Wildfires are supposed to be wild.
But the reach of this week’s windstorm-driven blazes in Southern California has served as a reminder that flames don’t stop at the wildland-urban interface. And if that’s the case, few in this region of 25 million are truly safe from the ravages of such blazes.
Mandatory evacuations for the Palisades Fire yesterday and the Sunset Fire tonight spread into century-old, rectangular street grids and well-worn Main Streets seemingly insulated from fire by miles of concrete and steel structures.
Authorities last night put the northern portion of Santa Monica’s North of Montana neighborhood under mandatory evacuation orders. The area included the city from San Vicente to the border with Los Angeles and its Pacific Palisades community.
It’s not in the hills, and it’s not amid woods or brush. It’s part of a larger Santa Monica neighborhood known for its expensive homes and Rodeo Drive-style boutiques.
“This is staggering,” Los Angeles Times reporter Julia Wick said on X last night, commenting on the Santa Monica portion of Palisades Fire evacuations. “For those unfamiliar with L.A. geography, the area in the evacuation warning is not in the hills.”
Likewise, evacuations tonight covered the western portion of the Hollywood Hills, west of the 101 Freeway, from Mulholland Drive — which twists along the top of the mountains — to Hollywood Boulevard, a flatlands thoroughfare to the south that takes tourists to the El Capitan Entertainment Center, TCL Chinese Theatre, the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Madame Tussauds Hollywood and Ripley’s Believe It or Not!
Some of the city’s oldest multifamily structures line the boulevard in one of its densest neighborhoods.
Just east of the boulevard’s evacuation zone are Thai Town and its critically acclaimed eateries, and Little Armenia, a location celebrating Armenian settlement in East Hollywood.
The overlapping ethnic communities found life and commerce in the boulevard’s vintage buildings. It’s generally not a place where children learn how to hunt, fish or even about preparing for wildfires.
But the lesson of wildfire crushing urban development is one told previously, when the Camp Fire in 2018 destroyed 85% of Paradise, California, 470 miles north of L.A. in the Sierra Nevada Mountains.
A National Institute of Standards and Technology analysis of the Paradise Fire found that the density of the town actually made the fire worse and accelerated flames.
“Propelling the Camp Fire’s structure-destroying spree were fires that spread within and between plots of land, or parcels, rather than from the fire front,” the analysis, published in 2021, said. “Sources such as burning sheds, plants, vehicles and neighboring houses caused many buildings to catch fire, either through direct contact with flames or embers generated in parcels.”
Gov. Gavin Newsom, speaking to NBC News today, said the rapid devastation of the last two days in Southern California was something he could only compare to the Paradise Fire.
“It’s stunning,” he said. “Nothing comes close.”
The Sunset Fire, which sparked tonight, has grown to 50 acres in the Hollywood Hills, but crews report progress in keeping it contained and are attacking it with aerial water drops.
“There are active flames within the interior of the fire, but the perimeter is holding well thanks to a fire road and ground crews in place,” the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department posted on social media this evening.
“At the heel of the fire, active flames have been extinguished, though smoldering continues within the interior.”
An evacuation center has been set up at the Pan Pacific Recreational Center, at 7600 Beverly Blvd.
Marissa Hermer recalled being on a hike yesterday when she saw smoke and flames coming from behind her kids’ school.
That’s when, she said, she raced down the mountain and picked up her kids and “got them out of there.” As she tried driving into her neighborhood, Hermer said, she had to leave her car behind.
“I walked into my neighborhood then — I wasn’t able to drive — and got everything I could collect in my hands and walked out,” she said.
Since then, Hermer said, her kids have been asking her where they’ll live and where they’ll go to school. She doesn’t have an answer for them right now.
Hermer is the owner of multiple restaurants in the Los Angeles area and the founder of “You Give, We Cook, They Eat,” a program she started during the pandemic.
The program will now provide food to shelters and families in need.
“We’re just holding each other right now, and that’s community. So even though the Palisades is burning down, we’re here,” Hermer said.
Conditions tonight mean fire crews can battle the new fire in the Hollywood Hills, the Sunset Fire, by air.
When the deadly Eaton Fire exploded near Paseneda last night, the extreme wind kept the air crews on the ground.
A firefighting helicopter drops water as the Sunset Fire burns in the Hollywood Hills in Los Angeles on Wednesday.Mario Tama / Getty Images
Los Angeles police are being enlisted in the fight against the Sunset Fire in the Hollywood Hills, Mayor Karen Bass said.
Police will help fleeing evacuees, direct traffic, close roads near the flames and expand street access for firefighters, she said tonight on X.
She said officers are a part of city efforts to “urgently” ease evacuations and fire response in a part of the city that includes steep hills and narrow, winding streets.
“We are deploying LAPD officers to respond to Hollywood to help alleviate evacuation traffic,” Bass said.
“This is the night when my house might burn down,” Lawrence O’Donnell said on MSNBC tonight. “It is being threatened by fire now in a way that wasn’t possible even yesterday or earlier today that we did not know about.”
“This situation really is happening in a way that we have never seen before,” O’Donnell said.
When he delivered his remarks on his show, O’Donnell said he had no idea what is happening to his house or whether it is still standing — an experience he shares with everyone who had to evacuate.
But he also noted a luxury that many do not have: being able to monitor the situation in L.A. from the comfort of his second home in New York City, thousands of miles away.
