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California fires

What happened on Tuesday, Jan. 14 during the Eaton, Palisades firestorms in Southern California

Coverage of the Eaton and Palisades fires, including stories about the unprecedented losses, issues firefighters faced and the winds.

Firefighters extinguishing some remaining hotspots in the rubble
Firefighters extinguish remaining hotspots at the Community United Methodist Church of Pacific Palisades.
(Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)

As of 3:15 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 15, this blog is no longer being updated in real-time. For the latest updates on the Eaton, Palisades and other fires ravaging Southern California, here is where to find continuing coverage.

Pinned

L.A. fire officials could have put engines in the Palisades before the fire broke out. They didn’t

L.A. firefighters at the Palisades fire
L.A. firefighters look for hot spots as they prepare for high winds in the burn areas of the Palisades fire on Tuesday, Jan. 14.
(Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times)

As the Los Angeles Fire Department faced extraordinary warnings of life-threatening winds, top commanders decided not to assign for emergency deployment roughly 1,000 available firefighters and dozens of water-carrying engines in advance of the fire that destroyed much of the Pacific Palisades and continues to burn, interviews and internal LAFD records show.

Fire officials chose not to order the firefighters to remain on duty for a second shift last Tuesday as the winds were building — which would have doubled the personnel on hand — and staffed just five of more than 40 engines that are available to aid in battling wildfires, according to the records obtained by The Times, as well as interviews with LAFD officials and former chiefs with knowledge of city operations.

Winds expected to rise overnight, and peak Wednesday morning

Firefighter
Firefighters work to save a home during the Eaton fire on Jan. 8 in Altadena.
(Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times)

A lull in winds Tuesday evening was expected to give way to increasing gusts, peaking Wednesday morning.

The “particularly dangerous situation” for extreme fire weather is expected to return at 3 a.m. Wednesday for portions of Los Angeles and Ventura counties, and is expected to last until 3 p.m.

The National Weather Service office in Oxnard said gusts of up to 65 mph are possible in the windiest spots, “from just before sunrise until noon or so.” There could be widespread wind gusts of 40 mph to 55 mph across the Malibu coast, Los Angeles County’s northern and western valleys, L.A. County’s mountains, and across much of Ventura County.

A conventional red flag warning — which warns of severe wildfire behavior if ignition occurs — remains in effect 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.

Red flag fire weather warnings will largely expire by 6 p.m. Wednesday but will extend through 3 p.m. Thursday in a few spots in Los Angeles and Ventura counties, including the Grapevine section of Interstate 5, the western San Gabriel Mountains and the Santa Susana Mountains.

“We are not out of the woods yet, and people need to stay on guard for a fast-moving fire,” Ryan Kittell, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service office in Oxnard, said earlier Tuesday.

This young Altadena weather guy had a growing following. In the Eaton fire, he saved lives

Edgar McGregor, a 24-year-old weather forecaster.
Edgar McGregor, a 24-year-old amateur climate scientist whose Altadena Weather and Climate Facebook page is being credited with convincing numerous people to evacuate and saving lives in the Eaton fire, photographed near Eaton Canyon on Monday.
(Ringo Chiu/For The Times)

The night the Eaton fire started, Edgar McGregor stood on a darkened Altadena street, held up his cellphone and started recording as the sky glowed orange behind him.

His voice calm, the 24-year-old amateur climate scientist urged people living between the Eaton Wash and Allen Avenue to immediately pack their bags and get ready to evacuate.

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Mayor Karen Bass was at embassy cocktail party in Ghana as Palisades fire exploded

Mayor Karen Bass with Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristin Crowley, and Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell at a news conference
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, with Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristin Crowley and Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell, addresses the media at a news conference on Saturday.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

As the Palisades fire exploded in Los Angeles on Jan. 7, Mayor Karen Bass was posing for photos at an embassy cocktail party in Ghana, pictures posted on social media show.

By the time she departed the gathering for her flight home, massive plumes of smoke were visible across a wide swath of the city.

How Mayor Bass hopes to speed up rebuilding in Pacific Palisades

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass speaks at a lectern with three uniformed officials standing beside her
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristin Crowley and Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell at a news conference Saturday.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Late Monday, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass issued an executive order that aims to speed up the rebuilding of homes and businesses after wildfires tore through Pacific Palisades.

