LOS ANGELES — The two wildfires that ravaged Pacific Palisades, as well as the Altadena and Pasadena areas were fully contained Saturday after killing 29 people, destroying more than 16,000 structures and burning more than 37,000 acres.

At 8 a.m. today, the checkpoints on Pacific Coast Highway will be removed, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass announced Friday.

The Los Angeles Police Department will maintain a “strategic presence” in the fire-ravaged area, Chief Jim McDonnell promised. A strike force of officers will patrol the Palisades and the LAPD will maintain a command post at Will Rogers State Beach.

Some 33 patrol cars will be deployed 24 hours a day along with automated license plate readers. McDonnell noted there was not an increase in crime after the areas under the L.A. County Sheriff’s jurisdiction were reopened earlier.

Pacific Coast Highway also reopens to the public today and additional California Highway Patrol officers will be deployed along PCH, with a marked patrol vehicle stationed every half-mile along the state-owned right of way to protect motorists, traffic flow, and public safety between Santa Monica and Malibu, Gov. Gavin Newsom said.

Only one lane will be open in each direction between the McClure Tunnel and Carbon Beach Terrace. Also there will be a 25 mph speed limit, all signals will flash red and extreme congestion is expected.

The move was met by criticism by Rick J. Caruso, who was defeated by Bass in the 2022 election.

“Pulling the National Guard this soon is insane,” Caruso said on X. “Why did Mayor Bass order the Guard to be removed? The area is still full of hazards. The lucky few who still have homes are left unprotected. LAPD doesn’t have the resources. This is reckless.”

In the meantime, all evacuation orders have been lifted, but only residents and approved contractors were being permitted back into the former evacuation zones.

County public health officials are distributing personal protective equipment to residents returning to their homes in the various burn areas. Authorities urged residents to wear masks, gloves and other protective equipment if they are digging through rubble, noting the toxic nature of wildfire ash and other debris.

Nightly curfew orders remain in effect from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. in the burn areas in an effort to restrict unnecessary access and prevent looting.

The Eaton Fire in the Altadena and Pasadena areas caused at least 17 deaths, destroying 9,418 structures and damaging 1,073 more while burning 14,021 acres.

Repopulation efforts have been completed.

At least 12 people were killed in the Palisades fire, which burned 23,448 acres, destroyed 6,837 structures and damaged 1,017 others.

Returning Pacific Palisades residents must obtain an access pass by checking in with law enforcement at the Lot 3 Beach Access, 1150 Pacific Coast Highway, in Santa Monica. Private contractors hired by residents are also being permitted into the burn area.

The causes of the Eaton and Palisades fires remain under investigation. Both erupted on Jan. 7 as the area was under a red flag warning for critical fire danger due to a historic Santa Ana wind event that saw gusts of 80 to 100 mph.

The Los Angeles County Office of Medical Examiner has positively identified 18 of the 29 people confirmed dead in the two wildfires.

Pacific Coast Highway will reopen in the Palisades area at 8 a.m. today, with speed reduced to 25 mph and one lane closed in each direction between Temescal Canyon Road and Carbon Beach Terrace in Malibu.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency crews continue working to identify and remove hazardous waste from properties scorched by the fires.

Questions continued to linger about exactly how long it would take for residents to begin the rebuilding process, but county and federal officials said Wednesday the process was being expedited as much as possible. The first phase of the cleanup effort — the removal of hazardous materials from properties in the burn area — was underway, with the EPA tasked with completing the work within 30 days.

Status updates on the EPA’s work, including an interactive map of individual fire-affected properties, are available online at epa.gov/ca/2025-california-wildfires.

As that process continued, officials urged affected residents to fill out “Right of Entry” forms to either opt in or out of a free debris-clearance program offered by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Gov. Gavin Newsom said Saturday that more than 4,000 such forms have already been submitted accepting the free property cleanup.

Officials urged other residents to complete the forms as soon as possible so the Army Corps can quickly begin the debris-clearance work after the EPA completes its work on individual properties, in what is considered Phase 2 of the cleanup work. Residents have until March 31 to complete the forms, which are available at recovery.lacounty.gov/debris-removal or at any FEMA Disaster Recovery Center.

Army Col. Eric Swenson of the Corps of Engineers said Wednesday morning that he anticipates the vast majority of the debris-clearance work to be completed within a year. He said previous comments about the process taking up to 18 months included potential delays involved with some properties in which ownership could be in question or the resident died.

Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger said the county is working on a set of guidelines for property owners who would like to put temporary “accessory dwelling units” on their fire-damaged properties, allowing them to live on site while rebuilding work is done. She noted there are pre-fabricated units available that could potentially be erected on properties quickly, providing a living space for displaced residents who have been staying in hotels or other accommodations.

FEMA Disaster Recovery Centers are open at UCLA Research Park West, 10850 W. Pico Blvd., and in Altadena at 540 W. Woodbury Road, to assist homeowners with applying for aid. The center’s are open daily from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.

FEMA is also operating two other centers to provide assistance to fire victims, including those from the Hurst, Sunset and Hughes fires. Those centers are at:

Sherman Oaks East Valley Adult Center, 5056 Van Nuys Blvd., building B, operating 9:30 a.m to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday

Ritchie Valens Recreation Center, 10736 Laurel Canyon Blvd., Pacoima, operating from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, and 1 to 6 p.m. Saturdays

The deadline for fire victims to apply for FEMA financial relief is March 10. According to the county, FEMA has already approved more than $54 million in housing and other assistance for 24,575 households. More than 117,200 individuals have registered for FEMA assistance.

Meanwhile, the city of Pasadena is set to resume parking enforcement in residential areas on Monday for street sweeping, oversized vehicles, and 72-hour limits.

Enforcement for streets where a permit is required will resume on Feb. 17, and enforcement for overnight parking will resume on March 1.

The Rev. Al Sharpton announced that he will travel to Pasadena on Thursday to lead a noontime memorial service and rally for victims of the wildfires. The civil rights leader will appear with attorney Ben Crump, who represents relatives of several Southern Californians killed in the blazes.

The service will be held at First AME Church at 1700 N. Raymond Ave. in Pasadena, and will also include Pastor the Rev. Larry Campbell.

Another Southland blaze that broke out later in the month, the Hughes Fire in the Castaic Lake area, burned 10,425 acres and was fully contained Friday, according to Cal Fire.

By the time all the damage is assessed, the fires are expected to constitute the costliest natural disaster in U.S. history.