Los Angeles winds to intensify; officials 'grid searching' for fire victims: Updates
Editor's note: This file captures the news of the California wildfires from Monday, Jan. 13. For the latest updates on the LA fires, follow USA TODAY's live coverage for Tuesday, Jan. 14.
LOS ANGELES ? Ominous winds were expected to regain strength Monday, howling through fire-blackened trees, picking up plumes of ash and smoke and further tangling efforts to tamp down the explosion of fires across Los Angeles County that have killed at least 24 people and destroyed thousands of homes and businesses.
The winds could threaten the incremental progress firefighters made over the weekend with multiple fires. The winds that had eased somewhat Sunday, allowing firefighters and rescue crews to begin gaining some control, were forecast to return later Monday, with coastal winds reaching 40-50 mph.
The National Weather Service's Los Angeles office highlighted Red Flag Warning areas in Santa Barbara, Ventura and Los Angeles counties that received the rare "particularly dangerous situation'' designation, saying those are for "the extreme of the extreme fire weather scenarios.'' The Red Flag Warnings for a larger stretch of Southern California are in place from Monday through Wednesday morning.
"Conditions are expected to worsen for these locations by Tuesday morning as wind gusts near 70 mph will be possible," NWS meteorologist Walter Otto said in a Monday weather update, citing the wind combined with low relative humidity and lack of recent rainfall. "These locations will be under a high risk for large fires with potential for very rapid spreading of any fires that may develop."
The weather service said "critical to extremely critical fire weather conditions'' are predicted for the full coastal area in Southern California through Wednesday, stretching all the way down to San Diego, prompting officials to pre-position firefighting crews in vulnerable locations.
The number of people under evacuation orders dropped to 92,000 on Monday, down from almost 200,000 people days ago, Los Angeles Sheriff Robert Luna said at a morning briefing. Another 89,000 were under evacuation warnings.
Luna urged residents still being kept from their homes to be patient while "grid searching" for victims continues. He said he expects the death toll to rise.
"It is a very grim task, and unfortunately every day that we do this we are running across the remains of individuals, community members," Luna said. "That is not easy work."
More than 1,800 properties have been searched, he said, adding that 34 arrests have been made ranging from curfew violations to looting.
Developments:
? The Palisades Fire and the Eaton Fire, the two most damaging active blazes, were 14% and 33% contained, respectively, according to Cal Fire's latest updates Monday night. Meanwhile, the Hurst Fire near Sylmar, California, was 97% contained.
? At least 24 people — most of which remained unidentified — have died between the Eaton and Palisades fires, according to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner's update Monday afternoon. The Palisades Fire had at least eight deaths, according to medical examiner records, and 16 people have died in the Eaton Fire.
? President-elect Donald Trump plans to visit the disaster zone after next Monday's inauguration, Reuters reported.
? The announcement of the Oscar nominations was postponed from Jan. 17 to Jan. 23, and the voting deadline was extended, because of the fires. The Oscars ceremony is still scheduled for March 2.
? Nine persons were charged with looting in connection to the fires, and another one was charged with arson but unrelated to the ignition of the blazes still tormenting L.A. County, District Attorney Nathan Hochman said Monday.
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Small brush fire sparks in Ventura
Fire crews were responding to a brush fire Monday night near Auto Center Drive in Ventura, California, a coastal city about 68 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles. The blaze, dubbed the Auto Fire, was first reported in the Santa Clara River bottom around 6:50 p.m. local time as Santa Ana winds whipped through the region.
As of early Tuesday, the blaze burned about five acres, according to Cal Fire. Ground crews and helicopters quickly rushed to the area, making water drops.
About 75 firefighters were working on the fire, which was described as being in medium fuel and moving at a moderate rate of speed, the Ventura County Fire Department said in a statement on social media posted shortly before 9 p.m. local time
— Ventura County Star
Optimism, but more high winds coming
In the storied Topanga Canyon off the Pacific Coast Highway, meditation teacher Seth Monk helped distribute coffee, gas and propane to residents who remained despite evacuation orders. The narrow canyon community sits between the blaze burning in Pacific Palisades and Malibu, which Monk said “looked like a volcano” last week.
