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What we know about the California wildfires
- A series of destructive wildfires in the greater Los Angeles area have killed at least 11 people. The true death toll is not known, authorities said, as fires destroyed entire streets and more than 12,000 structures.
- Dry conditions and powerful winds fed at least five blazes, causing unprecedented damage in highly populated areas not known for fires. Officials anticipate fierce winds to return Monday.
- The Palisades Fire, which has burned through more than 21,000 acres, is 8% contained. Evacuation orders for the blaze expanded Friday night to parts of Encino. The Eaton Fire in the Pasadena area, which has burned across nearly 14,000 acres, is 3% contained.
- Gov. Gavin Newsom said he’s “calling for an independent investigation into the loss of water pressure to local fire hydrants and the reported unavailability of water supplies from the Santa Ynez Reservoir.”
- At least two of the people killed in the fire died while trying to protect their homes, while another stayed behind with his son who had cerebral palsy and could not evacuate.
TikTok creators post ‘evacuation hauls’ online amid wildfires
TikTok creators have been sharing videos of their “evacuation hauls” online — what they packed in their bags as they fled — amid wildfires tearing through Southern California.
‘Who would have thought?’ Dennis Quaid says of fires after evacuating
Actor Dennis Quaid is among those who evacuated with his family due to the Palisades Fire, and as evacuation orders expanded into Encino and the Mandeville Canyon area, he said the destruction was hard to comprehend.
“‘Who would have thought?” Quaid told NBC Los Angeles on air after he retrieved some of his daughter’s belongings tonight. “Who would have thought? We’ve all had a really big lesson — that our experience of reality can change in a moment.”
The powerful Santa Ana winds and massive fires in the Los Angeles region are occurring in January, which in the past has been a low season for wildfires in Southern California. But the region is dry and has not gotten the rain that typically occurs, officials have said.
Quaid said his home was on the very edge of the first evacuation zone due to the fire, but they left this week and are staying at a hotel. He said he had returned to make sure the gas was off and to help neighbors since then.
“We’ve had it lucky,” he said, adding that his agent and another friend are among those whose houses have been destroyed. “What do you do?” he said.
Quaid called firefighters and other first responders heroes.
“We’re lucky that we have them. And they, on a moment’s notice, they’ll do it, and put their lives on the line,” he said.
At one Pacific Palisades restaurant, nothing but 'beautiful memories' remain
Albie Fuentes was overcome with emotion as he surveyed the damage to Cafe Vida, the popular eatery he worked at for 15 years before the Palisades Fire.
"So many beautiful memories," he said, vowing to return and rebuild.
Shelters have received hundreds of animals in need of temporary homes
Hundreds of animals are being cared for by humane groups in Southern California as this week’s fast-moving wildfires continue to displace residents.
“This is clearly not something that will be resolved in a day, a week,” said Ana Bustilloz, director of communications and marketing at the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Los Angeles, or spcaLA, a local animal welfare organization. “We’re at the ready to assist.”
From cats and dogs to horses, birds and tortoises, several rescue groups are hosting a menagerie of animals while the blazes hopscotch throughout the Los Angeles area. Some pets are staying as temporary boarders while the humans in their households stay in evacuation centers, hotels or other places that don’t allow pets. Other animals are receiving treatment for injuries.
'We are taking every precaution,' council member says as Palisades Fire evacuations expand
As the flames of the Palisades Fire prompted an expansion of mandatory evacuation orders into Encino, a council member who represents part of that zone said that every precaution is being taken to protect residents.
“We feel good about where we are in terms of our efforts on the ground,” Traci Park, whose district includes the Mandeville Canyon and Brentwood, said in an interview during NBC Los Angeles live coverage.
“But we want to reassure people that while this is a dangerous and dynamic situation, we are taking every precaution to protect lives and property,” she said.
Park urged people to leave, and to follow all evacuation orders.
Hollywood gives back as fires rip through L.A. neighborhoods
Hollywood is coming together to support those affected by the devastating wildfires, which are expected to impact the community and industry for some time. Some of its biggest stars are stepping up as major donors.
Actor Jamie Lee Curtis is among the celebrities who have pledged their support. Curtis has said she and her family plan to donate $1 million to relief efforts.
In an Instagram post, Paris Hilton said she was launching an emergency fund through her nonprofit, was donating the first $100,000 and matching up to $100,000 more.
Forward spread of Lidia Fire stopped, 98% contained
The Lidia Fire, burning near the community of Acton, was 98% constrained tonight and its forward progress has been stopped, Cal Fire said.
The fire, which broke out Wednesday, spread to about 395 acres. The cause is under investigation.
The fire is between two mountain ranges south of the Antelope Valley, northeast of Santa Clarita.
Los Angeles residents return to ashes and ruins after devastating wildfires
The City of Angels became a city of ashes this week as residents returned from fleeing the devastating Los Angeles wildfires, searching for any trace of the homes they cherished.
But 83-year-old Walt Butler refused to give in to despair, even after surveying what remained of his home in the Altadena area and the burnt carcasses of his cars, including his prized Corvette Stingray.
“The Big Guy has been looking out for me,” Butler said Friday. A pillar of the community who raised a family, ran a successful shoe store, and helped support local youth athletic programs, he added: “It’s easy to die and living wasn’t meant to be easy.”
Butler, a former track-and-field star known as “The Jet,” said he may have lost a lifetime of mementos and the house he called home for 60 years, but he hasn’t lost his determination to keep going.
‘It’s unrecognizable’: Family speaks out after losing home in wildfire
Jinghuan Liu Tervalon and her family lost their Altadena home in one of the wildfires tearing through Southern California.
They had packed some documents and one night's worth of clothes, thinking they would be back to their house soon, she said. But barely anything remains after the fire swept through.
Her son, Samuel Smookler, described the destruction driving into Altadena.
"As soon as you go into Altadena, it goes from kind of grayish to completely black," he said. "I could only recognize the streets by looking at the street signs because a lot of the buildings and the blocks were completely destroyed."
He could seen for blocks down his street because there were no houses to block the view.
"There was just nothing," he said.
The family is unsure whether they will rebuild.
“We’d rather be in a place that we can get back to our routine as quickly as possible,” Tervalon said. “It feels a little bit overwhelming and daunting to think about rebuilding at this moment.”
Evacuation orders extend to Encino from Palisades Fire
Mandatory evacuation orders and evacuation warnings were extended tonight into Encino on the northern edge of the Palisades Fire, which is still burning after breaking out Tuesday.
The mandatory evacuation orders, meaning people should leave, extended from Sunset Boulevard north to the Encino Reservoir and from Interstate 405 to Mandeville Canyon, the LAFD said.
That area had been under an evacuation warning, meaning people should be prepared to leave.
Warnings also were extended tonight in two areas. One is Sunset Boulevard to the south; Mullholland Drive on the north; Bellagio Rd and Roscomare Road on the east; and the 405 freeway on the west.
The other is: Mulholland Drive and Sepulveda Boulevard on the south; the 405 freeway on the east; Ventura Boulevard on the north; and Louise Avenue on the west.