Firefighters continued to battle multiple major wildfires.
The “particularly dangerous situation” went into effect at 4 a.m. Tuesday and will last through noon Wednesday for swaths of Los Angeles and Ventura counties. The National Weather Service reserves the designation for signifying an extreme red flag warning, when especially hazardous fire weather conditions are expected.
Palisades fire
Burned 23,713 acres and numerous homes, businesses and landmarks in Pacific Palisades and westward along Pacific Coast Highway, toward Malibu. As of 7:00 a.m. Tuesday morning, the fire was 17% contained, up from 14% early Monday.
Many parts of Pacific Palisades, Malibu, Calabasas, Brentwood and Encino are under evacuation orders or warnings. More than 12,000 structures remain threatened. Santa Monica has downgraded its mandatory evacuation orders to warnings. Officials estimate that more than 5,300 structures, including many homes, have been damaged or destroyed.
Eaton fire
Burned 14,117 acres and many structures in Altadena and Pasadena. As of 7 a.m. Tuesday morning, the fire was 35% contained, up from 33% early Monday. Officials say 7,000 structures have been damaged in the fire.
Most of Altadena was under an evacuation order, as was unincorporated Kinneloa Mesa. In Pasadena, a mandatory evacuation order was in place in the northern half of the neighborhood of Hastings Ranch. In Sierra Madre, mandatory evacuations were in effect in some areas north of Grand View Avenue, and voluntary evacuations were in place in other portions of the city.
Coverage of the fires ravaging Altadena, Malibu, Pacific Palisades and Pasadena, including stories about the devastation, issues firefighters faced and the weather.
Dangerous winds prompt extreme fire alert for SoCal for next two days
Firefighters battling blazes that have carved a devastating path through Los Angeles County in the last week faced another day of powerful winds Tuesday that officials feared could spark new fires and expand existing ones.
An unprecedented fourth “particularly dangerous situation” fire weather warning issued by the National Weather Service took effect Tuesday morning and is expected to last through Wednesday for swaths of Los Angeles and Ventura counties. Gusts of up to 72 mph had already hit the San Gabriel Mountains early Tuesday.
In the last several days, firefighters have rushed to stop the Palisades and Eaton fires from growing and to boost containment of the blazes ahead of the winds. The Palisades fire has burned more than 23,700 acres and was 17% contained as of Tuesday. The Eaton fire, burning in the Altadena area, has charred just over 14,100 acres and was 35% contained, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department.
He posted videos of the start of the Palisades fire. Then the internet blamed him
The five men were meditating off a trail near Skull Rock in the hills above the Pacific Palisades on the morning of Jan. 7.
With their eyes closed, they spoke about how they were feeling, what they were sensing.
Winds expected to pick up later Tuesday
After a midday of moderate winds, gusts are expected to pick up late Tuesday night and last into Wednesday afternoon, forecasters said.
Winds earlier Tuesday came in weaker than expected, especially outside of the mountains, said National Weather Service meteorologist Robbie Munroe.
But, he added, “we do anticipate a stronger push ... into Ventura County tonight and especially Wednesday morning to early afternoon.” Munroe said.
Wind gusts middday were as high as 46 mph in the San Gabriel Mountains and 48 mph in the Santa Susana Mountains south of Fillmore in Ventura County.
A new fire that started in Riverside County amid Santa Ana winds has prompted an evacuation order.
One of them, the Scout fire, forced an evacuation of Mount Rubidoux Park, a mountain just west of downtown Riverside. Riverside Community Hospital is about half a mile southeast of the park, and the historic Mission Inn Hotel is about four-fifths of a mile away.
The Scout fire had burned two acres as of 1 p.m. and has the potential to burn five, according to Riverside Fire Department Division Chief Michael Staley. The blaze began around 12:03 p.m. in the Santa Ana River bottom.
No structures were threatened and 13 units were deployed to fight the fire, Staley said. Helicopters were also conducting water drops.
Fires break out amid windy conditions in Riverside County, triggering evacuations
Two new fires have started in Riverside County amid Santa Ana winds, sparking new evacuations in Southern California.
The Scout fire is burning near Mission Boulevard and Crestmore Road in Jurupa Valley and the second fire is burning in Hemet near Warren Road and Esplanade Avenue, Riverside County fire officials said.
Regulators criticized Edison’s wildfire safety actions months before deadly Eaton fire
State regulators criticized Southern California Edison for falling behind in inspecting transmission lines in areas at high risk of wildfires just months before the deadly Eaton fire, according to state documents.
Utility safety officials also said the company’s visual inspections of splices in its transmission lines were sometimes failing to find dangerous problems, according to their October report. Instead, those problems were not discovered until the company inspected the lines with X-ray equipment, which is far less frequently used.