Academics, builders, consultants and other analysts who reviewed the order at The Times’ request said Bass’ move was an essential beginning to what will be an inevitably complicated process.

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L.A. City Council seeks transparency on empty reservoir, dry fire hydrants

An aerial photo of the Santa Ynez reservoir
The Santa Ynez Reservoir as seen from above in September 2022.
(Hayley Smith)

The Los Angeles City Council member representing the Westside, including much of the area decimated by the Palisades fire, called on the city’s water utility Tuesday to explain why firefighters ran out of water early in last week’s epic firefight and why a key reservoir was offline.

Councilmember Traci Park proposed that the L.A. Department of Water and Power present “its root cause analysis of the water pressure challenges that resulted in lower water pressure and dry hydrants” in some areas of Pacific Palisades, as well as recommendations for addressing the issues. In the same motion, Park urged the council to ask the utility to explain why the Santa Ynez Reservoir in Pacific Palisades has been out of commission for months.

L.A. County to create fund for wildfire victims

Orange flames appear behind a frame-like structure.
The Pasadena Jewish Temple and Center burns during the Eaton fire on Jan. 7, 2025.
(JOSH EDELSON / AFP via Getty Images)

As fire victims flood GoFundMe for help with rebuilding, the L.A. County government will create its own fund for residents who lost their livelihoods or whose homes or businesses were reduced to rubble by devastating wildfires.

The county Board of Supervisors, which met Tuesday for the first time since fires decimated large swaths of the county, gave the chief executive office a week to sketch out the details. The fund will probably consist of private donations that could be used to cover a range of expenses, including moving costs and wage reimbursements.

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Former Westside Pavilion now serving as FEMA Disaster Recovery Center

An empty floor.
The first floor of the Westside Pavilion leading to the Landmark Theatres, pictured in 2020. This space is currently being used as a disaster recovery center.
(Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

Amid the parade of surreal images from the last few days, few have been stranger than this one: a FEMA Disaster Recovery Center for L.A. fire victims inside the former Westside Pavilion.

Alongside the escalators and signs for the now-defunct movie theater in the carcass of what was once L.A.’s premier shopping mall, dozens of government agencies have gathered to offer fire aid.

L.A. City Council passes series of measures to aid recovery from catastrophic fires

Councilmember Traci Park at a council meeting
Los Angeles City Councilmember Traci Park wrote many of the measures adopted at Tuesday’s council meeting.
(Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

The Los Angeles City Council adopted an array of measures Tuesday aimed at jump-starting recovery efforts for residents whose lives have been upended by devastating wildfires.

In a rapid-fire series of votes, the council adopted more than 20 fire-related measures, including motions to speed the arrival of federal emergency funds, assess the potential for post-fire mudslides and establish new safeguards against price gouging and evictions, particularly for pet owners and those who evacuated.

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FEMA centers open amid anxiety over recovery from the Eaton, Palisades fires

Wildfire victims seek disaster relief services at the FEMA disaster recovery center at Pasadena City College.
Wildfire victims seek aid Tuesday at a federal disaster recovery center at the Pasadena City College Community Education Center, one of two such sites in the L.A. area.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Jared Robbins walked up to a row of FEMA trailers in Pasadena with a sheet of paper where he had written some of the most pressing questions about his situation after his Altadena home was burned by the Eaton fire less than a week ago.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency opened two disaster recovery centers Tuesday to assist people like Robbins and others whose homes were destroyed in the Eaton and Palisades fires and were looking for help to put their lives back together.

Firefighters quickly douse fire near Hansen Dam

A small fire burns near Hansen Dam on Tuesday evening.
(KTLA)

A crew of more than 40 firefighters quickly knocked down a small fire that started around 5 p.m. near Hansen Dam on Tuesday. There were no injuries, and no structures were damaged.

The fire started at 11777 W. Foothill Blvd. in Lake View Terrace and covered about a quarter of an acre. Grass was burning uphill, aided by 10-to-15-mph winds. The blaze was doused around 5:40 p.m.

The cause of the fire is under investigation. Firefighters for L.A. County and the city of Los Angeles remained at the site Tuesday evening, making sure there were no remaining hot spots.

