Forecasters are warning of wind gusts up to 60 mph overnight into Wednesday as the death toll from raging Los Angeles area fires reaches 25.
The Palisades and Eaton fires are now among the most destructive in southern California history. And it’s not over. Officials are warning of wind gusts that could reach 60 mph overnight Tuesday into Wednesday, which could help the blazes grow even larger — and create prime conditions for new fires to start.
“Key message: We are not out of the woods yet,” the Los Angeles National Weather Service warned in a statement. “Please stay on guard for a fast-moving fire. The winds underperformed today, but one more enhancement could happen tomorrow.”
The Palisades Fire has scorched more than 23,000 acres and was 18 percent contained as of Tuesday night. TheEaton Fire, meanwhile, is 35 percent contained after burning more than 14,000 acres.
Los Angeles Police Commander Steve Embrich said Tuesday that the department has arrested at least 14 people in connection with the Palisades Fire, including three arson suspects. Other suspects were arrested for violating curfew, impersonating a firefighter and looting.
Los Angeles County officials are also urging people to evacuate areas where there were evacuation alerts — not just where there were orders.
Key Points
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Death toll: At least 25 people killed in LA wildfires
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LAPD arrests at least 14 in connection with Palisades Fire
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Wind gusts up to 60 mph expected overnight into Wednesday
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A ‘Particularly Dangerous Situation’ has begun around Los Angeles County
Wind gusts up to 60 mph expected overnight into Wednesday
04:40 , Katie Hawkinson
The National Weather Service forecast wind gusts up to 60 mph in the mountains overnight Tuesday into Wednesday.
“Key message: We are not out of the woods yet,” the Los Angeles NWS said in a statement. “Please stay on guard for a fast-moving fire. The winds underperformed today, but one more enhancement could happen tonight-tomorrow.”
The Palisades and Eaton fires are among the most destructive in Los Angeles history. At least 25 people are dead and officials are warning residents to stay alert as the fires persist.
Malibu Mayor dispels rumors of permits for re-entry into evacuation zones
04:15 , Katie Hawkinson
Malibu Mayor Doug Stewart dispelled rumors that the city is offering permits to people who want an expedited return to evacuation zones.
“We … need to address and dispel a rumor circulating in the community: there is no permit for expedited re-entry into evacuation zones. Any claims or offers to provide such a permit are false,” Stewart said in a statement Tuesday.
“Many of you are understandably anxious to return to your homes. We hear you, and we are doing everything in our power to make that happen as quickly and safely as possible,” he added. “However, we remain in the midst of an active fire incident.”
Watch: Buckeye Fire helps woman’s cat as she flees from CA fires
03:45 , Katie Hawkinson
Speaker Johnson calls for ‘conditions’ on California wildfire aid
03:15 , Josh Marcus
House Speaker Mike Johnson suggested on Monday that lawmakers might attach “conditions” to wildfire aid for California, where blazes in Los Angeles have killed at least 25 and burned hundreds of homes, one of the worst natural disasters in state history.
“I think we’re going to have a serious conversation about that,” Johnson told reporters. “Obviously there has been water resource mismanagement, forest mismanagement, mistakes, all sorts of problems, and it does come down to leadership. It appears to us that state and local leaders were derelict in their duty in many respects. That’s something that has to be factored in.”
Read on:
Speaker Johnson calls for ‘conditions’ on California wildfire aid
Watch: Jimmy Kimmel breaks down in tears over LA wildfires
02:45 , Katie Hawkinson
Palisades fire may be linked to previous blaze in popular hiking area
02:15 , Josh Marcus
Officials are probing the area near where a small New Year’s Day fire broke out for clues about what started the deadly Palisades Fire, which has grown since last week to more than 23,000 acres and devastated the Pacific Palisades neighborhood.
At the start of the new year, firefighters used a water-dropping helicopter to snuff out a blaze that began a few hours earlier near Skull Rock, a popular hiking destination on the Temescal Ridge trail above the Palisades.
Some residents wonder whether parts of that fire survived and set off the Palisades fire, which began on January 7.
Continue reading:
Palisades fire may be linked to previous blaze in popular hiking area
LAPD arrests at least 14 in connection with Palisades Fire
01:45 , Katie Hawkinson
The Los Angeles Police Department has arrested at least 14 people in connection with the Palisades Fire, including three arson suspects, Commander Steve Embrich said Tuesday.
Others were arrested on suspicion of violating curfew, impersonating a firefighter and looting, among other crimes.
“Looting is not just a crime against property; it also takes away any sense of security from evacuated residents and it will not be tolerated,” Embrich said.