Kenneth fire ‘person of interest’ is a convicted felon and entered country illegally, ICE says
A “person of interest” in the Kenneth fire who was arrested after being caught with a blowtorch near the source of the fire has been detained by immigration authorities for entering the country illegally from Mexico, officials said Tuesday.
Juan Manuel Sierra, 33, a.k.a Juan Manuel Sierra-Leyva, was arrested last Thursday by the Los Angeles Police Department for violating felony probation after “attempting to start a fire” in a West Hills neighborhood near the location of the Kenneth fire. He is a suspect in connection with the nearly 1,000-acre blaze, according to law enforcement officials and a document reviewed by The Times.
Newsom suspends state rules for schools affected by the fires
Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an executive order Tuesday to support schools and students affected by the Los Angeles County wildfires.
The order allows displaced students to go to school outside their district, suspends state requirements around annual instructional days for schools impacted by the fires and makes it easier for schools to operate in temporary facilities as they rebuild, among other directives.
The governor said his order “will help bring back some sense of normalcy for our youth by eliminating barriers to getting them back learning in school.”
“We are using the full force of the state government to respond to the Los Angeles firestorms and ensure recovery for the thousands of residents who have been impacted by this unimaginable loss, including school-aged children,” Newsom said.
Impact of L.A. County’s wildfire evacuations ripples into Skid Row
Two weeks after Raven Edgar began living in an interim housing shelter on Skid Row, she ended up back on the streets.
Last week, as the wildfires broke out and scorched thousands of acres across L.A., the Weingart Center on Skid Row took in about 19 unhoused people who had been impacted by the fires, according to Jericho Kilpatrick, a spokesperson for the organization. Around 3 a.m., Edgar woke up to a voice over the loudspeaker system.
Restaurant workers affected by wildfires can apply for financial assistance
Food and beverage workers who have lost their home or workplace to the Los Angeles fires can apply for financial assistance starting today with Restaurants Care, an aid program started by the California Restaurant Foundation.
Restaurants Care has committed $100,000 to the Los Angeles Fires 2025 Relief Grants, which will provide assistance of up to $1,500 to food and beverage workers affected by the fires, according to a statement by the California Restaurant Foundation.
The grant applications will remain available as long as funds allow. Priority will be given to workers who are ineligible for other assistance and people who have lost both their housing and place of work, the organization said in a news release.
Funds can be used to cover essentials like temporary shelter, food, clothing and basic necessities.
“Los Angeles is our backyard; it is our home. Restaurants Care has stood by California’s restaurant community through its most challenging times, from devastating natural disasters like the Camp, Thomas, Tubbs and Carr Fires to the pandemic, Hollywood strikes and everyday crises,” Alycia Harshfield, president of the California Restaurant Foundation, said in a prepared statement.
Expecting an overwhelming response for assistance, the foundation is also accepting donations on its website, organizers said.
California’s wildfire recovery faces political challenges in Republican-led Washington
WASHINGTON — With President-elect Donald Trump about to take office, federal aid to fire-ravaged Los Angeles has already become entangled in a partisan political fight in Washington.
The disastrous wildfires are some of the most destructive and expensive in American history, underscoring the need for sustained funding for continued recovery efforts. But House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) indicated Tuesday that Congress could be setting up a potentially long political battle for continued relief funding, based on California’s liberal leadership during the disaster.
Tips to find the best air purifiers to protect against L.A. wildfire smoke
As buildings and brush continue to smolder in Los Angeles, a toxic soup of smoke, chemicals and particulate matter is being spread across the region by gusty winds, prompting a surge in interest in air purifying devices.
Web searches for “air purifier for wildfire smoke” in Los Angeles have increased by more than 5,000% since the fires broke out, according to Google Trends.
The Southern California fires have us on edge. When can we finally relax?
When our city went up in flames last week, everyone I know in Los Angeles was in emergency mode. Now, as a new week begins, it’s hard to know how to feel.
For those of us living in neighborhoods not decimated by fire, the acute threat seems to have passed, at least for the moment. The skies are blueish and a light breeze is blowing as I write this. There’s ash on the ground, but less of it in the air. Most LAUSD schools have thankfully reopened. Friends and neighbors who left town are trickling back home.
L.A. fires: Is that GoFundMe account legit? How to spot scams when helping victims
Thousands of online GoFundMe fundraising campaigns have been created to support the victims of the devastating wildfires that have scorched portions of Los Angeles County, but officials are warning to be on the lookout for fraudulent GoFundMe accounts.
Since the first wildfire ignited Tuesday morning, GoFundMe campaigns created by and on behalf of fire victims began to pop up, requesting any kind of monetary support to cover disaster relief, rebuilding, immediate short-term lodging, clothing and other emergency needs.
