Updated January 09, 2025 at 18:06 PM ET
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What you need to know
The latest on the response | What's been lost | The forecast | How to stay safe
Here's what we know so far about the patchwork of wildfires blazing across Los Angeles. Keep reading for more information, and check back throughout the day for updates.
- The Eaton and Palisades fires are the largest of the five raging in LA on Thursday.
- Some 180,000 people are under evacuation orders as of midday.
- Authorities said 20 people have been arrested for looting and warned that people in mandatory evacuation zones can be arrested on misdemeanor charges.
- The National Weather Service has extended its red flag warning for high winds through 6 p.m. PT Friday for Los Angeles and Ventura counties.
As first responders battle multiple wildfires in Los Angeles County, authorities are urging residents to heed evacuation orders and be patient.
The Palisades and Eaton fires are the largest of the five currently blazing across the county, with the two of them having burned more than 27,000 combined acres since they began on Tuesday.
Photos: Los Angeles wildfires threaten lives, homes and cultural landmarks
The Hurst and Lidia fires — the only two to reach any percentage of containment (10% and 40%, respectively) — continue to burn, as does the Sunset Fire, which ignited in the Hollywood Hills on Wednesday night.
"Historic winds and extensive drought have created a perfect storm that has driven people from their homes, have taken people's homes and have taken people's lives," LA Mayor Karen Bass said at a Thursday morning news conference. "This is absolutely an unprecedented historic firestorm, but we are all hands on deck."
The federal response
During a White House briefing with staff Thursday afternoon, President Biden said he was making federal resources available and that he had approved additional funding to help California battle the "worst fires to ever hit Los Angeles. Ever."
The new funding will cover 100% of the cost for 180 days for hazardous materials removal, temporary shelters, first responder salaries and measures to protect life, he said.
"We're sticking with this," Biden said.
On Wednesday, Biden made a major disaster declaration, which provides federal funding to affected residents by way of "grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster."
Authorities lifted evacuation orders for the Sunset Fire on Thursday morning, but many others remain in place.
Evacuation orders are impacting nearly 180,000 people in the county, and another nearly 200,000 individuals are under evacuation warnings, LA County Sheriff Robert Luna said Thursday.
"A lot of the stories of heroic actions by our deputy sheriffs, police officers, our firefighters, a lot of them are taking place for people who did not choose to evacuate, putting their own lives at risk," Luna added. "So please, if you're asked to evacuate, evacuate, because it's not only your life you're putting in danger."
Officials reported five civilian fatalities as of Wednesday night, though Luna cautioned, "Frankly, we don't know yet" where the death toll actually stands.
He said he is going back through all the information he received — stressing it was collected under challenging circumstances — to further verify the numbers.
"Unfortunately, I think the death toll will rise," Luna said. "I hope I'm wrong, but I think it's gonna rise."
Luna said some of the affected areas "looked like a bomb was dropped on them," and canines will search when it is safe to do so.
Other officials at the briefing described the firestorm — fueled by unusually strong Santa Ana winds — as "unprecedented" and the scenes as "apocalyptic."
Preliminary reports suggest the Palisades Fire alone has damaged or destroyed "thousands" of structures, LA Fire Chief Kristin Crowley said.
"Safe to say, the Palisades Fire is one of the most destructive natural disasters in the history of Los Angeles," Crowley added.
Public safety concerns rise, from utility damage to looting attempts
Authorities said a downturn in wind speeds — expected to be temporary — had enabled firefighters to start air operations on Tuesday night, making early progress against the Sunset Fire in the Hollywood Hills and what's being called the Sunswept Fire in Studio City.
"While we are still facing significant threats, I am hopeful that the tide is turning," said Kathryn Barger, chair of the LA County Board of Supervisors.
Crowley, the fire chief, said crews used ground and air tactics to stop the progress of the 43-acre Sunset Fire and are now working to put out spot fires and keep the wind from spreading additional embers. They were also able to fully contain the 30-acre Woodley Fire that started Wednesday and will continue monitoring the area for flare-ups.
Firefighters are still trying to get a handle on the Palisades Fire, the biggest of the blazes, where wind gusts up to 60 miles per hour pose an extra challenge.
Crowley advised residents to stay informed, be prepared to evacuate and stay away from impacted areas to allow first responders to carry out their duties.
Conditions are difficult for those able to stay home. As of Thursday morning, some 95,000 Angelenos were out of power, 15,000 Malibu residents faced gas shut-offs and the Sunset Mesa community was under a boil water advisory for at least 48 hours.
"Anyone who remained behind, if there is any residence in your area that is burned to the ground and you are still there, you should just go ahead and boil water," said Mark Pestrella, the director of LA County Public Works.
Pestrella said the first priority is restoring utilities like sewers, water, power and transportation, which is difficult because of the number of downed trees and other debris. He warned that people should not touch debris or try to remove it themselves, since it can be hazardous.
Authorities are also warning those who might be trying to take advantage of the situation by looting or committing burglary. They say 20 people have been arrested for looting so far.
Luna, the LA County sheriff, said that it is a misdemeanor for people to be in an evacuation zone without authorization and that he will direct members of the Sheriff's Department to start enforcing that rule, a message that LA County District Attorney Nathan Hochman echoed.
"If you want to go ahead and loot, if you want to commit burglary, if you want to engage in grand theft, if you want to engage in these internet scams where you're going to take advantage of people who are going to be seeking insurance and government benefits, you will be arrested, you will be prosecuted and you will be punished to the full extent of the law," he said.