“If you have a home in Los Angeles, if you have an apartment, if you have anything in Los Angeles now, you do not know anymore whether you’re going to see it again,” O’Donnell said.
Undergraduate classes will be canceled while graduate classes will be taught remotely tomorrow and Friday, UCLA announced.
Classes for UCLA Extension, the university’s continuing education division, will also be remote tomorrow and Friday, the school said. The Geffen Academy, UCLA Lab School and Early Care and Education PreK-12 programs will be closed on those days.
There is no immediate fire danger to the campus, in Los Angeles’ Westwood community, but the air quality in the area is likely to worsen in the hours ahead, the university said.
“The first week of classes is typically a joyous occasion, and I am deeply sorry that the fires in our region have instead brought so much pain and caused so much devastation,” Chancellor Julio Frenk said in a letter to the school community.
President Joe Biden has canceled his coming trip to Italy to deal with the wildfires, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement.
“After returning this evening from Los Angeles, where earlier today he had met with police, fire and emergency personnel fighting the historic fires raging in the area and approved a Major Disaster declaration for California, President Biden made the decision to cancel his upcoming trip to Italy to remain focused on directing the full federal response in the days ahead,” she said.
He had initially planned to meet with Pope Francis, Italian President Sergio Mattarella and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni during the trip.
The Sunset Fire, which sparked this evening in the Hollywood Hills, is under aerial assault by firefighters.
Unlike last night, crews tonight are able to drop water on the blaze and the wind is less severe — advantages for firefighters.
NBC Los Angeles reporters on the scene and in the air reported that it appeared as though crews were making progress in battling the blaze but warned that embers could easily spark new fires.
The Sunset Fire, which has prompted evacuations, is at 20 acres.
Gregg Champion evacuated from the Palisades Fire with his wife and three daughters, but his house could not be saved.
Awards, pictures, sports memorabilia, memories of going to the ranch and on ski trips — all went up in flames.
“All the memories are gone,” Champion said.
Champion said he is on a text chain with about 11 other families of kids with whom his children play soccer and volleyball. All those families lost their homes, too, he said.
“There’s nothing left in the Palisades,” Champion said. “Nothing.”
The Sunset Fire broke out shortly before 6 p.m. in the Hollywood Hills of Los Angeles near the popular Runyon Canyon.
It quickly grew to 20 acres, prompting mandatory evacuations from Laurel Canyon Boulevard on the west to Mulholland Drive on the north to the 101 Freeway on the east down to Hollywood Boulevard on the south.
NBC News
Los Angeles residents are turning to a free nonprofit-run app to help them navigate the catastrophic fires ravaging the area.
Watch Duty, which launched in 2021 and is now in 22 states, provides live updates to users about nearby wildfires and firefighting efforts. The app is powered by a team of volunteers and staff members — active and retired firefighters, dispatchers and veteran storm watchers, according to its website.
Throughout yesterday and into today, many Angelenos circulated screenshots of the app across social media, encouraging others to download it and calling it a lifeline amid rapidly changing weather conditions.
Celebrities who live in Southern California are sharing the news that they have lost their homes in the fires.
Billy and Janice Crystal said in a statement that the home they have lived in since 1979 was gone.
“Words cannot describe the enormity of the devastation we are witnessing and experiencing,” the Crystals said. “We ache for our friends and neighbors who have also lost their homes and businesses in this tragedy.”
“The Pacific Palisades is a resilient community of amazing people and we know in time it will rise again.”
The Crystals said they are praying for “the safety of the firefighters and first responders, and Paris Hilton, too, shared her appreciation for rescuers and her community amid the devastation.
Hilton said on X that she was “heartbroken beyond words” after she watched her Malibu home burn down on live TV. She described the loss as “overwhelming” but added she is “holding onto gratitude that my family is safe.”
She said she is looking into how “we can best support the communities impacted by these fires” and hopes to make a “meaningful difference” as soon as possible.
“We’re in this together, LA,” Hilton wrote.
A brush fire has broken out in the Hollywood Hills of Los Angeles near Runyon Canyon, the city’s fire chief said at a news conference this evening.
The new fire had broken out within five minutes of Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristin Crowley’s announcement around 5:50 p.m.
“I don’t have a lot of information. I can tell you we’re throwing all of our available resources at it as we speak,” Crowley said before she excused herself from the news event. “I am seeing active water drops as we speak.”
Three smaller fires that broke out in Los Angeles and Ventura counties have been contained or had their forward progress stopped, fire officials said.
The Woodley Fire in the San Fernando Valley area of Los Angeles has been controlled at around 30 acres, Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristin Crowley said at a news conference.
The Lidia Fire, which broke out near the community of Acton in a region between the Sierra Pelona and San Gabriel mountains, was an estimated 80 to 100 acres but 30% contained, Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said.
“Thankfully, forward progress has been stopped,” he said.
The fire in Ventura County, the Olivas Fire, burned 28 acres after it started today, but its forward progress was stopped and firefighters were mopping up this afternoon, the Ventura County Fire Department said.
But there are still major wildfires burning in Los Angeles and Los Angeles County: the Palisades Fire in Pacific Palisades, the Hurst Fire in the Sylmar area of Los Angeles and the Eaton Fire in the Altadena and Pasadena area.
