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Gavin Newsom described the Los Angeles wildfires as the worst natural disaster in U.S. history as the county’s medical examiner confirms at least 24 people have died from the devastating fires.
Residents are preparing for the potential return of high winds that threaten to push the wildfires ravaging the city toward some of its most famous landmarks.
The fires have torched more than 40,000 acres, including more than 23,000 acres across the Pacific Palisades and along the Pacific Coast Highway. Only 11 percent of the Palisades fire was contained, as of Sunday night. The Eaton fire has burned more than 14,000 acres in Altadena and Pasadena. That fire is 27 percent contained.
Fierce Santa Ana winds are expected to return this week. The National Weather Service anticipates gusts of 30 to 50 mph in coastal areas and up to 70 mph in the mountains of Los Angeles and Ventura counties.
The blazes are on track to be among the costliest ever seen in the U.S., with losses expected to exceed $135 billion.
Landlords in Los Angeles have meanwhile been accused of “taking advantage” of victims who have lost their homes in the city’s wildfires, as they illegally gouge prices for those desperate for a place to stay.
12 missing within Eaton Fire, four missing from Palisades
At least 16 people are missing in the Los Angeles area as firefighters work to battle the wildfires before the Santa Ana winds pick up again.
Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said 12 people were missing within the Eaton Fire and four were missing within the Palisades Fire. Luna said the sheriff’s office received more reports of missing individuals on Sunday but investigators had not determined if those people may be among the deceased.
No children are among those reported missing.
Ariana Baio13 January 2025 02:00
At least 24 people are confirmed dead from wildfires
The LA medical examiner said an additional four people were found deceased in Altadena and one in Malibu – bringing the total to 24.
Ariana Baio13 January 2025 01:33
Los Angeles Getty Center’s priceless collection braces for wildfires
The Getty Center and Villa, museums that house some of the most priceless pieces of art in the Los Angeles area, remain stable as wildfires continue, a museum representative said in an update on Saturday.
The Brentwood Getty Center was put under an evacuation order on Friday, while The villa, located in the Pacific Palisades, has been in an evacuation zone for days. The Palisades fire pushed eastward on Friday, prompting officials to expand mandatory evacuation orders into an area that encompasses the center.
“It was a watchful but fortunately uneventful night up here at the Getty Center,” Katherine E Fleming, president of the J Paul Getty Trust, the organization that operates the structures, said in a statement on Saturday.
The trust’s officials were told to anticipate stronger winds later in the day. Still, Fleming ensured that the museum’s galleries “are safe and protected.”
The Getty Villa, which houses the trust’s educational center, has not been harmed, though there are a few hot spots nearby. The structure has 1 million gallons of water on-site to prevent fires from setting it ablaze.
Ariana Baio13 January 2025 01:00
Newsom deploys 1,000 addtional National Guards service members
California Governor Gavin Newsom deployed an additional 1,000 National Guard service members on Sunday afternoon to help the communities affected by the wildfires in the Los Angeles area.
That is in addition to the 1,500 National Guard service members already deployed.
Ariana Baio13 January 2025 00:30
Evacuation order will remain in place until Thursday, at least
Evacuation orders will remain in effect until Thursday at the least due to red flag conditions, officials in California said on Sunday.
The forceful, dry winds that have escalated the fire in the Los Angeles area are expected to return this week. Combined with the low humidity and dry vegetation, it makes conditions preferable for fires.
Ariana Baio13 January 2025 00:00
Ashley Tisdale opens up about her mental health struggles during LA wildfires
Ashley Tisdale has candidly addressed her mental health less than a week after the first of several ravaging wildfires sparked across Los Angeles.
“There are times in life due to my mental health where I feel very alone when I’m out to dinner with friends,” she started in a message posted to her Instagram story on January 11.
“This experience has shown me how many amazing people I have in my life and I am far from alone,” she continued. “The amount of people checking in with each other is amazing. You realize in dark moments you have each other.
Graig Graziosi12 January 2025 23:30
Meghan Markle’s Netflix series ‘With Love, Meghan’ delayed by LA wildfires
Meghan Markle’s new Netflix series With Love, Meghan has been delayed due to the ongoing wildfire crisis in California, she has announced.
The US state has been devastated by wildfires over the past week, described by California governor Gavin Newsom as the worst natural disaster in the country’s history “in terms of the scale and scope”.
More than 12,000 homes have been destroyed in the blazes, with more than 150,000 people evacuated from their residences and at least 16 people confirmed to have died.
Graig Graziosi12 January 2025 23:00
Cal Fire warns of “critical fire weather” between tonight and Wednesday
Cal Fire warned that Southern California will face “critical fire weather” between Sunday night and Wednesday in a post on Facebook on Sunday evening.
High winds — reaching 70mph — are expected between later on Sunday evening through Wednesday. The winds can help spread and stoke existing fires and potentially start new ones by moving embers to previously untouched parts of the region.
“Life-threatening winds and dangerously low humidity are forecast for much of Southern California – from Ventura to San Diego – creating a significant risk of rapid fire spread,” Cal Fire warned. “The winds will cause increased fire activity.”
Graig Graziosi12 January 2025 22:54
LA County Sheriff says curfew will be in effect, law enforcement will not be deescalating number of officers on the streets
LA County Sheriff Robert Luna said during a press conference on Sunday that a curfew, from 6pm to 6am, will be in effect in wildfire affected areas of LA County on Sunday night into Monday morning.
“Simply stay out of the areas if you are not a first responder or have emergency business there,” he said.
Luna also said that law enforcement would not be decreasing the number of officers and deputies on the ground. He also said that while he understood that people wanted to get back to their homes, many areas are too dangerous to allow residents to return at this time.
“I know there’s a lot of folks trying to get back to their houses. We are very empathetic and sensitive to those needs, but your safety comes first,” he said. “A lot of these areas still look like they were hit by a bomb. There are live electrical wires, gas lines and other hazards. We want to make sure you’re safe, not to mention the health hazards that come with that information.”
Graig Graziosi12 January 2025 22:47
Los Angeles residents share what’s packed in their emergency evacuation bags amid ongoing wildfires
As deadly wildfires continue to displace people across Los Angeles, some residents affected by the natural disaster, which has now been described as the most destructive in U.S. history, have taken to TikTok to share what they packed in their evacuation bags.
Since the first flames sparked in the Santa Ana winds on January 7, at least 16 have been confirmed dead, 12,000 structures have been destroyed, and over 150,000 residents have been ordered to leave their homes.
Those forced to evacuate, leaving behind houses full of memories, have had to frantically pack necessities and decide which valuables they want to salvage in case their properties are ruined in the fires.
Graig Graziosi12 January 2025 22:45