Angeles National Forest closed due to ‘critical fire danger’
The Angeles National Forest and San Gabriel Mountains National Monument will remain closed to the public for the next several days due to continued “critical fire danger” in the region, officials said.
The temporary closure is in place through at least midnight Sunday, according to forest officials. During that time, members of the public are not able to enter the forest or use any National Forest System roads or trails within its boundaries.
More information is available here.
Some incorrect emergency alerts continued to show up on phones Monday
Los Angeles County’s wireless emergency alerts are still seeing some lingering issues after millions in L.A. County incorrectly received the panic-inducing messages on their cellphones last week.
“We have received reports that some individuals are still receiving alerts,” the county’s Office of Emergency Management said in a statement late Monday. “We believe these to be ‘echo alerts.’ Echo alerts were found to be the result of messages being relayed through cell phone towers that were shut down during fire conditions and power outages and are now coming back online.”
It wasn’t immediately clear how widespread the issue was Monday, but officials said they are prepared to send out new alerts during the ongoing wind event this week, if warranted.
The “echoing” alerts stem from an evacuation warning issued Thursday, intended for residents near the Kenneth fire. The agency has not issued any other alerts since then.
“We continue to work with FEMA and cell phone providers who are actively working to resolve the problem,” the agency said.
Rural areas got millions in state fire prevention funds over parts of L.A. that burned
Since 2021, state authorities have repeatedly declined to fund wildfire prevention efforts in communities devastated by the Palisades fire, according to Cal Fire records, which show the agency instead poured money into projects in far-flung rural areas.
Records reviewed by The Times show Cal Fire elected not to fund more than $3.8 million in Wildfire Prevention Grants for Santa Monica Mountains communities including Pacific Palisades and Malibu over the last four years.
Eaton fire now 35% contained
The Eaton fire is now 35% contained, burning about 14,000 acres.
With high winds back, the burn area is now under a red flag warning.
Fire officials said they have resources in place to fight any flare-ups.
I was forced to evacuate my home. Do I still need to pay my mortgage, rent, utility bills?
During a disaster, getting to safety is the top priority. But for many Angelenos displaced by the devastating wildfires raging across Los Angeles County, questions loom about what comes next.
The fires have destroyed thousands of structures and forced roughly 92,000 residents to evacuate. With some homes sitting empty and others reduced to rubble, here are answers you might need.
What (or who) sparked L.A. County wildfires? Here’s where investigations stand
As fires continue to scorch L.A. County, local, state and federal investigators are working to determine exactly where and how each blaze began. Here’s what we know so far about the efforts.
Peak gusts of up to 72 mph already hitting Southern California as extreme fire weather warning hits
Gusts of up to 72 mph have already hit the San Gabriel Mountains, as Los Angeles and Ventura counties brace for extreme fire weather conditions Tuesday.
The National Weather Service has issued its highest level of warning for an extreme red flag fire warning, which is called a “particularly dangerous situation.” Extreme winds are forecast to come from the east, meaning fires that ignite would be expected to spread to the west.
Here’s a look at some peak gusts:
Western San Gabriel Mountains and Highway 14 Corridor
72 mph, 3 a.m., Magic Mountain Truck Trail
62 mph, 1:53 a.m., Mill Creek
Western Santa Monica Mountains Recreational Area
60 mph, 12 a.m., Sandstone Peak
‘Particularly dangerous situation’ fire warning now in effect in L.A., Ventura counties
The “particularly dangerous situation” fire weather warning for swaths of Los Angeles and Ventura counties is now in effect.
The designation, signifying an extreme red flag warning, went into effect Tuesday at 4 a.m. and will last through noon Wednesday. On Tuesday morning, gusts of up to 72 mph were reported in the western San Gabriel Mountains and Highway 14 corridor, the National Weather Service said.
Areas covered by the latest alert include Camarillo, Fillmore, Northridge, Simi Valley and Thousand Oaks.
A conventional red flag warning — for a combination of strong winds, dry air and vegetation, and expected severe wildfire behavior if ignition occurs — is in effect across the region, including large portions of L.A., San Diego, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and Ventura counties, as well as some mountainous areas of Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties.
This event will be a more conventional Santa Ana, with winds coming out of the east and spreading fires to the west. That means the winds will have more of a focus on Ventura County compared with those last week, which came generally out of the north and hit Los Angeles County hard.
Overnight, firefighters responded to a fire in the riverbed of the Santa Clara River, along the border of Ventura and Oxnard, located near Auto Center Drive.
Firefighters after midnight said forward progress on the Auto fire has been stopped. The fire was 0% contained and burned about 56 acres. Firefighters overnight continued to mop up hotspots and worked to increase containment, officials said.
Auto Fire in Ventura County burned 55 acres; forward progress stopped
The Auto fire in Ventura County has burned 55 acres, but officials said forward progress has been stopped.