Reporting from Altadena, California
Kymm Snowden traveled back to Altadena after his mother fled the Eaton Fire, which erupted yesterday, to check on her home — but the fire was close by.
“It’s mind-blowing. I don’t even have words for it. I’m just hoping they can put that out,” said Snowden, whose grandfather and other family members have lived in the foothills before he was born.
The Eaton Fire has grown to more than 10,000 acres after it broke out at around 6:30 p.m. yesterday near Altadena, a city at the foot of the San Gabriel Mountains, officials have said. Five people have died, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said.
Hundreds of structures have been destroyed, Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said.
Snowden said that usually fires are in the mountains, not in the city. He was taken aback by the devastation.
“Every street you go, houses on both sides are leveled,” he said. Several family members have lost homes in the fire, he said.
The Los Angeles fire chief warned in the weeks before the devastating Palisades Fire that the decision to cut the fire department’s budget by nearly $18 million would diminish its ability to prepare for and respond to large-scale emergencies.
The budget reduction, which Mayor Karen Bass approved last year, was mostly absorbed by leaving many administrative jobs unfilled, but that left about $7 million that was cut from the overtime budget that was used for training, fire prevention and other key functions.
“The reduction … has severely limited the department’s capacity to prepare for, train for, and respond to large-scale emergencies, including wildfires,” Chief Kristin Crowley wrote in a memo on Dec. 4.
The variable overtime hours, called “V-Hours” within the LAFD, were used to pay for Federal Aviation Administration-mandated pilot training and helicopter coordination staffing for wildfire suppression, the memo said.
“Without this funding, pilot compliance and readiness are jeopardized, and aerial firefighting capabilities are diminished,” it said. “Changes to the Air Operations Section impact the Department’s ability to adhere to current automatic and mutual aid agreements, provide air ambulance service, and quickly respond to woodland fires with water dropping helicopters.”
The memo also highlighted other programs that would suffer under the cuts, including the Disaster Response Section, which funds the bulldozer teams that cut breaks and control lines around wildfires, and the Critical Incident Planning and Training Section, which develops plans for major emergencies.
Fanned by powerful winds, the Palisades Fire, which started yesterday, destroyed hundreds of buildings and burned about 15,800 acres. It is one of five wildfires burning in Southern California.
More than 100,000 people have been evacuated, Pasadena Mayor Victor Gordo told reporters this afternoon in discussing the Eaton Fire at a news conference, and 100,000 have been told they may need to evacuate because they live in a danger zone.
Five people have died and hundreds of homes have been lost, Gordo said.
The Eaton Fire is more 10,600 acres large and at 0% containment, Pasadena Fire Chief Chad Augustine said. He said 200 to 500 structures have been damaged or lost.
Sixty strike teams have been requested — around 15 have arrived, and Augustine expects that to grow to 50 within 24 hours. There are 750 firefighters combating the blaze.
Augustine said that wind gusts of 70-plus mph have driven the fire and that embers have been spotted 2 to 3 miles ahead of it, sparking small fires of their own.
The area remains in red flag conditions, and Augustine expects it to be that way until tomorrow.
But, he said, thanks to the current forecast, aircraft are now able to come in to fight the fire. Aircraft have been dropping water since about 10 a.m. PT in an attempt to limit the spread.
“We expect, with favorable conditions over the next couple days, to start making good progress on this fire,” Augustine said. Tonight’s wind conditions will be “very mild,” he said, which gives him “confidence that we’re going to get a handle on this fire.
He later added: “Do I expect a risk of fire spread tomorrow? Yes. Do I expect erratic fire weather like we saw last night? No.”
Augustine also noted the “rarity” it is to have two major brush fires in L.A. County in one day.
Southern California’s deadly, raging wildfires are affecting the Hollywood awards season as flames and smoke put a halt to the usual glitz and glamour.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and the Writers Guild of America today announced that they will delay announcing their awards nominees.
The academy, which hands out the Oscars, will announce nominees on Jan. 19 — two days later than originally scheduled — to give its members affected by the fires an extended window to vote for nominees, The Associated Press reported.
The WGA West and the WGA East said in a statement that nominees will be announced Monday.
Yesterday, the Screen Actors Guild announced that it had canceled its planned in-person awards nomination ceremony because of the extreme fire conditions. Instead, nominees were announced today on its website.
Pasadena has seen “a brutal 22 hours” since the Eaton Fire broke out yesterday but will rebuild, City Manager Miguel Márquez said.
Winds were gusting around 80 mph after the Eaton Fire broke out in Eaton Canyon near Altadena around 6:30 p.m., he said, and first responders went door to door to get people to safety.
“We will put out the fire. And then it will be time to rebuild,” Márquez said at a news conference this afternoon.
The Eaton Fire has grown to more than 10,600 acres and destroyed more than 100 structures, officials said earlier today. At least five people have died.
A man in Pacific Palisades captured on video how he and his elderly relative escaped nearby raging fires. Aaron Samson used his phone to record the drama. They were directed by law enforcement to leave their car on a street where traffic had stalled and a number of vehicles were abandoned.
Samson’s father-in-law appeared unstable for a moment when he emerged into the air, which was laden with smoke. Samson gathered his rolling walker, and they made their way up the street, where a “good Samaritan” gave them a ride to safety in Santa Monica.
The video also captures a distraught women yelling into her cellphone, apparently devastated by the destruction.
