At least 19 L.A. public school districts closed amid raging conditions
Dozens of Los Angeles public schools have closed today as a wildfire continues to rage across the city, according to the Los Angeles County Office of Education.
Closures affect at least 19 different school districts, including the Los Angeles United School District, which has shuttered six elementary campuses because of safety concerns. The district said it will announce to families by 4 p.m. PT today whether those campuses will remain closed again tomorrow.
The Pasadena United School District has also shut down all of its schools, citing that it awaits the city's decision on whether to declare a state of emergency.
"With the volatility of the high-wind event affecting our area, increasing reports of wind damage, and a fire near Eaton Canyon, in an abundance of caution, we have made the decision to close all schools tomorrow, Wednesday, January 8, 2025," a message to the district said.
Superintendent Elizabeth Blanco added that the closure "will allow our crews time to evaluate and repair damages to ensure all campuses are safe for students and staff."
The full list of L.A. County schools closed because of ongoing fire conditions is available here.
Lakers coach JJ Redick says his family evacuated in Palisades wildfire
Los Angeles Lakers coach JJ Redick said members of his family evacuated their homes yesterday because of the Palisades wildfire.
Before the Lakers-Mavericks game in Dallas yesterday, he said: “I just want to acknowledge and send thoughts and prayers to everyone in the Palisades right now,” adding, “That’s where I live,” The Associated Press reported.
“Our family, my wife’s family, my wife’s twin sister, they’ve evacuated. I know a lot of people are freaking out right now, including my family. From the sound of things, with the winds coming (Tuesday night), I know a lot of people are scared. So I just want to acknowledge that. Thoughts and prayers for sure, and hope everybody stays safe,” he added.
Universal Studios closes park because of wind and fire conditions
Universal Studios says its park in Hollywood and Universal CityWalk will be closed today due to “extreme winds and fire conditions.”
“We will continue to assess the situation and expect to open for business tomorrow. The safety of our team members and our guests is our top priority,” the theme park wrote on X.
Dozens of abandoned cars burned in Palisades Fire
Harrowing video shows dozens of charred and burned-out cars that were abandoned by locals fleeing the Pacific Palisades as a wildfire ravaged the coastal community at ferocious speed yesterday.
Locals were told to leave their cars behind as they were stuck in a gridlock as the flames quickly spread, and escape the area on foot, KNBC reported. Video shows those cars left behind were scorched to their bare metal bones, some still aflame.
Firefighters had to use bulldozers to push the abandoned cars out of the way to reach burning areas.
'This is like a movie scene': Eaton Fire burns multiple homes
KNBC reporter Michelle Valles walks through an Altadena, Calif., neighborhood as homes ignited by the Eaton Fire burn around her. The fire doubled in size overnight, consuming thousands of acres and destroying multiple homes.
Tyler Fire ignites in Riverside County
The Tyler Fire erupted around 3:30 a.m. today in Riverside County at Tyler Street & 47th Avenue in Coachella, about 130 miles southeast of downtown Los Angeles.
It stands at 15 acres in size and zero percent containment, according to Cal Fire.
Pepperdine University closes Malibu and Calabasas campuses
Pepperdine University announced this morning that its Malibu and Calabasas campuses are closed today because of ongoing firefighting efforts and road closures.
The university said it continues to monitor the Palisades Fire, located 3.5 miles east of the Malibu campus. Though the flames are visible from campus, thus far the blaze “continues to pose no immediate threatening to campus.”
Employees and students are encouraged to stay off roads impacted by the fire.
Comedians turn studio into shelter as they evacuate from fire
The Tao Comedy Studio in Los Angeles, where Bobbie and Chris Oliver would ordinarily be taking the stage to perform comedy, is now where they have set up a makeshift bed after evacuating from their home in Pasadena.
“The wind was terrible. So many sticks and fallen trees and the power lines were going crazy. We thought one would drop on us,” Bobbie Oliver said.
The couple left their home last evening with their two pugs after smoke engulfed their neighborhood near Eaten County, Bobbie Oliver said, where winds reached 70 mph. “My dog was coughing and I couldn’t see as I was driving. It was just packed with cars,” she said.
“We had no idea we were about to evacuate,” she said. “I just thought the house is getting smoky, let me just put together a few things in my bag.”
Now, neither she nor her neighbors know if their homes are still standing. “The McDonald’s behind our house caught fire, and the condos at the end of my street too were on fire,” she said.
“That’s the worst part not having any idea,” she said, as even though they were now in the safety of their comedy studio, she was barely able to get any sleep. All they took was their documents, including their passports and birth certificates and some paintings that her father made.
“I am just glad I grabbed some of my daddy’s art,” she added. “He was a woodworker and he made the most beautiful things.”
L.A. councilwoman: 'It's an absolute miracle we have no reported fatalities'
Los Angeles Councilwoman Traci Park, who represents District 11 which includes the Pacific Palisades, told NBC's "TODAY" show this morning: “It is an absolute miracle that we do not have any reported fatalities at this point.”
“Until the sun comes up and we can get assets back in the air safely, we won’t really know how much of the Palisades is still standing today,” she said, noting the scale of the damage and loss will be “absolutely devastating for all of Los Angeles.”
“I really want to commend neighbors in the area for their swift response and compliance with local orders. This was a fire that grew and moved very, very quickly with wind conditions as well as all of the dry conditions, it’s been at least eight months since we’ve had rain in this area,” she said.
Park said that the fire department is “overwhelmed at this point, this is a lifesaving operation,” helicopters have been unable to dump water because of the strong winds, and officials anticipate there are “likely hundreds of lost structures.”
Speaking on evacuations, she said: “We have been pushing out messages. And you know, my communications to folks have been from the get go — This is not a drill. This is an actual public safety emergency. Everybody needs to be packed and prepared to move on an instant notice.”
Firefighter warns: 'Get in your vehicle and leave the area as soon as possible'
Fire Capt. Robert Foxworthy had a dire message this morning for those whose neighborhoods are in the path of the flames: "Get in your vehicle and leave the area as soon as possible."
Speaking to NBC's "TODAY" show this morning, Foxworthy said the "incredibly" fast-moving fire was unpredictable.
"By the time you realize it, you're stuck — especially the way this fire is burning, throwing embers out ahead," he said. "It can actually throw spot fires and start fires on the other side of you, and you can be surrounded by fire."
"My suggestion would be, if you're still at home, and you have the ability to leave, do so," he added.