Warnings of 'fast-moving fire' after Los Angeles gets brief wind reprieve: Updates
Editor's note: This file captures the news of the California wildfires from Tuesday, Jan. 14. For the latest updates on the LA fires, follow USA TODAY's live coverage for Wednesday, Jan. 15.
SANTA MONICA, Calif. – The powerful Santa Ana winds expected back in the Los Angeles area Tuesday probably won't materialize until late at night and early Wednesday, but they'll still be capable of stoking quickly spreading blazes, the Los Angeles office of the National Weather Service said Tuesday afternoon.
Despite milder-than-predicted conditions during much of the day, wind gusts of 50 to 70 mph in the mountains and 30 to 50 mph on the coasts and valleys are still forecast for Los Angeles and Ventura counties, only later than initially anticipated.
"Wind are weaker than expected today, but looking for one more enhancement late tonight and Wednesday," the weather service's Los Angeles office said Tuesday. "Not quite out of the woods yet."
Red Flag Warnings with the rare "particularly dangerous situation" designation issued for those counties will now be in effect from 3 a.m. to 3 p.m. local time on Wednesday.
Scores of firefighters, including additional personnel from Canada, Mexico and other nearby U.S. states, have been combating the fires from the air and on the ground. Officials worry the high winds could further expand the Palisades and Eaton blazes as well as ignite and expand new ones.
High winds combined with low humidity and a relentless drought have fueled the deadly wildfires that have destroyed entire neighborhoods and forced tens of thousands to flee their homes over the last eight days in the Los Angeles area.
At least 25 people have been killed in the fires, according to the Los Angeles Medical Examiner's Office. The wildfires have destroyed or damaged more than 12,000 homes, businesses, and other structures as officials ordered over 92,000 people to flee their homes.
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Developments:
? President Joe Biden has decided the federal government will pick up the entire cost of emergency work California will require over six months because of the fires instead of only 75%, the Federal Emergency Management Agency said.
? The Sheriff's office lifted evacuation orders for some communities in Altadena, hit hard by the Eaton Fire, starting at 3 p.m. PT Tuesday.
? The Palisades Fire, which reduced the Pacific Palisades neighborhood to rubble, has consumed 23,713 acres and is 18% contained, according to Cal Fire. The agency said the Eaton Fire, located in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains, has burned 14,117 acres and is 35% contained.
? California Gov. Gavin Newsom said 11 new fires broke out overnight, including the Auto Fire in Ventura County, but were quickly extinguished. By Tuesday night, the Auto Fire burned 61 acres and is 47% contained. The county's fire department said the blaze's forward progress was stopped.
Set of remains tied to Eaton Fire determined to be not human
In an update Tuesday night, the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office said a set of remains the office was investigating in connection to the Eaton Fire was determined to be non-human. The remains were discovered in Altadena.
The medical examiner's office also confirmed an additional death tied to the Palisades Fire, raising the death toll to at least 25. It is believed that nine people died in the Palisades Fire while 16 others died in the Eaton Fire.
Of the 25 cases, 21 remains are confirmed to be human, according to the medical examiner's office. The remaining four cases are still being processed.
Lawsuit blames public utility for water supply failures
More than a dozen victims of the Pacific Palisades wildfire are suing the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power for water supply failures they say contributed to the devastation of the Los Angeles inferno.
The lawsuit, filed by residents and a pizzeria owner, blames the utility for hydrants drying up within hours of the blaze's ignition. The plaintiffs said they all lost their homes or businesses to the fire.
The LADWP, the largest U.S. municipal utility, should have maintained water in a nearby reservoir, which was dry at the time the flames erupted, the complaint said. The Santa Ynez Reservoir, which can hold as much as 117 million gallons of water, had been empty since February 2024, according to the lawsuit.
The suit follows other legal actions in connection with the California wildfires. A group of residents and business owners recently sued Southern California Edison over the Eaton Fire.