Nearly 330,000 customers are still without power in in Southern California.
The latest figures provided by the tracking website PowerOutage.us show there were 329,457 power outages at 4:15 p.m. local time (7:15 p.m. ET).
That represents a significant drop. Only hours earlier in the afternoon, the website said about 1.5 million Southern California customers were without power.
Reporting from Altadena, Calif.
Part of a home collapsed during a live report, an in-the-moment example of the wreckage that has engulfed this town.
Gusting winds of up to 100 mph make it feel like a hurricane in a city. Instead of wind, it’s fire you have to worry about.
And because of that combination, the extent of the damage to the community, which was hit “hard and fast,” will be devastating.
The stress firefighters are experiencing is substantial. They are trying to save more structures, which could lead to more embers, which could lead to more fires, which lead to more tears.
Owners of horses and other large livestock can take their animals to the Pico Rivera Sports Arena for free emergency shelter, the city announced today.
The city said owners can take their animals to the arena at any time and someone will be there to assist them.
Pico Rivera is on the southern edge of the San Gabriel Valley, where the Eaton Fire is burning in the Pasadena and Altadena area, north of the city. The sports arena, on Pico Rivera’s northeast edge, is known for its concerts, rodeos and other Hispanic cultural events.
“The Pico Rivera Sports Arena is uniquely equipped to provide safe, secure and accessible boarding for horses and other large animals,” Mayor John Garcia said in a statement. “It gives families peace of mind as they prioritize their safety and recovery.”
Three schools suffered “significant damage” in the Palisades Fire, a spokesperson for the Los Angeles school district said.
Palisades Charter High School, Palisades Charter Elementary School and Marquez Elementary School were all damaged, the spokesperson for Los Angeles Unified School District said.
NBC Los Angeles recorded the scene as flames roared from multiple structures at Palisades Charter High School last night.
“We are currently working with local authorities and emergency response teams to assess the situation and determine next steps. Plans are being developed to minimize disruption to instruction,” the school district spokesperson said in an email.
Reporting from Altadena, California
Firefighters battling the Eaton Fire, which is burning homes in the Altadena area, say they are having issues with hydrants or low water pressure at hydrants.
“Right now, we’re finding most of them are down or low-pressure, and we’re having to commit resources to provide water,” Los Angeles County Fire Capt. Josh DeJournett said as they worked to combat a fire at a home today.
“If we had a hydrant for this building, we might have been able to save the back half,” he said.
There have been issues with water pressure in fighting the Palisades Fire, burning on the other side of Los Angeles County by the Pacific Ocean, the Los Angeles Fire Department said.
Fire spokesperson Erik Scott said fire crews on that fire did have problems with water.
“Water availability was impacted at higher elevations, which affected some fire hydrants due to limited replenishment of water tanks in those areas,” Scott wrote on X today. “The extreme demand caused a slower refill rate for these tanks which created a challenge for our firefighting effort.”
Airbnb is working with 211 L.A. to offer free temporary housing for people affected by the wildfires and forced to evacuate their homes.
The company said all stays will be fully funded by Airbnb and the guests who are offering their homes.
To be eligible, you must have been displaced from your home, you must live in an evacuation zone, you must have an active Airbnb account, and you must be 18 years old.
More information on the program can be found here.
Jennifer Schweitzer had to pull her husband away from staring at the burning Altadena home he had loved and lived in for decades. But even then, the two couldn’t bear to go too far away.
“We didn’t even leave,” she told NBC Los Angeles reporter Lolita Lopez. The couple moved to the parking lot of a nearby supermarket, hoping for the best.
“It’s gonna pass. We’re gonna still have our home,” she said she recalled thinking. But fierce winds pushed them farther away from the home her husband, 49, grew up in and inherited once his father died.
As flames further engulfed the home that the couple raised their own children in, Schweitzer and her husband relocated to another parking lot that was still close by.
“We still could not leave,” Schweitzer said. “You know that’s — that’s our home.”
Schweitzer said that they tried to hose their house down before they left but that their efforts did not stand a chance against the sheer destruction of the Eaton fire.
“It’s gone,” she said in tears. “It’s all we’ve got.”
Within minutes, Schweitzer said, the fire also destroyed their children’s school, their neighborhood park and as their local post office, smoke shop and hamburger stand.
Now, at the Pasadena Convention Center, a stunned Schweitzer is waiting for more resources and guidance from officials about what to do next.
“I’m hoping I just wake up and it’s a dream,” she said.
The NFL is monitoring wildfires in Southern California as the wildcard playoff game between the Minnesota Vikings and the Los Angeles Rams is scheduled for Monday night.
The playoff game is slated for 8 p.m. at the Rams’ home field, SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.
“The NFL continues to closely monitor developments in the area and will remain in contact with both clubs and the NFLPA,” the league said in a statement.
However, the NFL added, if the game has to be relocated, it will be moved to State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. The stadium is home to the Arizona Cardinals.
The NFL also said the league’s “priority is the safety of the Los Angeles community. We are grateful for the tireless efforts of the first responders. Our hearts are with Los Angeles and everyone affected by the fires.”
The Rams posted today on X about the wildfires.
“Our hearts are with those affected by the Eaton Fire in Altadena/Pasadena and the first responders in our community. Be safe,” the team said.
The Vikings responded to the Rams’ post with one of their own, saying, “We’re thinking of our Rams friends, their community and the first responders during this time.”