Many celebrities live in the area, mixing with longtime resident hippies and people who have fled the urban sprawl of Los Angeles. Among those who’ve called Topanga home or passed through are Neil Young, Jim Morrison and Danny Elfman, along with actor Joshua Jackson, whose house burned down last week.
Monk said the clear blue skies were a cause for optimism.
“The feeling is that we’re at the tail end of it and yet, because there's so much dry fuel between us and the fire and the wind is picking up, it is possible the fire could come back,” he said, as grateful residents poured oat milk into organic coffee provided by donors. “The situation appears to be getting better.”
? Trevor Hughes
Wildfire victim has emotional reunion with dog
As the wildfires continue to rage in Southern California, a moment of hope broke through the smoke after a man was reunited with his dog.
A video posted on X by NBC News correspondent Liz Kreutz shows Casey Colvin reuniting with Oreo after the dog spent five nights in the ash in the wake of the Palisades Fire, which destroyed their Pacific Palisades home.
Colvin, who wasn't home when the fire broke out on Jan. 7, rushed back to try and save his two dogs: Oreo and Tika Tika Tika. First responders found Tika Tika Tika and reunited the dog with Colvin, according to NBC Nightly News. But Colvin said that Oreo, whom he described as a "behavioral," ran out of the house.
The video of their emotional reunion, posted Sunday, shows Oreo wandering down a driveway to meet Colvin and Tikka Tikka Tikka. Colvin appears to be overcome with emotion upon having his dog back in his arms.
"Oh honey, you're alive, you're alive!" he yells as he holds the dog. "Oh, thank you, God!"
— James Powel
LA wildfire victms: These are the people who lost their lives
What's that up in the sky? Fire retardant
Images of aircraft fighting the Los Angeles area fires by dumping a reddish-pink substance from the sky have prompted questions about its contents, use and safety.
The fire retardant, which has been used for more than 50 years to tamp down wildfires, is mostly made up of salts that "alter the way the fire burns, decreases the fire intensity and slows the advance of the fire," according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Forest Service.
More than 440 million gallons of the product were dropped on blazes from 2009 to 2021, mostly in the western part of the country, where wildfires present a yearly challenge. However, the Forest Service forbids using the retardant near waterways or habitats of endangered species on federal lands because of environmental concerns. Read more here.
? Christopher Cann
House Speaker suggests 'conditions' on California aid
House Speaker Mike Johnson said Monday that "conditions" should be placed on federal aid to California amid the catastrophic wildfires because of what he says are issues with local leadership.
"Obviously there's been water resources management, forest management mistakes, all sorts of problems. And it does come down to leadership and it appears to us that state and local leaders were derelict in their duty in many respects," the Louisiana Republican told reporters at the Capitol. "So that's something that has to be factored in. I think there should probably be conditions on that aid. That's my personal view."
Florida Democratic Rep. Jared Moskowitz responded to the remark in a post on X, saying: "This is a mistake."
“If you start this, it will never end," he said. "When Dems retake the House, they will condition aid to Florida and Texas. Disaster Aid must stay non partisan. I would fight democrats should they try and do this. The Speaker can find many other ways to hold people accountable.”
– Fernando Cervantes Jr. and Riley Beggin
Lawsuit blames utility for sparking Eaton fire
A California woman says a local utility company is responsible for sparking the Eaton fire that turned her longtime home into cinders, according to a lawsuit filed Monday.
Evangeline Iglesias alleges that Southern California Edison failed to shut down its equipment despite strong warnings about the potential for devastating fires, which directly caused the blaze that consumed her Altadena house.
The cause of the Eaton fire is under investigation, according to state officials, but dry vegetation, high winds and low humidity fueled the flames once it ignited. The lawsuit cites multiple eyewitness accounts and images that appear to show a fire at the base of a transmission tower owned by the utility.
