California wildfires: 179,000 under evacuation orders; L.A. County sheriff says some areas look ‘like a bomb was dropped’

Actor Jamie Lee Curtis shared in an Instagram post that she and her family plan to donate $1 million to relief efforts, adding that she's been in touch with Gov. Gavin Newsom's office, as well as Mayor Karen Bass and Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif.

"As the fire still rages on and @calfire @losangelesfiredepartment and all the available first responders and agencies involved in fighting fire and saving lives are still hard at work and neighbors and friends are banding together to save each other, my husband and I and our children have pledged $1 million from our Family Foundation to start a fund of support for our great city and state and the great people who live and love there," she wrote in the post.

The actress and producer, who is married to screenwriter Christopher Guest, got emotional talking about her Pacific Palisades neighborhood earlier this week during an appearance on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon." She encouraged others to help.

“Do anything you can,” she said on the show. “Anything in your community to help people. Whether you need it or not now, you will need it. Give blood, donate, whatever you can do.”

Some returned to their homes to find nothing left after they were destroyed by the Los Angeles wildfires.

"Now we're just trying to find something," a resident said as he and his family searched the rubble of their home for anything that might have escaped the flames.

At least 10 people have died in the fires that have swept across Los Angeles County, the medical examiner's office said tonight.

The remains are pending identification and notification of next of kin.

The process to identify the people who died could take several weeks "as the Department of Medical Examiner is not able to respond to all death locations due to the fire conditions and safety concerns," the office said.

Officials said earlier today that two people had died in the Palisades Fire and four in the Eaton Fire. It was not immediately clear whether those six were among the 10 released by the medical examiner's office.

Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna has cautioned that the fires are still burning and that information is fluid, and officials don't know yet how many people may have died. An exact number of deaths won't be known until homicide investigation teams can access the areas, he said.

Sue Kohl, president of the Pacific Palisades Community Council, said she believes her neighbors will want to restore their fire-ravaged community.

"To get this community back up and running, I think everybody has the will," Kohl said. "We just need to figure out the way."

Kohl said the community will need all hands on deck, as well as help from the city, state and federal governments.

"We just ask for prayers and support from everybody, really. We have to figure out a way," Kohl said.

Longtime Pacific Palisades resident Marika Erdely, the CEO of Green Econome, an energy sustainability company, received remarkable news today: Her home on Wakecrest Drive was still standing.

Through the Ring security camera in the back of the house, she could see yesterday that the structure seemed intact, although fires were ablaze at homes on either side of hers. Erdely received confirmation today that her place had had not been burned down.

“Just amazing,” Erdely said from her daughter’s home in Santa Monica. She was grateful, but not celebrating. “It’s just horrible. My street and the other houses are gone. Two of my best friends in the neighborhood homes are gone. Almost all the homes on my street are gone. A war zone.”

She held out hope yesterday that the raging fires would somehow bypass her property. The fact that it did not suffer major damage is astounding, she said.

“It’s really unbelievable, surreal,” she added.

Erdely said her community of 400 homes, most built in the 1960s, was special. “It’s an incredible neighborhood on a bluff overlooking the Pacific Ocean. ... You don’t leave this neighborhood unless you divorce or you die. Everyone knows everyone."

As crews continue to battle the deadly Palisades Fire in Los Angeles County, the scope of its destruction is coming into focus two days after the massive blaze first ignited.

Drone video shows a neighborhood turned to rubble, with street after street of homes and buildings reduced to ash.

Smoke hangs above the area, once lined with mansions and home to some of the country’s most elite.

Read the full story here.

Firefighters have stopped the forward progress of the Kenneth Fire, which broke out in Los Angeles this afternoon and then grew to more than 900 acres and into Ventura County, the fire department there said.

There had been mandatory evacuation orders due to the fire, which grew in size because of winds, but all of those have been reduced to evacuation warnings, officials said.

The fire broke out around 2:40 p.m. in the West Hills section of Los Angeles, which is near the Ventura County line.

Los Angeles has been gripped by dry conditions that are creating a risk for fires. Several large fires are burning in the city and the region.

Winds picked up again today, making for challenging firefighting conditions. The combination of strong winds and low humidity kept the critical fire risk high across Southern California.

Winds are expected to increase across the region tonight, according to the Los Angeles office of the National Weather Service. Red flag warnings remain in effect across parts of Southern California through tomorrow.