— Minnah Arshad
At least a dozen schools damaged in wildfires
Thousands of students across Los Angeles attend schools that were destroyed or damaged by wildfires that ravaged communities over the past week surrounding the nation's second most populous city.
Some schools in the region that paused last week due to fire hazards were unharmed and have resumed instruction, while others remain in limbo about how they'll proceed amid the continuing threat from wildfires, school officials said.
The Palisades Fire, the Eaton Fire and others have burned more than 40,000 acres across Los Angeles since Jan. 7 and destroyed thousands of buildings, including at least a dozen K-12 schools, such as Palisades Charter High School, Marquez Charter Elementary School, and Eliot Arts Magnet Academy.
— Kayla Jimenez
Sheriff urges thousands under evacuation warnings to flee
Officials urged the 84,800 residents in Los Angeles County under evacuation warnings Tuesday to start packing up and leaving their homes.
“When we’re giving you warnings, that's probably the time you should think about going,” Sheriff Robert Luna said at a news conference Tuesday. “We recommend you go. Don’t wait until the order is given.”
Luna said approximately 88,000 residents in the county remained under mandatory evacuation orders Tuesday morning. He said that while the number has decreased in recent days, the situation “is still very dangerous” as strong winds return to the region.
A curfew will again be in place from 6 p.m. Tuesday to 6 a.m. Wednesday for areas scorched by the Palisades and Eaton fires.
Nonresidents and others caught in areas under evacuation orders during curfew are subject to arrest, Luna reiterated, adding that at least 11 people have been arrested for curfew violations.
Mapping the LA fires: See latest evacuation zones and fire locations
Firefighters rush to beef up containment lines as strong winds return
Firefighters battling the wildfires are focusing on reinforcing and maintaining containment lines as winds pick up throughout the region.
Cal Fire said in an update Tuesday morning that authorities will "conduct tactical patrols and mop-up operations, addressing smoke and heat sources to minimize the chance of fire escaping the perimeter."
Additionally, urban search and rescue efforts as well as damage assessments were ongoing throughout areas torched by the blazes. "These operations are unprecedented in size and scale and are critical for mitigating existing hazards, confirming missing persons reports, and obtaining accurate numbers of structures loss," Cal Fire said.
Houses turned into 'highly toxic debris'
Wildfire evacuees returning to their homes in increasing numbers around Los Angeles are being warned to take special care in cleaning up toxic ash and debris.
Authorities have banned people from using leaf blowers to clean up ash due to the inhalation risk; are advising residents wipe down countertops and other surfaces; and use a mop to remove ash from floors instead of a vacuum.
Officials issued a blowing ash advisory and cautioned Los Angeles residents to stay indoors with the windows closed, and to wear an N-95 mask or respirator for protection. Dust and ash "may cause irritation or exacerbate pre-existing health conditions, particularly for children, older adults, pregnant individuals, and those with heart or lung conditions," the Los Angeles County Public Health Department said.
Los Angeles officials have not yet said when residents of the hardest-hit areas may be allowed to return.
One expert told USA TODAY that residents should start thinking about the destroyed neighborhoods in terms of the dangerous "burn pits" once used by the military in Iraq and Afghanistan to dispose of waste.
“Residents should not, not, not, go home and sift through the debris," said Katie Arrington, an environmental cleanup expert who has been helping manage the aftermath of a suburban Denver 2021 wildfire that destroyed about 1,000 homes. "It is highly toxic debris. It’s the mixing all the materials together, along with it burning. It’s not just your house, but your neighbors' houses, your car in the driveway.”
'Like Iraq': Couple describes fires, looters
Partners Robert Bullock and David Anderson stayed in their historic home just outside Pasadena as the Eaton Fire flared up last week. The flames later receded and people swept into the neighborhood for no other apparent reason than to loot the empty homes.
“The first night or two, there were a lot of people with backpacks loitering,” Anderson said. “They were walking up and down driveways and streets.”
The pair relied on a rifle purchased some two years ago for security but were unable to fall asleep the first night of the fires.