“They knew like everyone else did of the severe weather warnings, dry weather, high wind gusts, they had tools they could have used to mitigate the wildfire risk,” said Iglesias’ attorney, Ali Moghaddas of the Edelson law firm. “They have choices when they face these moments and obviously they made the wrong one.”
A spokesperson for Southern California Edison said the company could not comment directly on the lawsuit because it had not been served yet but said it was aware of the filing and vigorously defended its safety practices.
The company provides electricity for around 5 million customers, or about 10% of the people in the area, according to spokesperson Jeff Monford. A staff of meteorologists and fire scientists watch for potential wildfires and determine when the utility should shut down its equipment to avoid catastrophe, he said.
– Michael Loria
FBI seeking tips on drone that damaged firefighting plane
The FBI is seeking information on the operator of a drone that collided with a "Super Scooper" firefighting airplane over the Palisades Fire last week, damaging the aircraft and grounding it for days as flames raged across Los Angeles County.
The plane, on loan from Canada, sustained damage when it collided with a drone about 1 p.m. Thursday, according to Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman Erik Scott. No injuries were reported.
"The collision left a 3-by-6-inch hole in the left wing," the FBI said in a statement. "Parts of the heavily damaged drone were recovered."
The firefighting asset, known as "Quebec 1," was expected to return to the skies Tuesday morning, Los Angeles County Fire Department Chief Anthony Marrone said.
"It has been repaired and we're waiting for the FAA to give us approval to fly again," he said.
– Brian Day, Victorville Daily Press
Banks offer mortgage relief for affected homeowners
JPMorgan Chase and Bank of America are easing mortgage repayment conditions for customers affected by the devastating wildfires in Southern California.
Chase Home Lending is providing disaster forbearance for mortgage customers affected by the fires, parent firm JPMorgan said on Monday. BofA also said its program includes the possibility of mortgage forbearance tailored to customer needs.
Forbearance allows borrowers to temporarily pause repayments on their loans or pay lower amounts.
Borrowers often turn to banks for such aid to help ease the cost of rebuilding. However, the strain on the industry's profitability from the unpaid loans can also prompt lenders to retreat from markets prone to natural catastrophes. Read more here.
– Reuters
Cal Fire working to map destruction
More than 12,000 homes, businesses, schools and other structures have been destroyed by raging wildfires that began ripping through the greater Los Angeles area last Tuesday. Cal Fire said in an update Monday that a total of 40,300 acres have burned across multiple blazes, including the Pacific Palisades Fire west of Los Angeles, the Eaton Fire near Altadena and the Hurst Fire near Sylmar.
Los Angeles County published preliminary damage maps for the Eaton and Palisades fires but warned that damage inspections are ongoing and the maps are incomplete. Joshua Mott, a spokesperson for Cal Fire, told USA TODAY that initial damage estimates are based on infrared imaging. Read more here.
? Karissa Waddick
Mapping the LA fires: See latest evacuation zones and fire locations
High school shown in movies hit with harsh reality
A Los Angeles high school that has served as the scene of Hollywood movies is seeking a temporary new location to hold classes and athletic practices after its campus was heavily damaged by the Palisades Fire.
The Palisades Charter High School ? alma mater of longtime NBA player and coach Steve Kerr as well as showbiz figures Forest Whitaker, Jennifer Jason Leigh and will.i.am ? "awoke to a completely different and unexpected reality" after the fire tore through about 40% of its facilities, principal Pamela Magee wrote in a letter to the school community.
Magee added that many students and their families lost their homes, and said the school needs help to continue providing in-person instruction. "Teen Wolf,'' "Carrie" and "Freaky Friday" are among the movies filmed at Palisades Charter High.