Mendy Piekarski, a rabbi at a Chabad Lubavitch synagogue and cultural center in Topanga Canyon, rushed to evacuate people from the facility today.
He and his colleagues called the parents of 25 preschool students there, and within an hour, all the kids had been picked up and driven out of the evacuation zone.
Piekarski, 27, said he and his wife loaded the Chabad’s sacred Torah scrolls into their car before they left the building, wrapping the bundles of parchment in tallit, a fringed garment worn as a prayer shawl.
“We cherish them very much, and they’re very valuable, so we made sure to bring them to a safe location outside Topanga,” he said. “We would have loved to take other holy objects, like prayer books, though we didn’t have enough time. It was about taking the most important things: our family and the Torah scrolls.
“Of course, it would have been nice to also take some photo albums and pictures,” he added. “But safety is the main thing.”
FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell called the roaring wildfires in the Los Angeles area a “very dynamic and dangerous situation” and said she would be in Southern California on Friday to assess the damage.
She told Nicolle Wallace on “Deadline: White House” that authorities are trying to determine what the “maximum impact” could be to get victims of the wildfires the resources they need.
Criswell compared the wildfires in Southern California to the 2023 wildfires in Maui that killed more than 100 and destroyed the former capital of the kingdom of Hawaii. Criswell said resources provided to California may end up topping resources provided to Hawaiians affected by the wildfires.
She reflected on a recent trip to Maui to check the recovery status and said temporary schools and housing have been set up.
“Those are the types of things that we’re going to have to do here, maybe even on a grander scale than what we saw in Maui. But we just don’t know yet,” she said.
Criswell also urged affected residents to lean on the government and their neighbors, assuring them these dark days will pass.
“They can rely on their federal government to come in and support them. They can rely on their neighbors, their friends to help them. There are resources that are out there, whether it’s the federal government and our nonprofit or churches,” she said. “We are going to bring all of these together to help you through this.”
The number of people killed in the Eaton Fire has risen to five, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said.
Additional details about the deaths were not immediately available.
Earlier today, officials said the blaze had killed two people.
The Eaton Fire has burned about 10,600 acres since it started yesterday and is 0% contained, according to Cal Fire.
Two additional brush fires broke out today, one in a community between two mountain ranges in Los Angeles County and one in Ventura County west of Los Angeles, officials said.
The fire in Ventura County, the Olivas Fire, was around 28 acres and the Ventura County Fire Department said that firefighters have stopped its forward progress.
“Crews will be remaining on scene for the next few hours mopping up hotspots within the fire footprint,” the Ventura County Fire Department said on X.
The Lidia Fire broke out in Los Angeles County in a region between the Sierra Pelona Mountains and San Gabriel Mountains. It has burned around 50 acres and has begun burning into the Angeles National Forest, the U.S. Forest Service said.
That fire was reported off of Soledad Canyon Road in Acton, a community of around 7,000, the Angeles National Forest said.
The Woodley Fire, which broke out today in the San Fernando Valley, was previously reported. That fire has burned around 30 acres, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said.
The three fires are all zero percent contained, according to Cal Fire.
The raging wildfires in the Los Angeles area prompted the postponement of the 30th annual Critics Choice Awards in Santa Monica, organizers said today.
The award ceremony that was scheduled for Sunday will now be held on Jan. 26, organizers said in a statement. The location of the event will remain at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica and will broadcast live on E!. It will also be available on Peacock the next day, organizers said.
“This unfolding tragedy has already had a profound impact on our community,” event CEO Joey Berlin said in the statement. “All our thoughts and prayers are with those battling the devastating fires and with all who have been affected.”
The Music Center in Los Angeles said in a statement it has closed its buildings to the public “out of an abundance of caution” amid the wildfire threat in the area.
The Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Mark Taper Forum, Ahmanson Theatre and Walt Disney Concert Hall have been closed, the center said. There were no performances or events on the campus today.
The center said it hopes to resume normal operations tomorrow.
KNBC helicopter reporter Julia Deng describes frightening turbulence and extreme winds as she provides an aerial view of California’s raging Palisades Fire.
The city of Los Angeles needs more than 60 new fire stations to meet its average daily need and is not equipped to deal with a catastrophic wildfire emergency of this level, a local official said today.
In a live interview with KNBC, Councilwoman Traci Park criticized the city’s lack of resources and manpower to fight even everyday fires, saying she was frustrated with the “chronic underinvestment in our critical infrastructure and our public safety partners.”
“The demands that we are putting on our public safety resources is absolutely untenable, and we can’t continue this way,” Park told KNBC reporter Hetty Chang.
A report recently found that the city needs at least 62 new fire stations, Park said, adding that there are 100 out-of-service fire engines and ambulances at the mechanics yard because “we don’t have mechanics to repair them.”
“We are not staffed to deal with this level of emergency or this number of emergencies spread around a geographic footprint like we have here in the city, in the county of Los Angeles,” Park said. “And as we look forward to the World Cup in 2026 and the Olympics in 2028, this is a painful and tragic reminder of how much work we have ahead.”
Firefighters battling the Palisades Fire are not only fighting the roaring inferno, but also facing challenges with water pressure, an official said today.
Erik Scott, a spokesperson for the Los Angeles Fire Department, posted on X about problems firefighters are facing getting water to the flames.