“The first two nights were terrible,” said Bullock, noting he could hear the booms of propane tanks and ammunition exploding in the distance as the fire raged. “It sounded like Iraq.”
- Sam Morgen, The Desert Sun
Former contractor making do amid the destruction
George Wilken, 79, rode out the fire in Pacific Palisades, racing from spot fire to spot fire in his SUV with water and watching hopefully as firefighting planes dropped water to douse the flames. Although the retired general contractor saved some homes, he said, hundreds of his longtime neighbors lost theirs, including a handful of houses he’d built or remodeled over the years.
A week later, he’s still in the evacuation zone, keeping an eye on his church, Palisades Lutheran, and making tea and cooking meals, including leftover Christmas ham, on a barbecue grill. Monday night he fried some shrimp after heating water on the grill to sponge off in a wash tub. He made bacon and eggs for breakfast Tuesday, keeping the food cool in a church refrigerator he occasionally powers with a small gas generator.
“It’s makeshift but it’s home for a while,” he said. “It’s a little crazy, I know.”
At night Wilken had been returning to his nearby apartment. Without power or gas service, it’s easier to spend his days at the untouched church where he’s been clearing debris from the grounds and keeping an eye out for looters.
While the church where Wilken helps with operations was untouched aside from ash that’s drifted through the doors, the Palisades Presbyterian church across the street burned to the ground. The fire was so intense it lofted and melted a piece of roofing copper from its tower, dropping it hundreds of feet away.
“I’m just eating whatever’s available. It’s not like I can go to the market,” Wilken said Tuesday before cooking breakfast. “But I’ve got enough food for a week.”
More: Maps show landmarks and local institutions damaged and destroyed in LA fires
Police searching for dozens of missing people amid fires
Los Angeles authorities continued search and rescue operations, going door-to-door seeking missing people a week after a series of blazes began burning large swaths of Los Angeles County.
Luna said 24 people remain missing in areas scorched by the Palisades and Eaton fires. He said those missing are all adults, adding that six of them are believed to be in the Eaton area and six in the Malibu area.
McDonnell said Los Angeles police officers were searching for eleven missing people as of Tuesday morning. So far, 21 people reported missing in the city have been found safe. The chief added that two people reported missing have most likely been "found deceased, but have yet to be positively identified."
College student reflects on 'strange time right now' in Malibu
An eerie calm pervaded over Malibu on Tuesday morning. Although the National Weather Service had forecast high winds for much of the surrounding area, little more than a cool breeze blew along the coast just north of Los Angeles.
Firefighters cleared up smoldering hot spots and worked to tear down unstable structures that had been damaged last week by the Palisades Fire. Residents remain barred from certain parts of the city, as authorities work to bring back utilities and worry about looting.
Pepperdine University has been mostly unscathed. Parts of the private Christian school were scorched by the Franklin Fire in early December, but that created a buffer zone for the latest blaze. Most of the students were still on winter break when the Palisades Fire broke out Jan. 7, and they remained at home because the school moved to remote classes this week.
Sam Jones, a 22-year-old senior, trekked to his job at a gym from a nearby apartment. He credited the previous fire with protecting his apartment and the campus. But as he enters his last college semester, Jones yearns for a return to normalcy. Much of Malibu remains locked down, and many residents have not been allowed to return.
“The city is just so weird right now,” Jones said “I’ve talked to some friends that live (outside) Malibu, and none of their houses have electricity. None of the gas stations are open, so they can’t even drive their cars because they just have no more gas left in them to get through the canyon. It’s a strange time right now.”
? Sam Morgen, The Desert Sun
LA mayor signs executive order focused on recovery, rebuilding
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said she signed an executive directive in an attempt to cut red tape and streamline recovery and rebuilding operations. Bass said the order will address debris removal efforts and make available 1,400 housing units for those who have lost their homes in the fires.
"We're going to make it through these next few days but we want to begin to think about how we rebuild the massive destruction that I saw from the air," Bass said, referencing a helicopter tour she took of the disaster areas Monday. "We don't want people burdened by red tape and bureaucracy."