Tyler Perry calls out ‘appalling’ insurance company decisions in wake of LA wildfires
01:15 , Ellie Muir
Tyler Perry has criticised insurance company cancellations amid the ongoing catastrophic Los Angeles wildfires raging through Southern California.
Several blazes have destroyed more than 35,000 acres of land across Southern California – the largest being the Palisades Fire and Eaton Fire – resulting in the death of 25 people. Several celebrities, including Paris Hilton and When Harry Met Sally star Billy Crystal, have lost their homes.
The American filmmaker and actor shared a message calling out unnamed insurance companies who had either chosen not to renew their policies or to stop writing new ones, especially for high-value homes located in areas of high-risk fire-prone areas.
Read more:
Tyler Perry calls out ‘appalling’ insurance company decisions in wake of LA fires
Republican senator says California ‘doesn’t deserve funding’ after devastating wildfires
00:45 , Rhian Lubin
Republican Senator Tommy Tuberville said that California “doesn’t deserve” any funding for the devastating wildfires that have ravaged Los Angeles.
The Alabama senator, a staunch Donald Trump ally, said he didn’t object to sending the state “some money,” but not unless state leaders “change their ways.”
Tuberville joins a growing number of Republicans who have hit out at California’s political leaders for the fires, blaming them partly on “woke policies.”
Read more:
GOP senator says California ‘doesn’t deserve funding’ after devastating wildfires
California wildfires: How and why did fire hydrants run dry across Los Angeles?
00:15 , Josh Marcus
As Los Angeles battles multiple fast-moving wildfires, emergency officials have faced a nightmare situation: fire hydrants running out of water.
“How do you fight a fire with no water?” Ryan Babroff, a volunteer firefighter battling the Eaton Fire, told The Washington Post.
At some point this week, up to 20 percent of the city’s hydrants went dry, according to LA Mayor Karen Bass. And on Thursday night, firefighters had stopped tapping into hydrants at all.
Read more:
California wildfires: How and why did fire hydrants run dry across Los Angeles?
Watch: Team of 75 firefighters tackle fast-moving California Auto-Fire
Tuesday 14 January 2025 23:45 , Katie Hawkinson
Watch: Team of 75 firefighters tackle fast-moving California Auto-Fire
President Biden speaks on California wildfires at conservation event
Tuesday 14 January 2025 23:23 , Katie Hawkinson
President Joe Biden has once again addressed the California wildfires at a White House event celebrating his administration’s conservation efforts.
“As you all know, I was in California last week where the event was supposed to be held, but we had to postpone it, because the fires in Los Angeles, among the worst wildfires in California history, it’s devastating,” Biden said on Tuesday evening.
“Our entire administration have been working closely with Governor Newsom, Senator Padilla, Senator Schiff, the entire congressional delegation, to make sure California is every possible resource to fight these fires and help the survivors,” he added.
Biden also signed proclamations establishing the Chuckwalla National Monument and the Sáttítla Highlands National Monument in California.
President Joe Biden speaks from the White House on January 14, 2025 (REUTERS)
Cal Fire damage inspection teams are on the ground in LA
Tuesday 14 January 2025 22:49 , Julia Musto
CAL FIRE’s Damage Inspection Teams (DINS) are on the ground in the Los Angeles area, assessing homes and properties impacted by recent fires.
These inspections determine the extent of damage to structures, providing crucial information for recovery efforts and helping property… pic.twitter.com/BXC0vTD2Yh
— CAL FIRE (@CAL_FIRE) January 14, 2025
More than 2,700 structures have been confirmed destroyed in the Eaton Fire zone
Tuesday 14 January 2025 22:48 , Julia Musto
Search and rescue workers dig through the rubble left behind by the Eaton Fire, in Altadena, California, on Tuesday. The fire is still raging over more than 14,000 acres (AP)
Some 2,722 structures have been destroyed in the Eaton Fire zone, according to the U.S. Forest Service. Hundreds more were verified to be damaged.
Officials have said that the estimated number of structures destroyed in the blaze is around 7,000.
Auto Fire now 25 percent contained
Tuesday 14 January 2025 22:28 , Julia Musto
#autofire; The Auto Fire is now at 25% containment and remains at 55.7 acres. All forward progress of the fire has been stopped since 12:30am yesterday, and the fire has not grown outside established control features.
