Wildfires are endemic to California and natives used fire to shape the land. Orange County and California must learn from the wildfires and decades of government failure in Los Angeles County, and prevent the next disaster.

The number of deaths from the wildfires that destroyed entire communities in the Los Angeles area this month has risen to 29, the county medical examiner’s office said Monday.

The Hughes Fire has now burned 8,096 acres in Los Angeles and Ventura counties since igniting late Wednesday morning near Castaic Lake, according to Cal Fire. As more than 4,000 firefighters responded to the scene, an air tanker and four helicopters attacked the blaze from the air, preventing it from jumping nearby Interstate 5, officials said.

Montana firefighters have returned from Los Angeles where they were helping local crews battling the Palisades Fire.

The Eaton and Palisades fires have consumed more than 37,000 acres of homes, businesses and landmarks in Altadena and Pacific Palisades.