High wind speeds recorded across Los Angeles area
Here are some of the highest wind speeds recorded early Tuesday across Los Angeles and Ventura counties, according to the National Weather Service office in L.A.
Magic Mountain Truck Trail – 72 mph
Millcreek RAWS – 62 mph
Sandstone Peak – 60 mph
N3 Highway – 58 mph
Julians Ridge – 56 mph
3 arson suspects arrested, accused of starting fires across LA
Three arson suspects have been arrested across the Los Angeles area since Sunday, the Los Angeles police chief told reporters Tuesday.
Chief Jim McDonnell said officers in North Hollywood responded to a call reporting a man was using a barbecue lighter to ignite fires. The man was arrested for an outstanding felony warrant for arson and booked into Van Nuys Jail, McDonnell said.
Two men had been arrested on arson charges Sunday. The first was taken into custody after people reported he lit a section of brush aflame, McDonnell said. The second arrest occurred in the west Los Angeles area, where a suspect had allegedly lit a trash can on fire. The Los Angeles Fire Department responded to both incidents.
Read more: Wildfires have ravaged the LA area for a week. Is there an end in sight?
When will it rain in Los Angeles?
The Los Angeles area may see light showers next week, but the rainfall is not expected to be substantial, said AccuWeather senior meteorologist Heather Zehr.
In fact, all of Southern California is expected to be drier than average over the next two weeks, according to a Monday forecast from the Climate Prediction Center.
While heavy rain would certainly help firefighters battling the blazes across L.A County, there are concerns that torrential downpours might trigger mudslides in areas charred by the fires, city officials said.
– Doyle Rice
More: FBI searching for drone operator that grounded aircraft battling Pacific Palisades fire
Nine people arrested for looting; stolen Emmy Award recovered
Officials say nine people have been charged with looting while police recovered an Emmy Award and at least $200,000 in other items stolen from homes abandoned during wildfire evacuations in the Los Angeles area.
Authorities on Monday announced charges against nine people accused of burglaries and looting in the Eaton and Palisades fire areas. They also said they are pursuing charges against people accused of impersonating firefighters to improperly access evacuation zones.
Authorities have also arrested dozens of people accused of violating closure orders, and security has tightened across the evacuation areas. Officials did not release additional details Monday regarding who the Emmy belonged to. However, they said several of the people arrested had criminal records that could land them lengthy prison sentences if convicted.
Read more: Cops nab looters hitting wildfire-ravaged areas around LA
Pacific Palisades resident: Homes couldn't escape firestorm
Authorities said it may be Thursday until evacuees are allowed to return home, as Red Flag Warnings are expected to last through Wednesday. Firefighters are continuing their assessments of burned areas, and on Monday evening reported that at least 5,000 structures had been destroyed in the Palisades Fire. A curfew remains in effect for much of the area.
Beverley Auerbach and her husband, who lost the home they've lived in since 1980, fled to safety last Monday, thinking they would be gone just a few days. But the wind-driven firestorm burned through their Pacific Palisades neighborhood known as the Alphabets, scouring homes down to their concrete steps and brick chimneys.
Auerbach said they still haven't seen what the area looks like in person, though a neighbor accessed the evacuation area and recorded some video for the neighborhood WhatsApp group chat.
"We all hoped that our home would be the one that the capricious winds would bypass," Auerbach, a travel marketing consultant, said via text. "In our case, we had a clay tile roof and stucco walls with little wood trim, unlike our neighbors' homes with a lot of wood and composite shingles." Auerbach added: "The truth is that in such a conflagration, with homes close together, none could escape, even those with wildfire protection. Still, we hope against hope until someone shows you a photo or video that settles the matter."
– Trevor Hughes
California devastation: How many homes have burned in the Los Angeles wildfires so far?
Contributing: Reuters
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Los Angeles fires updates: Wind reprieve but fast-moving fire warning
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