? Kayla Jimenez
Ukraine may send firefighters to Los Angeles
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he may send Ukrainian firefighters to help battle the blazes raging in California after Donald Trump Jr. criticized the Los Angeles County Fire Department for donating some supplies to Ukraine's defense. Zelenskyy said he instructed Ukraine's Minister of Interior Affairs and diplomats to "prepare for the possible participation of our rescuers in combatting the wildfires in California." He said 150 Ukrainian firefighters were ready to help.
"The situation there is extremely challenging, and Ukrainians can help Americans protect lives," he said. Read more here.
? Cybele Mayes-Osterman
Cruise lines waiving cancellation fees
Cruise lines are offering flexible cancellations for guests impacted by fires raging in the Los Angeles area. Norwegian Cruise Line is waiving cancellation fees for affected passengers booked to sail in January and February. Hometown cruise line Princess Cruises announced a similar policy last week for sailings operating from Los Angeles.
“We are keenly aware of the hardships faced by many in our community,” the cruise line said in an emailed statement. “To support our guests residing in evacuation areas or whose homes have sustained significant damage, Princess Cruises is offering the flexibility to cancel their cruises" scheduled to depart before Feb. 1. Read more here.
? Nathan Diller
Was that a fire tornado? What was the swirling vortex amid the flames in Pacific Palisades?
Arizona firefighters answer the call
The Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management sent 100 people to Southern California to combat wildfires, according to spokesperson Tiffany Davila. Two groups were deployed in Altadena and another two were positioned in the Cleveland and San Bernardino national forests, Davila said.
Arizona firefighters were among those monitoring a neighborhood in Altadena, a community north of Pasadena.
“We're really trying to button up the area as best as possible before anything else, before that wind comes in,” Capt. Shaun Jones of Central Arizona Fire and Medical said. Read more.
? Jose R. Gonzalez, Arizona Republic
Damage assessments underway from Eaton Fire
Increased containment, search and rescue efforts, infrastructure assessments, hazardous material response and damage assessment missions were underway in communities along the southern edge of the Eaton Fire, Cal Fire said in an update Monday. The fire, blamed for at least 16 deaths, has damaged or destroyed more than 1,600 homes, businesses and other structures, the agency said.
"These missions are unprecedented in size and scale and are critical for mitigating existing hazards, confirming missing persons reports and obtaining accurate number of structures loss," the agency said in a statement. It added that stronger winds "will contribute to increased fire activity."
World Central Kitchen providing meals
World Central Kitchen has joined the growing effort to provide food to firefighters battling the blazes and residents who have lost their homes, have no power or otherwise are struggling amid the tragedy.
"WCK will have free meals available in California for first responders and community members impacted by the Southern California wildfires," the disaster relief organization said in a social media post late Sunday that included a list of several distribution sites. "Share with anyone in the area in need of support."
WCK said it had mobilized teams across the region to provide immediate relief with sandwiches and water and that "several WCK Chef Corps members are on standby, ready to provide comforting meals."
WCK was founded in 2010 by acclaimed chef José Andrés, who still leads the organization.
An equalizer: From unhoused folks to beachfront Malibu homeowners, wildfires hit all of LA society
As embers cool, a desire to rebuild
The weather on the morning of Jan. 7 felt different to Neal Flesner. He had lived in Los Angeles for some 25 years and had never before experienced such intense, dust-filled winds. By the time Flesner left the gym in Venice Beach around 11 a.m. local time, he could already see smoke and flames filling the hills near his Pacific Palisades, California, home.
In the Alphabet Streets area of the Palisades where he and his wife lived, Flesner said there was always a feeling that they were far enough away from rural areas with the dry brush. That they were safe from the fires. But Flesner returned home to find the entire Alphabet Streets neighborhood reduced to rubble.
"I want to be part of the effort to just not rebuild the homes, but rebuild the community, rebuild the culture, rebuild the life that we all shared and loved there," Flesner said. Read more here.
? Karissa Waddick and Sandy Hooper
'Happy place' reduced to rubble: Pacific Palisades residents confront utter destruction
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: LA fire updates: Santa Ana winds to bring 'extreme fire weather'
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