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Scores of L.A. teachers lose homes; students from 2 burned-down L.A. schools to resume class

Superintendent Alberto Carvalho and others walk into a school
Los Angeles Unified School District Supt. Alberto Carvalho, right, tours Brentwood Science Magnet on Sunday. Students from Palisades Charter Elementary School, which was destroyed by the Palisades fire, will continue the school year at the Brentwood school.
(Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)

Students from two burned-down Los Angeles elementary schools will resume classes Wednesday in new locations in neighborhoods near fire-ravaged Pacific Palisades as employee unions estimate that at least 150 district staff, including many teachers, have lost their homes.

Students who were attending Palisades Charter Elementary will shift to Brentwood Elementary Science Magnet in Brentwood, a neighborhood adjacent to Pacific Palisades. Students who had been at Marquez Charter Elementary will report for class at Nora Sterry Elementary in the Sawtelle neighborhood, which is south of Brentwood.

No permits for ‘expedited re-entry’ into Palisades fire zone, Malibu mayor says

Houses smolder from the Palisades fire in Malibu.
Houses burned in the Palisades fire smolder along Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

Malibu residents cannot receive permits for “expedited re-entry” into the Palisades fire zone to check on their properties, and “any claims or offers to provide such a permit are false,” Mayor Doug Stewart said Tuesday.

Some Malibu homeowners have hired private contractors who are trying to access the evacuation zones, but they also are not permitted to enter at this time, Stewart said in a prepared statement.

“Many of you are understandably anxious to return to your homes,” Stewart said. “We hear you, and we are doing everything in our power to make that happen as quickly and safely as possible. However, we remain in the midst of an active fire incident. Red flag and extreme weather conditions are expected to persist through tomorrow, and crews are continuing their critical work to address multiple hazards in the affected area such as gas leaks, hot spots and smolders, addressing downed powerlines and ensure overall safety.”

Forecasters paused the “particularly dangerous situation” extreme fire weather warning for Los Angeles and Ventura counties Tuesday afternoon, but warned that winds are expected to pick back up.

Stewart asked residents for patience and told them that the city was working alongside first responders to inspect infrastructure, clear streets of debris, help with damage assessment and stabilize the area so residents could return, while “simultaneously getting everything in place for expedited rebuilds.”

“We ask for your patience and understanding as our teams — along with law enforcement, fire crews and utility providers — continue this vital work,” Stewart said.

Malibu residents who have a critical need to access their properties should call City Hall at (310) 456-2489, he said.

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What’s in the smoke and ash of L.A.-area fires? County issues health warning

Haze hangs over a stadium and city center in the background.
Smoke from the Palisades fire envelops the L.A. skyline, with Dodger Stadium in the foreground.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Health officials are again warning the public to take precautions as Santa Ana winds are expected to spread ash and dust from active fire zones and burn scars in portions of Los Angeles County and the Inland Empire.

On Sunday the South Coast Air Quality Management District issued a windblown dust and ash advisory until 10 p.m. Tuesday.

L.A. County fire death toll rises to 25

The death toll from the Los Angeles County fires has risen to 25, officials said Tuesday afternoon.

The latest death was recorded in Altadena.

Of the confirmed deaths, 16 were related to the Eaton fire and nine to the Palisades fire, according to an update from the L.A. County medical examiner.

The L.A. fire victims: Who they were

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Inside the dramatic air attack that saved Brentwood and Encino from the surging Palisades fire

A helicopter drops water
A helicopter makes a water drop on the Palisades fire in Mandeville Canyon in Brentwood on Saturday.
(Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

On Friday afternoon, the winds across the Santa Monica Mountains suddenly shifted, and the Palisades fire pushed north and east, making a run in two different directions: toward Encino and Brentwood.

Across the southern San Fernando Valley and West L.A., terrified Angelenos watched as leaping flames and massive plumes of smoke continued to rise over ridgelines well into the night, worried that the already catastrophic blaze could devastate new parts of the city.

L.A. City Council moves to bar evictions for unauthorized people and pets amid fire emergency

A home destroyed by fire.
A home destroyed in the Pacific Palisades fire on Jan. 11, 2025.
(Christina House/Los Angeles Times)

Los Angeles city officials are seeking to protect some tenants from eviction in the wake of the fires that have ravaged the region and destroyed thousands of homes.