Scott said in the post that the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power proactively filled all available water storage tanks, including three 1 million-gallon tanks in the Palisades area.
“However, water availability was impacted at higher elevations, which affected some fire hydrants due to limited replenishment of water tanks in those areas,” he said. “The extreme demand caused a slower refill rate for these tanks which created a challenge for our firefighting effort.”
Wildfires across Los Angeles may affect clinic and outpatient appointments at Keck Medicine of USC, it said in a post on X. The Southern California medical system consists of hospitals, clinics and primary care providers.
“We continue to monitor the situation to ensure the safety of our patients and staff,” Keck Medicine said on X.
All Keck Medicine of USC hospitals are open, and all patients with affected appointments will be contacted with additional information, the hospital system said.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass called the impact of the fires and winds in the city “devastating” in a statement today on X, adding that she spoke with President Biden “and discussed an urgent path forward towards recovery for the thousands of families impacted.”
She thanked Gov. Gavin Newsom and Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., “for your continued support for our city.”
UCLA Health hospitals treated over 20 patients for fire-related injuries, officials said today.
As of 11 a.m. local time, 21 patients were treated and released, and one patient remained hospitalized in critical condition, according to UCLA.
Reporting from Pacific Palisades, Calif.
NBC News correspondent Gadi Schwartz drove through Pacific Palisades and provided an up-close view of the wildfire carnage that roars through the town.
Through thick segments of ash, Schwartz points out homes and an apartment building that were engulfed in flames. Landmarks were destroyed, like the once-majestic Pacific Palisades Presbyterian Church and Gelson’s grocery store.
The next mile showed utter devastation, including a prominent home that sat on a hill overlooking Sunset Boulevard. Most people had evacuated, although there were a few people riding bicycles.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom told NBC News the closest thing he’s seen to the fires blazing in his state was the deadly fire in Paradise, but at this stage, just 24 hours in, he said he’s never seen anything like this, in size and scope.
“It’s stunning. Nothing comes close,” he said.
Newsom said they’ll need to start focusing on clean-up efforts soon, but said right now “it’s about keeping people safe, making sure people are heeding the evacuation orders.”
He said the Palisades Fire is 0% contained and noted the “great challenge” intense winds are bringing to fighting the fires.
Newsom said they were as prepared as they could be. On Sunday night, he directed 110 fire engines to the area of the Palisades Fire, in addition to water tenders and helicopters among other firefighting resources.
Despite that, the governor thinks this could be one of the costliest fires in history, something he said he was discussing with President Joe Biden today, pointing to the complexities of the multiple fires, the wind and humidity forecast, and that they have pulled resources from not only around California but from other states as well.
“I think that says everything there is to know about the magnitude of it,” Newsom said.
More than 1.5 million customers are without power in Southern California as wildfires burn throughout the Los Angeles area, according to PowerOutage.us.
The outage numbers leapt from the 400,000 without power about two hours prior.
In Los Angeles County alone, about 957,000 customers were without electricity, according to the site.
Reporting from Los Angeles
A handful of L.A. restaurants are preparing food for first responders in an effort to help the community amid the devastating fires.
Yeastie Boys Bagels, a popular food truck known for its New York-style bagels, posted that it is going to evacuation centers in Pasadena, Pacoima, Westwood and downtown Los Angeles to provide meals. The business posted a series of images of people receiving the food.
Jon & Vinnys, another L.A. staple, wrote a note on Instagram saying it is “working on ways to support you, our amazing first responders and the broader community.”
“At this time, all our restaurant locations are open for those seeking refuge and regular dine-ins,” the Italian restaurant wrote in its post. “Wait times may be a bit longer (only a bit!) as some of our teams are preparing food for first responders.”
Le Great Outdoor, a restaurant in Santa Monica, wrote on its Instagram story that today it is “focusing on helping fire fighters and first responders.” The business asked people to purchase a firefighter meal on the restaurant website, noting that for every meal purchased, the restaurant will provide an additional meal.
The Palisades Fire put a serious “strain” on the city’s water system after three million gallons were used in just 15 hours, according to officials.
Sheila Kelliher, captain of the Los Angeles Fire Department, detailed the challenges of putting out the fires and explained how the department decides to deploy resources.
The NASA Jet Propulsion Lab, managed by CalTech and located in La Cañada Flintridge, will be closed to employees and visitors until Monday, according to to the lab’s emergency website.
Deep Space Network operations normally conducted at JPL have been moved offsite to a backup operations center. A “small number” of critical personnel remained on site this morning.
Although the lab has sustained some wind damage, there are no damages as a result of the ongoing fires, JPL Director Laurie Leshin said in a post on X.
The Los Angeles Kings home game against the Calgary Flames scheduled for tonight has been postponed, the NHL team said, as fires in the region continue to burn amid high winds.
“Our hearts are with the entire Los Angeles community,” the team said in a statement. “We appreciate the hard working First Responders who are diligently working to contain the fire and protect our community.”
A new date was not announced. Tickets for tonight’s game will be valid for the rescheduled game, the team said.
President Joe Biden approved a major disaster declaration for California that will clear the way for federal funds and resources to be accessed in recovery efforts, according to the White House.
The declaration will allow “survivors to immediately access funds and resources to jumpstart their recovery,” a White House statement said.