Firefighters worked through the night and morning mopping up…
— VCFD PIO (@VCFD_PIO) January 14, 2025
Megyn Kelly criticizes ‘obese lesbian’ Los Angeles firefighter for battling blazes
Tuesday 14 January 2025 22:13 , Julia Musto
Scout Fire breaks out near Riverside, triggering evacuation order
Tuesday 14 January 2025 21:48 , Julia Musto
Looters roam Altadena home during devastating Los Angeles wildfires
Tuesday 14 January 2025 21:46 , Julia Musto
Winds are expected to pick up late Tuesday night, forecasters warn
Tuesday 14 January 2025 21:26 , Julia Musto
Winds are generally on lighter side currently, but are expected to pick up late tonight and last into the afternoon on Wednesday. #CAwx
Here are some of the gusts currently observed across the region⤵️ pic.twitter.com/VowTsf0orB
— NWS Los Angeles (@NWSLosAngeles) January 14, 2025
Firefighters clear dry brush from Santa Monica
Tuesday 14 January 2025 21:18 , Julia Musto
Photos show toll of fire on Los Angeles County wildlife
Tuesday 14 January 2025 21:13 , Julia Musto
An injured coyote walks through a neighborhood inside the Palisades Fire evacuation zone on Tuesday in Pacific Palisades, California. A Red Flag Warning is in effect throughout the area (Getty Images)
An injured coyote walks through a neighborhood inside the Palisades Fire evacuation zone Tuesday in Pacific Palisades, California. Many animals have been injured in the the recent blazes (Getty Images)
Newsom denies confiscating Starlink modems
Tuesday 14 January 2025 21:07 , Julia Musto
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass says she has an ‘open mind’ about a possible Trump visit
Tuesday 14 January 2025 21:04 , Julia Musto
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass told reporters on Tuesday that she has spoken to officials within president-elect Donald Trump’s incoming administration.
“I’m saying I have an open mind to him coming to him coming to Los Angeles, to his administration, and to working with his administration,” she said, according to NBC News. “This is a crisis that impacts the nation, the nation’s second-largest city has got to succeed.”
California Governor Gavin Newsom wrote a letter inviting Trump to his state last week.
Newsom assures he is not conditioning disaster aid on any other priorities
Tuesday 14 January 2025 20:58 , Julia Musto
FEMA says receiving letter saying you’re ‘not approved’ for assistance ‘doesn’t mean you have been denied’
Tuesday 14 January 2025 20:52 , Julia Musto
LA County residents who registered for FEMA assistance will receive a letter. If the letter says you’re “not approved” for assistance, it doesn’t mean you have been denied. Here’s some info to help you understand the letter and move your recovery forward: https://t.co/C2og4YBhN8 pic.twitter.com/bFIYDs6Zqj
— Los Angeles County (@CountyofLA) January 14, 2025
Some 40,000 people have applied for FEMA assistance
Tuesday 14 January 2025 20:51 , Julia Musto
Some 40,000 people have already applied for assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which has provided more than $8 million so far for immediate needs, FEMA Region 9 Regional Administrator Robert Fenton said.
Winds start off a ‘little lighter than expected’ in Southern California
Tuesday 14 January 2025 20:45 , Julia Musto
Forecasters said Tuesday that winds in Los Angeles County had started off “generally a little lighter than expected,” noting that previous forecast models “were a little heavy handed for today.”
“Winds are mostly under 30 mph and confined to a corridor that runs from Acton to Oxnard and about 20 miles either side. This corridor still does not include the Palisades fire area as the wind axis still has a stronger east component than a north,” the Los Angeles National Weather Service office said in an update.
While some pick up in winds is expected, the latest high resolution models are maintaining winds mostly under 50mph “through the corridor with just a couple pockets of wind gusts in the mountains up to 60mph.”
The office noted that models do show a “slightly more significant increase in wind speeds Wednesday, but more or less in the same areas as today.”
Auto Fire: Another fast-moving blaze breaks out in California
Tuesday 14 January 2025 20:39 , Julia Musto
ICE releases details about ‘person of interest’ held in connection with California fires
Tuesday 14 January 2025 20:37 , Julia Musto
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency named 33-year-old Juan Manuel Sierra as a “person of interest” being held in connection with the Southern California wildfires.
“Juan Manuel Sierra, 33, aka Juan Manuel Sierra-Leyva, Juan Leva, Leyva Moniker, and Juan Sierra, is a Mexican national who entered the U.S. unlawfully at an unknown date and location without inspection by an immigration official,” it said. “Sierra has multiple encounters with law enforcement from November 2016 to present for a variety of charges and was convicted of assault with a deadly weapon Oct. 10, 2023, in Van Nuys, California. Sierra was arrested by the Los Angeles Police Department Jan. 10 on a felony probation violation.”
Cal Fire Battalion Chief David Acuña warns Angelenos against inadvertently starting another fire
Tuesday 14 January 2025 20:26 , Julia Musto
Burned businesses are left behind by the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, California on Tuesday. The fire is 17 percent contained (AP)
“Where our real concern is is the next fire,” Cal Fire Battalion Chief David Acuña told CNN on Tuesday.