In a 15-0 vote Tuesday, Los Angeles City Council members directed the city attorney to draft an ordinance that for a year would prevent evictions for having extra occupants or unauthorized pets that were “necessitated” by the fires.

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Southern California sees wind reprieve, but extreme fire weather expected to return Wednesday

A burned car in the Palisades fire zone.
A burned car sits on Villa View Drive in the Palisades fire zone on Tuesday.
(Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

Amid weaker-than-expected winds, forecasters paused the “particularly dangerous situation” fire weather warning for Los Angeles and Ventura counties Tuesday afternoon. But winds are expected to pick back up, and the warning will be in place again before dawn Wednesday.

A conventional red flag warning — which warns of severe wildfire behavior if ignition occurs — remains in effect across Southern California, 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.

A list of free and discounted resources for victims of Los Angeles-area fires

Volunteers help people load bags of goods.
Volunteers assist people at a donation site outside the Rose Bowl.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

In the face of the unprecedented disaster, national companies, local businesses, nonprofits, individuals and communities are coming together to provide resources, supplies and services for free or at discounted rates for victims of the emergency.

Here is a list of offerings for fire victims in and around the county.

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What to do if you have to evacuate without your medications

People evacuate off Enchanted Way in the Marquez Knolls neighborhood of Pacific Palisades
People evacuate from the Palisades fire off Enchanted Way in the Marquez Knolls neighborhood of Pacific Palisades on Jan. 7.
(Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times)

The Los Angeles fires have forced thousands to evacuate indefinitely from their homes, often without necessary medications or medical devices. Here’s what to do if you find yourself without access to the things you need to stay on top of chronic conditions.

These gardeners, housekeepers, nannies kept Pacific Palisades going. Fire took their jobs

A woman with dark hair, in a dark sweatshirt and cream pants, sits holding yellow cloths next to a bucket with supplies
Carol Mayorga and her husband lost several clients in a week, after fire destroyed nearly 10 of the properties where they worked in Pacific Palisades.
(John McCoy / For The Times)

Carol Mayorga and Manfredo Salazar spent more time in Pacific Palisades than they did their own South Los Angeles neighborhood.

It was their bank account. It paid their mortgage. It was the place where their 13-year-old son had long attended school, and where — after their decades of working there — employers became as close as family.

So when Pacific Palisades burned, Mayorga and Salazar’s livelihood went up in flames too.

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He posted videos of the start of the Palisades fire. Then the internet blamed him

A Super Scooper drops ocean water on a hillside as the Palisades fire rages on.
A Super Scooper drops ocean water on a hillside as the Palisades fire rages on Jan. 7.
(Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

The five men were meditating off a trail near Skull Rock in the hills above 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

The Scout fire as seen from Keller Peak.
(AlertCalifornia)

After relatively moderate winds throughout the earlier part of the day, gusts are expected to pick up late Tuesday night and 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.”

By midday Tuesday, wind gusts had reached as high as 46 mph in the San Gabriel Mountains and 48 mph in the Santa Susana Mountains south of Fillmore in Ventura County.

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Fires break out amid windy conditions in Riverside County

The Scout fire in Jurupa Valley, as seen from Keller Peak.
(AlertCalifornia)

Two new fires started in Riverside County amid Santa Ana winds, sparking new evacuations in Southern California.

The Scout fire was burning near Mission Boulevard and Crestmore Road in Jurupa Valley, and the second fire was 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

Power lines in Eaton Canyon on Sunday.
Power lines in Eaton Canyon on Sunday.
(Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times)

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.

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Kenneth fire ‘person of interest’ is a convicted felon and entered country illegally, ICE says

Sky5 view of a wildfire in the area of Hidden Hills and Calabasas.
(KTLA-TV)

A “person of interest” in the Kenneth fire who was arrested after being caught with a blowtorch near the source of the blaze 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 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.

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Impact of L.A. County’s wildfire evacuations ripples into Skid Row

People hand off supplies from the back of a truck.
Church of Music in San Diego founder Alina Gordon hands off supplies to volunteers at the Sidewalk Project center, which serves as a makeshift shelter in Skid Row for unhoused populations during the wildfires, on Sunday.
(Carlin Stiehl / For The Times)

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.

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