Local and state responses
California Gov. Gavin Newsom said more than 7,500 personnel are responding to the fires across local, state and federal agencies. They are using helicopters, water tenders, air tankers and dozers to fight the fires. Four firefighters were injured as of Wednesday night, according to authorities.
The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power said some 135,226 customers were without power at 9 p.m. Wednesday, with Sherman Oaks, North Hollywood, Los Feliz and Highland Park among the communities most affected.
As of 6PM the Boil Water Notice only applies to the Pacific Palisades 90272 zip code and adjacent communities north of San Vincente Blvd. More info: https://t.co/Feqkyqeg8j pic.twitter.com/9kRwBRP64I
— LADWP (@LADWP) January 9, 2025
The department also issued an unsafe water alert, warning residents of ZIP code 90272 to use only boiled tap water or bottled water for drinking and cooking until further notice "due to low water pressure in the water distribution system stemming from high water usage to respond to the Pacific Palisades wildfire."
Bass, LA's mayor, is urging residents to conserve water as much as possible, and she said police are assisting in handling evacuation traffic.
"We are working urgently to close roads, redirect traffic and expand access for LAFD vehicles to respond to the growing fire," she said on X.
Bass returned Wednesday from a delegation trip to Ghana and rebuffed criticisms that she should have returned sooner.
She said she took the fastest way home and was in contact with authorities during her return trip. Asked about potential missteps on Thursday, Bass stressed that her top priority is saving lives and homes.
"Rest assured when that is done … we will absolutely do an evaluation to look at what worked and what didn't work, and to correct or hold accountable anybody, department, individual, et cetera," she said.
The latest on the response | What's been lost | The forecast | How to stay safe
All schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District are closed Thursday, and some LA County school districts have already announced plans to remain closed Friday.
"The confluence of factors — wind, fire and smoke — have created dangerous, complex situations that present unsafe conditions for our school communities," the district said.
Two LA elementary schools were destroyed in the fire.
Five schools were damaged in Pasadena, and the Pasadena Unified School District has closed all its schools for the rest of the week.
Homes and cultural landmarks are among the buildings destroyed
Damage appears to be extensive, with Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone estimating Wednesday that over 1,000 structures had been destroyed.
The buildings impacted so far include homes, businesses and cultural institutions.
LA landmarks including the historic Topanga Ranch Motel, Will Rogers' ranch house, the Bunny Museum and Altadena Hardware have been destroyed by flames, according to a tracker from LAist, as were beloved restaurants Fox's and Reel Inn.
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Religious sites like the Altadena Community Church, Masjid Al-Taqwa and the Pasadena Jewish Temple & Center have also been lost.
Cheryl Heuton and her husband left their home in Pasadena with just toothbrushes, laptops and old stuffed animals that belonged to their children when they were younger.
"We just finished cleaning up from the Rose Parade of all things, and now this," she said. "We had the big thing that showed off how wonderful life is here, followed immediately by something showing off how awful life can be."
They returned home to a damaged backyard, but the house was still intact, Heuton said.
As the fires have engulfed residential areas and fueled evacuation orders, a growing number of celebrities — including Mandy Moore, Billy Crystal, Cary Elwes and Paris Hilton — have shared from afar that their homes are among those destroyed.
"Sitting with my family, watching the news, and seeing our home in Malibu burn to the ground on live TV is something no one should ever have to experience," Hilton wrote on Instagram.
The fires have had an impact on the sports world too. The NBA announced the postponement of Thursday night's game between the Charlotte Hornets and LA Lakers, saying, "Our prayers remain with those affected by the unimaginable devastation caused by the wildfires." A day earlier, the NHL postponed a game between the LA Kings and Calgary Flames at the same venue, Crypto.com Arena.
Fire danger is predicted to continue through Friday
The National Weather Service (NWS) has extended its red flag warning through 6 p.m. PT Friday for portions of LA and Ventura counties.
"Gusty winds and very dry conditions will continue to fuel fire starts and existing fires," it said, referring to the Palisades, Eaton and Hurst fires already burning in the area.
The NWS is forecasting widespread wind gusts of 35 to 55 mph and extremely low humidity, a combination conducive to fueling flames.
Winds have gradually weakened since their peak earlier Wednesday, when the NWS recorded speeds as high as 90 mph in Henninger Flats and 89 mph at Saddle Peak.
This week's wildfires have been fueled by Santa Ana winds — dry, gusty winds that blow toward the coast. They are relatively common in the region, but not at this strength.
"The typical strengths of these winds are on the order of, say, 30 to 60 miles per hour when they occur, a couple times a year," Ariel Cohen, chief meteorologist for the NWS Los Angeles/Oxnard, told NPR's Morning Edition.
"Every once in a while, we get a much stronger Santa Ana wind event, like what we had over the past 24 to 36 hours, in which case we ended up with a widespread, life-threatening and destructive windstorm."
A wind advisory will remain in effect until at least 2 p.m. PT on Friday. The NWS advises residents to stay at least 100 feet away from downed power lines and call 911.
Resources to stay safe
➡️ Trying to stay safe in a wildfire? There's an app that can help
➡️ LAist's very short guide to driving in high winds and fire danger
➡️ How to keep yourself safe from wildfire smoke
➡️ High winds and fires mean power outages. Here's how to prep
The California Newsroom is following the extreme weather from across the region. Click through to LAist's coverage for the latest.
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