Biden is “focused on mobilizing life-saving and life-sustaining resources across the region,” the statement added, as the president is “praying for those who lost loved ones, had property damaged, were injured, and for everyone affected by this and other devastating fires in the area.”
Alongside the president’s declaration, FEMA has approved a Fire Management Assistance Grant to reimburse California for its firefighting costs overnight.
The administration also said that five large air tankers, 10 federal firefighting helicopters and dozens of fire engines from the U.S. Forest Service are being deployed to the efforts in the state.
Four Modular Air Firefighting System (MAFFS) are on their way from the Department of Defense, along with 10 Navy helicopters with water delivery buckets to assist with aerial suppression, the statement added. The resources will add to the two Modular Air Firefighting System units coming from the California National Guard, which expects another two to be on the way from Nevada’s National Guard.
Startling video captured the grounds of the Villa de Leon on fire. The historic mansion has been featured in many high-profile music videos and commercials. The mansion is located near the Getty Villa, an educational center and art museum housing a vast collection of Ancient Greek and Roman works and artifacts.
During a briefing today with President Joe Biden and Gov. Gavin Newsom, Los Angeles County Fire Chief Tony Marrone announced that states including Arizona, Nevada and Washington are deploying their resources to assist.
“We requested 250 additional engines into L.A. County with 1,000 personnel. We also are using our compacts with other states like Arizona, Nevada, Oregon and Washington. Firefighters from those regions are on their way down to Los Angeles County right now to assist us,” he said.
The Oregon Fire Marshall also posted that they have mobilized 12 strike teams from the Oregon fire service to the wildfires. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis also shared that he has offered to send resources from his state, which he shared on X.
“When disaster strikes, we must come together to help our fellow Americans in any way we can. The state of Florida has offered help to assist the people of California in responding to these fires and in rebuilding communities that have been devastated,” he wrote.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul also shared that her state is ready to deploy resources if they are needed, saying she has been in touch with the state of California. She also called the wildfires “horrific” and said they are “praying for all who are impacted.”
At a briefing at a Santa Monica firehouse this afternoon, President Joe Biden called the ongoing wildfires in Southern California “astounding.”
“We’re prepared to [do] anything and everything as long as it takes to contain these fires and help reconstruct, make sure that we get back to normal,” the president said at the briefing.
Biden said that he plans to sign a declaration today to “provide for everything the federal government can do,” adding that he’s directed the Department of Defense to “rapidly provide additional firefighting personnel and capabilities.”
“It’s going to be a hell of a long way. It’s going to take time, federal government is here to stay, as long as it needs,” he added.
Gov. Gavin Newsom, who attended the briefing, told the president he had “next level appreciation” for the federal support.
Actor and Pacific Palisades resident Steve Guttenberg is on the ground trying to offer a helping hand, attempting to move abandoned cars and help lost pets.
“I’m OK … yesterday morning everything was fine. About 10 o’clock, this crazy fire was occurring,” he recalled, saying the winds were “the hardest I’ve ever seen in my life.”
“People are really panicking and really scared right now. Most people have evacuated their homes. But the fire is really raging. These winds are terrible, the winds are so hot,” he told MSNBC’s Chris Jansing. “It was like a volcano.”
He recalled trying to save a dog in the street last night and seeing grocery stores and the local high school on fire.
He urged people to help each other through the devastation.
“I want to use this moment to tell people in a crisis, anytime there’s a crisis and you abandon your car, leave the keys in the car so guys like me can move the car to the curb so that fire fighters can get through with fire trucks,” he said.
“We should use kindness and this compassion not only during a crisis but we should remember to use it all the time,” he added.
There are over 400,000 customers without power across the state of California as of 11:15 a.m. local time (2:15 p.m. ET), according to poweroutage.us, which tracks power outages across the United States.
In Los Angeles County alone, there are currently over 260,000 customers without power.
Mayor Karen Bass said all Los Angeles Fire Department air operations in the Palisades have resumed after they were halted due to extreme weather conditions overnight.
“LAFD helicopters are back to dropping water and hundreds of firefighters continue to be on the scene to help respond to the #PalisadesFire and #HurstFire,” she wrote on X.
The Palisades Fire has grown to 11,802 acres, as of 11:30 a.m. local time (2:30 p.m. ET).
L.A. Fire Chief Kristin M. Crowley briefed President Biden on the new numbers this afternoon.
“High, high, high winds. I’ve never seen the winds (like this) in my 25 year career,” she said. “It’s an active, active fire fight with our firefighters, and they’re doing the very best to protect our people within this area.”
President Joe Biden appeared at a Santa Monica fire station this afternoon to receive an in-person briefing on the wildfires raging across the Los Angeles area.
He was joined by Gov. Gavin Newsom.
In a live broadcast, KNBC’s Alex Vasquez said he saw about 30 people who decided not to evacuate or had left the area but then came back in an attempt to save their homes.
One of them was a woman who said she returned after seeing her neighbor’s home in flames while watching TV. “I’m determined to save my home,” she told KNBC.
Another neighbor told the news station he was “exhausted” after helping his neighbors douse their homes with water. “Just trying to do what I can,” he said.
Vasquez said firefighters do not want homeowners to do this. He said the area is barricaded and that law enforcement has been telling people to turn around when they arrive.
At the Pasadena Convention Center, people who evacuated the Eaton Fire were offered bottles of water and Gatorade, according to a woman who fled there with her husband, mother, sister and dog.