The fire prompted evacuations on the Santa Clara River between the 101 Freeway and Victoria Avenue.
No structures were lost.
Crews battle brush fire in Oxnard as Santa Ana winds sweep through the region
Fire crews battled a brush fire in Oxnard on Monday night as strong Santa Ana winds swept through Ventura County.
The fire was reported around 7:45 p.m. in the Santa Clara River bottom near North Ventura Boulevard, according to the Ventura County Fire Department. It was dubbed the Auto fire because of the number of auto dealerships in the area.
It rapidly grew to about 55 acres, fanned by wind gusts of 20 and 30 mph, according to the Fire Department. Shortly before midnight, the department said forward progress on the fire had been stopped.
Fire crews “remain on scene mopping up hotspots and working to increase containment,” the department said in a post on X. The fire didn’t threaten any structures, according to fire officials.
As the fire burned, an evacuation order was issued Monday night by the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office for the Santa Ana River area between the Ventura Freeway and Victoria Avenue.
There were 75 firefighters on scene from several agencies as well as water-dropping aircraft. The blaze was near the River Ridge Golf Course, where helicopters were able to easily access water, according to reporting from KCAL News.
The cause of the fire was under investigation, officials said.
Most of Ventura County was under a red flag warning Monday evening, which will be upgraded to a particularly dangerous situation warning at 4 a.m. Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service. This more extreme fire weather warning comes as mountainous areas in Ventura and Los Angeles counties brace for wind gusts of 50 to 70 mph.
Mayor Bass issues order to expedite rebuilding efforts after fires
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass issued an executive order Monday that seeks to expedite rebuilding efforts after fires leveled thousands of homes and businesses in the city last week, mostly within Pacific Palisades.
Executive Order 1 requires city departments to complete project reviews within 30 days from when a complete application is submitted and waives discretionary hearings under zoning rules, among other efforts.
L.A.-area residents out of town during fires share agony of watching homes burn from afar
Diego Wallraff was attending a retreat in India when his apartment building in Pacific Palisades burned down last week. A somatic therapist and actor, he lost most of his most treasured possessions, including the irreplaceable Tibetan singing bowls and gongs he’s collected over 15 years of world travels.
At first, Wallraff, 63, thought his home was spared. The fire-tracking app Watch Duty showed the blaze hadn’t spread to his part of the Palisades. But that turned out to be false hope — the app’s map was hours behind what was happening on the ground in real time.
Palisades High is looking for a temporary home after severe fire damage
The leaders of fire-damaged Palisades High School are looking for a temporary place to hold classes for about 3,000 students.
About 40% of the campus was damaged or destroyed, according to Principal Pamela Magee in a communication to the school community. Although the original main campus survived, the condition of the property as a whole makes it unsuitable for the immediate resumption of classes.
In a letter to the community, the school administration said it is seeking:
● Temporary classroom spaces or campuses available for lease or donation.
● Large indoor and outdoor spaces suitable for hosting students and teachers.
● Support from local organizations that can assist in logistics and operations.
● Volunteers to help with moving, setup and coordination.
● Access to athletic practice areas in the vicinity.
“Our primary goal is to keep our community united during this challenging time, enabling students to continue their education alongside their friends, teachers, and peers,” the school’s release states. “In-person learning is crucial for their emotional and social development; without it, students may experience increased feelings of isolation and anxiety, further complicating their recovery from the trauma of recent events.”
The spring semester was supposed to begin Monday. Instead, it will begin online Jan. 21.
The school is raising money at the following link: https://givebutter.com/RaisePali
Fire victims can get aid from the feds. How to apply for FEMA and avoid potential scams
As wildfires continue to scorch homes across Los Angeles County, thousands of residents are left to sift through the remains and answer a key question: what now?
A chance to rebuild, to start anew could be possible. Homeowners and renters who do not have insurance, or whose insurance policies don’t cover basic needs, may be eligible to receive assistance through the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Weather service issues its most severe fire warning for parts of L.A. area as winds pick up
After a brief reprieve, Southern California faces two days of dangerous winds that officials fear could expand current fires and spark new ones.
Firefighters spent Monday carving containment lines around the Eaton and Palisades fires and finalizing preparations ahead of a windstorm that’s expected to hit a swath of the region including Ventura County, the San Fernando Valley and part of Los Angeles and the San Gabriel Valley, bringing wind gusts ranging from 45 mph to 70 mph.
With her city in flames, L.A. Mayor Karen Bass’ political future hangs in the balance
Apocalyptic fires had been ravaging Los Angeles for more than 24 hours when Mayor Karen Bass stepped off a plane and into a now-viral encounter that may come to define her mayoralty.
As an Irish reporter who happened to be on her flight hurled questions at her, the mayor of the nation’s second-largest metropolis stood silent and seemingly paralyzed.