“So we need the public’s help in order to make sure we do not have any additional sparks. You know, mowing where you could strike a rock. Dragging chains with a vehicle. Make sure your vehicle is in good repair so it doesn’t kick out a hot piece of catalytic converter at 2,000 degrees,” he continued, “Or even just simply having a campfire. Don’t do any of that right now in this very, very high wind so that we can avoid another fire.”
Jimmy Kimmel breaks down in tears over LA wildfires
Tuesday 14 January 2025 20:10 , Julia Musto
Jimmy Kimmel breaks down in tears over LA wildfires
Los Angeles International Airport has seen dozens of delays
Tuesday 14 January 2025 19:56 , Julia Musto
Los Angeles International Airport has seen dozens of delays on Tuesday, according to tracker FlightAware.
The site only showed two cancellations.
The airport said it was operating normally, but that travelers should check the status of their flights with their airlines.
Newsom signs executive order to aid LA schools, children
Tuesday 14 January 2025 19:53 , Julia Musto
“We are using the full force of the state government to respond to the Los Angeles firestorms and ensure recovery for the thousands of residents who have been impacted by this unimaginable loss, including school-aged children,” California Governor Gavin Newsom said in a release. “The executive order I signed today will help bring back some sense of normalcy for our youth by eliminating barriers to getting them back learning in school.”
Elderly couple saved their Pacific Palisades home using garden hoses
Tuesday 14 January 2025 19:48 , Julia Musto
85-year-old Susan Salser and her 86-year-old husband, Winston, sprang into action to save their Pacific Palisades home last week.
The pair fought the fire with hoses, saving their home like they had in 1978. It’s now one of three standing at the top of their street, according to ABC 7.
“I used the hose to control the ground fire and stop that end of the house from burning. I wasn’t sure where Winston was. I couldn’t contact him, but it turned out he was at the south end of the house doing the same thing. Using a host to keep the flames from touching the house,” Susan recalled.
Palisades fire may be linked to previous blaze in popular hiking area
Tuesday 14 January 2025 19:35 , Julia Musto
Palisades fire may be linked to previous blaze in popular hiking area
Photos show search and rescue workers digging through Eaton Fire rubble
Tuesday 14 January 2025 19:34 , Julia Musto
Search and rescue workers look around rubble that was left behind by the Eaton Fire, in Altadena, California, on Tuesday. Human remains have been found (AP)
Search and rescue workers dig through rubble that was left behind by the Eaton Fire, in Altadena, California, on Tuesday. Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said no additional human remains had been found on Monday (AP)
Search and rescue workers work through rubble that was left behind by the Eaton Fire, in Altadena, California, on Tuesday. The fire is nowm 35 percent contained (AP)
Search and rescue workers examine the rubble that was left behind by the Eaton Fire, in Altadena, California, on Tuesday. The wildfire has impacted more than 7,000 structures (AP)
Governor Gavin Newsom says 11 new fires that broke out Monday night were quickly extinguished
Tuesday 14 January 2025 19:24 , Julia Musto
Thanks to the prepositioning of hundreds of personnel and firefighting equipment across Southern California, 11 new fires that broke out overnight were quickly extinguished — including the Auto Fire in Ventura County. pic.twitter.com/LLutx8vKyZ
— Governor Newsom (@CAgovernor) January 14, 2025
Biden assures administration remains with people of Los Angeles
Tuesday 14 January 2025 19:09 , Julia Musto
Last night, I convened another briefing on the full federal response to the wildfires across Southern California. Local, state, and federal firefighters are making progress containing the fires and beginning the recovery process.
To the people of Los Angeles: We remain with you. pic.twitter.com/lKTnphKVkJ
— President Biden (@POTUS) January 14, 2025
Cal Fire video shows prepositioned resources ready for new wildfires
Tuesday 14 January 2025 18:56 , Julia Musto
Before the current #RedFlagWarning covering large areas of Southern California, state, local, federal, and tribal agencies began pre-positioning additional fire resources at a mobilization center in Southern California. By prepositioning these resources, they are available for… pic.twitter.com/4GWx0FKuUI
— CAL FIRE (@CAL_FIRE) January 14, 2025
ASPCA announces $5 million California Wildfire Response & Preparedness Fund
Tuesday 14 January 2025 18:55 , Julia Musto
❗WILDFIRE GRANTS AVAILABLE❗In response to the #LAWildfires, the ASPCA is announcing a $5 million CA Wildfire Response & Preparedness Fund to provide critical funding to animal welfare orgs responding to animal needs due to the wildfires. Read more: https://t.co/TygDsLaGLF
— ASPCA (@ASPCA) January 13, 2025