A week after Eaton Fire started, almost all searches of structures are done
Urban search-and-rescue crews have completed searches at “a large majority” of the structures in the Eaton Fire, a fire official said today.
The completed searches are “a great move that just moves us one step closer to the next process,” Jed Gaines, operations section chief on the fire, said at a community meeting. Three search-and-rescue teams were working on the front range of the fire zone in the Altadena area today, he said.
The Eaton Fire, which broke out on Jan. 7 during extreme Santa Ana winds, has burned 14,117 acres and was 45% contained this afternoon, officials said.
Damage inspections to verify how many homes and other structures have been destroyed continued today, and that task is around 45% done, according to an update on the blaze from an interagency fire information center.
So far, 4,627 structures have been verified as destroyed, although estimates indicate that more than 7,000 structures have been destroyed, it said.
Leonardo DiCaprio pledges $1 million to wildfire recovery
Actor Leonardo DiCaprio announced today that he will give $1 million to wildfire recovery efforts in the crisis in the Los Angeles area.
DiCaprio said he is partnering with the conservation group Re:wild, an organization he called uniquely positioned to respond to environmental disasters.
In its first stages, the money will go to the L.A. Fire Department Foundation, World Central Kitchen, the SoCal Fire Fund and others, DiCaprio announced on Instagram.
The devastation from the fires has prompted donations from other Hollywood figures, as well, including Eva Longoria and Jamie Lee Curtis, who pledged to donate $1 million each. Beyoncé's BeyGood Foundation donated $2.5 million.
A break, then Santa Ana winds return — but not like last week, NWS says
Winds have peaked this week for most of the Los Angeles area, and while Santa Ana winds will return next week, they will not be as fierce as when the fires broke out, the National Weather Service said today.
“Good news: We are expecting a much-needed break from the fire weather concerns to close this week,” the agency said on X.
“Bad News: Next week is a concern. While confident that we will NOT see a repeat of last week, dangerous fire weather conditions are expected,” it added.
A red flag warning remains in effect for the Los Angeles area until 6 p.m. local time (9 p.m. ET). Winds have peaked and will continue to diminish, the weather service said, but some mountain areas will remain a concern into tomorrow, it said.
An onshore flow, meaning wind blowing from the cool Pacific Ocean inland, beginning tomorrow “will result in a significant cooling trend through the weekend with higher humidities,” the weather service said in a local forecast discussion today.
Disney giving TV and film wardrobe to workers, families who lost homes
The Walt Disney Co. said today it is opening its wardrobe warehouse to employees and their families who lost their homes to the devastating wildfires in the Los Angeles area.
Disney last week also pledged $15 million to help in rebuilding efforts after the Palisades and Eaton fires destroyed thousands of homes and other structures.
The wardrobe items offered to employees, production crew and their families are from film and TV shows, Disney said in a statement.
Heidi Chong, vice president of production shared services for Disney Entertainment Television, said Disney was in a unique position to help because it is "sitting on an entire warehouse full of wardrobe — some of which has been barely used, if it’s been used at all."
“We really want to emphasize to the families: ‘If you come here, we’ve already organized everything for you. It’s all on display on the racks. You can find what you need,’” Chong said in a statement. “There are no limits to the amounts that people are getting; it’s really about what they need.”
Startups race to build bigger, better drones to fight bigger, hotter wildfires
Fire departments that have already embraced small drones to help fight wildfires could soon be getting bigger help.
Several startups are developing a new generation of autonomous aerial vehicles that more closely resemble airplanes than the small quadcopters that dominate the consumer drone industry. The companies hope advances in the technology can help them snuff out wildfires — sometimes even before they start.
Their efforts are taking on fresh urgency as historically devastating wildfires rage in the Los Angeles area, but they might face regulatory and logistical challenges before they get fully off the ground.
Local, federal agencies form Joint Regional Fire Crimes Task Force
A new law enforcement coalition vowed today to prosecute any offenders who might have touched off the devastating blazes or sought to profit from them.
The Joint Regional Fire Crimes Task Force is made up of the U.S. attorney’s office, the FBI, the ATF, the Department of Homeland Security, the L.A. County District Attorney’s Office, the L.A. City Attorney’s Office, Los Angeles police and the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department.
“We will not permit victims to be re-victimized,” U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada said. “Our community has suffered tremendously, and we are here to support them. The Joint Fire Crimes Task Force is committed to addressing crimes coming out of the fires, including any looting, arson, illegal drone flights and fraud."
Super Scooper planes that fight wildfires are ‘rugged, reliable’ — and rare
One reason last week’s collision between a firefighting plane and a drone caused such a stir was that Los Angeles doesn’t have many spare “Super Scoopers” to take the aircraft’s place.
Los Angeles fire authorities typically lease two each year, but authorities have requested more to combat the wildfires that continue to burn throughout the metro area. Only about 160 are in operation around the world, each one constructed by a single Canadian company based on a design that has barely changed in 55 years.
“It is a rugged, reliable and very tough aircraft,” said Neil Sweeney, vice president of corporate affairs at De Havilland Aircraft, the planes’ manufacturer, which is based in Calgary, Alberta.
Super Scoopers get their name from their ability to pick up 6,000 liters from bodies of water and drop them in just 12 seconds on wildfires burning nearby, he said. It’s a specialized task that’s becoming more in demand as a warming climate contributes to bigger, hotter, more frequent blazes that are often difficult to control.
Auto Fire is now 50% contained
The Auto Fire in Ventura County is now 50% contained, the Ventura County Fire Department said.
It remains at 61 acres. Overnight, firefighters addressed small isolated flare-ups and “stubborn pockets of heat” across the fire perimeter.
No further growth is expected, and today firefighters are reinforcing containment lines.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
SEC warns investors to be wary of wildfire-related investment fraud
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission said it's closely monitoring the impact of the California wildfires on investors and markets and warned people to “be vigilant for California wildfire-related investment frauds.”
The SEC's divisions “will evaluate the possibility of granting relief from filing deadlines and other regulatory requirements for those affected by the wildfires. Entities and investment professionals affected by the California wildfires are encouraged to contact SEC staff with questions and concerns,” the agency said in a statement.
Investors can check for California wildfire-related securities scams and check the backgrounds of people offering them investments using free search tools on Investor.gov.
“The SEC’s Division of Enforcement will vigorously prosecute those who attempt to defraud victims of the wildfires,” the statement said.
‘One of the most costly disasters in history’: Newsom on rebuilding after L.A. wildfires
In a preview of the full conversation between California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Jen Psaki that will air at 12 p.m. ET Sunday, Newsom discusses the scope of funds needed to help rebuild California, as well as the sheer volume of misinformation being pushed by Elon Musk.