the missing might be among the dead.

The toll could rise as cadaver dogs conducted systematic searches in leveled neighborhoods. Authorities established a center where people could report the missing.

Officials were also building an online database to allow evacuated residents to see if their homes were damaged or destroyed. In the meantime, LA city Fire Chief Kristin Crowley urged people to stay away from scorched neighborhoods.

鈥淭here are still active fires that are burning within the Palisades area, making it extremely, extremely dangerous for the public,鈥� Crowley said at a Sunday morning briefing. 鈥淭here鈥檚 no power, there鈥檚 no water, there鈥檚 broken gas lines, and we have unstable structures.鈥�

Officials warned the ash can contain lead, arsenic, asbestos and other harmful materials.

About 150,000 people in Los Angeles County remained under evacuation orders, with more than 700 residents taking refuge in nine shelters, Luna said. Officials said most of the orders in the Palisades area were unlikely to be lifted before the red flag warnings expire Wednesday evening.

鈥淧lease rest assured that first thing Thursday we will begin talking about repopulation,鈥� Marrone said.

Firefighters continue to battle flames

Crews from California and nine other states are part of the ongoing response that includes nearly 1,400 fire engines, 84 aircraft and more than 14,000 personnel, including newly arrived firefighters from Mexico.

After a fierce battle Saturday, firefighters managed to fight back flames in Mandeville Canyon, home to Arnold Schwarzenegger and other celebrities near Pacific Palisades not far from the coast, where swooping helicopters dumped water as the blaze charged downhill.

The fire ran through chaparral-covered hillsides and also briefly threatened to jump over Interstate 405 and into densely populated areas in the Hollywood Hills and San Fernando Valley.

Arrests for looting

Looting continued to be a concern, with authorities reporting more arrests as the devastation grew. Those arrested included two people who posed as firefighters going into houses, Los Angeles Police Department Capt. Michael Lorenz said.

With California National Guard troops on hand to guard properties, Gov. Gavin Newsom posted on X: 鈥淐alifornia will NOT allow for looting.鈥�

Historic cost

The fires that began Tuesday just north of downtown LA had burned more than . for the largest fires was determined.

Early estimates suggest they could be the nation鈥檚 , as much as $150 billion according to an AccuWeather estimate.

Inmate firefighters on the front lines

Along with crews from other states and , hundreds of from California鈥檚 prison system were also helping fight the fires. Nearly 950 prison firefighters were removing timber and brush ahead of the fires to slow their spread, according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.

The as the inmates are paid little for dangerous and difficult work: $10.24 each day, with more for 24-hour shifts, according to the corrections department.

Rebuilding will be a challenge

Newsom issued an executive order Sunday aimed at fast-tracking rebuilding by suspending some environmental regulations and ensuring that property tax assessments were not increased.

鈥淲e鈥檝e got to let people know that we have their back,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e want you to come back, rebuild, and rebuild with higher quality building standards, more modern standards.鈥�

More than 24,000 people had registered for federal assistance made available by a major disaster declaration by President Joe Biden, according to the White House.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said Sunday that she had spoken with President-elect Donald Trump鈥檚 incoming administration and expected that he would visit the city.

Leadership accused of skimping

Bass during the city鈥檚 greatest crisis in decades, but allegations of leadership failures, political blame and investigations have begun.

Newsom on Friday ordered state officials to determine why a 117 million-gallon (440 million-liter) reservoir was out of service and some hydrants had run dry.