The woman told KNBC reporter Lolita Lopez that she woke up at 4 a.m. and saw texts on her phone from her loved ones asking if she was OK. She said she read about the fire and immediately jumped out of bed, ran to her closet and started packing. She and her husband picked up her mother and sister who live nearby and headed for the convention center.
“The wind was blowing really hard at that point. There was just smoke everywhere,” she said.
While trucks outside the convention center today were offering food, the woman, who was sitting on the floor with her family, said she had no appetite because it’s been “intense.”
“I’m just waiting to see what happens,” she said.
Maria Shriver, former first lady of California and ex-wife of Arnold Schwarzenegger, posted a lengthy social media statement sharing that everything in her local community is now gone from the fires.
“Heartbreaking, devastating, beyond belief. Everything is gone. Our neighborhood, our restaurants. All our friends have lost everything. We have evacuated, but are safe. But people have lost everything, “ she wrote.
She also encouraged her followers and community members to “stay safe, stay out of harms way, and allow firefighters do what they can to help those who need immediate assistance.”
Other celebrities have also chimed on, including actress Mandy Moore, who shared that she’s unsure whether or not her home is still standing.
“Grateful for the kindness of friends that we had a place to land last night. Trying to shield the kids from the immense sadness and worry I feel,” she wrote in an Instagram story earlier today.
“The Hills” actress Heidi Montag posted a Tik Tok video where she shared that she lost her house in the fire. As she got emotional, she thanked her supporters for thoughts and prayers, saying, “Thank God we are safe.”
The Getty Villa, the educational center and art museum in the Pacific Palisades, remains “safe and intact,” according to a post from the museum on X, though grounds surrounding the museum have burned. According to the museum, structures have been unaffected and staff and collections are “safe.”
“We deeply appreciate the tireless work and dedication of the Los Angeles Fire Department, Los Angeles County Fire Department, and other agencies, and also the small team of Getty staff who have remained on-site at the Villa supporting emergency response efforts,” the museum posted on X.
The Getty Villa, which houses a vast collection of Ancient Greek and Roman works and artifacts, will be closed at least through early next week. The Getty Center in Brentwood will also be closed at least through Sunday out of caution, the museum said.
The Eaton Fire, which sparked around 6:30 p.m. yesterday in the Pasadena and Altadena area, has grown to 10,600 acres as of 10 a.m. local time (1 p.m. ET).
Earlier this morning it was at 2,227 acres.
Meanwhile, the Hurst Fire in Sylmar stands at 505 acres with 0% containment.
The Los Angeles wildfires could result in $10 billion of insured losses, according to a preliminary review by J.P. Morgan’s insurance analysts.
The report’s authors caution that the figure could change, but note that “the 2018 Camp fire in Butte County, CA caused economic losses of about $15 billion and insured losses of roughly $10 billion (inflation-adjusted).”
They write that the Butte Fire impacted over 150,000 acres and more than 18,000 structures, compared to current industry estimates of 3,000 impacted acres and 13,000 structures for the current Palisades Fire.
However, the Pacific Palisades area is a very affluent region of Los Angeles County and, according to the J.P. Morgan analysts, has a median home price of more than $3 million, compared to Butte County’s $500,000.
If you’ve been told to evacuate, officials advise you do so immediately — don’t wait.
If not, a small amount of preparation can make a huge difference in the event that things change. And, again, don’t wait to be ordered to evacuate if you feel you’re at risk.
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, also known as Cal Fire, says residents should plan on a place to meet other members of their household, know who to call and how to safely flee in the event that you’re forced to evacuate. Guidelines from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security stress that everyone in your household should be in agreement on a single plan.
Read the full story on how to prepare and what to pack in your “go-bag.”
KNBC reporter Michelle Valles spots a group of neighbors in Altadena, California, working to stop flames spreading between homes as they wait for fire crews to arrive.
The Woodley Fire that erupted in the San Fernando Valley around 6 a.m. stands at 30 acres.
It was initially reported to be 75 acres, but that number was revised after monitoring.
“Firefighters are still working diligently to contain the fire and protect structures in the affected area,” a 9 a.m. local time (12 p.m. ET) Cal Fire update said.
NBC News’ Liz Kreutz reports from Malibu on the devastation created by the out-of-control wildfires that are destroying parts of Southern California.
In a statement this morning, Vice President Harris said she has been briefed on the fires and is urging residents to listen to local officials.
“Doug and I are praying for our fellow Californians who have evacuated, and we are thinking of the families whose homes, businesses, and schools remain in harm’s way. We are deeply grateful for the heroic first responders who are risking their own safety to fight the flames and help keep communities safe,” she wrote.
Her press secretary, Ernesto Apreza, also confirmed in a statement that Harris’ home has been evacuated and no one was home at the time.
Public information officer for Cal Fire David Acuña joins José Díaz-Balart to explain the latest on the efforts to fight the wildfires and what residents could do to stay safe.
Gov. Gavin Newsom has deployed the California National Guard to assist in responding to the fires in Palisades, Eaton and Hurst.
The California National Guard and Cal Fire “have a unique partnership unlike any other state — skilled, trained personnel with vast wildfire fighting experience,” Newsom’s press office wrote in a post on X.
Guard members will join the “1,400+ boots already on the ground.”