"Moderate to strong Santa Ana winds tonight, keeping the fire weather threat in the area focused on LA and Ventura Co into Friday morning," the weather service wrote on X. "The threat doesn't end after Friday however. Offshore winds will continue into early next week, peaking Sun and Tues/Wed."

Parts of Riverside and San Diego counties are also at heightened risk of wildfires tomorrow, the weather service said. Winds with localized gusts up to around 60 mph are likely tomorrow, and conditions are expected to be "very dry," making for dangerous conditions that could support wildfire ignitions and rapid spread.

Air quality is a problem across much of the Los Angeles area, prompting school districts to cancel classes tomorrow.

Sylvia Kotikian, ER medical director for Adventist Health Glendale, warns residents about staying aware and what to do to stay safe.

Evacuation orders related to the Kenneth Fire, which broke out in the West Hills section of Los Angeles today and has grown to almost 1,000 acres, have been downgraded.

The LAFD said mandatory evacuation orders have been lifted, but evacuation warnings, which mean people should be ready to leave if they are told to do so, remained. A map shows the regions in Los Angeles.

The brush fire broke out at around 2:40 p.m. local time today and burned into Ventura County, officials said.

The fire was about 960 acres as of 7:30 p.m. local time, Ventura County said on its website about the incident. It was 0% contained at that time.

Video shows first responders responding to the Kenneth Fire by transporting water from Pepperdine University’s recycled water irrigation reservoir to help firefighters on the ground.

"Multiple water refills in just a matter of minutes," Gov. Newsom said on social media, where he posted video of the effort.

Over 300 animals have been relocated to Pasadena Humane amid fire evacuations in Southern California, the agency said on Facebook.

Pasadena Humane said staff members and volunteers are working "nonstop" to care for the animals, many of whom have come in with burns and injuries and are being treated in intensive care. A number of animals are being treated with pain medications, wound care, fluid and oxygen as needed, Pasadena Humane said.

Pasadena Humane urged people evacuating to take their pets with them if they can.

In an update posted today, Pasadena Humane shared images of a white dog, its fur coated with ash from the fires. In another update, the agency said many of the animals it's taking in have been orphaned and are suffering from smoke inhalation.

A top Los Angeles County official apologized to people across the city and region who received a loud phone alarm and warning to evacuate by mistake today.

Kevin McGowan, director of the Los Angeles County Office of Emergency Management, said the warning was intended to alert those in danger from the Kenneth Fire in the West Hills but went to around 10 million people.

He told NBC Los Angeles in a phone interview on the air that the correct zones had been initiated but that “there was an error in the system that then sent the wireless emergency alert to the entire county.”

The department sent a second alert to correct it, telling residents not affected to disregard the warning.

What happened and how is being investigated. McGowan said the department is working with the software and troubleshooting it. He said it has sent alerts throughout the windstorm and fire event.

“We do not understand at the moment what caused that error. It wasn’t a human error; the correct zones were initiated,” McGowan told the station. “So we are working to troubleshoot that.”

Read the full story here.

I’m standing in the rubble of what used to be my childhood home and am reminded that wildfires don’t care whether you live in a mansion or a studio apartment.

Once they come for you, we’re all the same.

An Altadena woman who evacuated with her husband and two daughters as the Eaton Fire swallowed the area fears her grandmother is among the people killed in the blaze.

Briana Navarro, 33, said her 83-year-old grandmother, who lives with them, refused to evacuate. While she hasn't been back to the house, Navarro said, she believes her grandmother died there.

Officials haven't publicly released the names of the people killed in the fires.

Navarro and her family saw the first hints of a fire from their kitchen window — smoke and a "red glow."

She said it didn't look like "anything major," especially considering how often Southern California gets fires, but this time felt a little bit different.

All Los Angeles Unified Schools will be closed tomorrow because of air quality as smoke covers the region, the school superintendent said.

“Fires may be far away from some communities where we have schools. However, winds are transporting particulate matter, smoke and ashes across the entire district,” Superintendent Alberto Carvalho said.

Carvalho called the crisis, which began with fires fueled by hurricane-force winds, unprecedented.

Reopening schools will not be as easy as just opening doors. They will have to be inspected and cleaned outside and in, and their filters must be changed, he said.

The district will increase the number of feeding centers from eight to 16, Carvalho said. The YMCA will open 30 sites providing child supervision and activities, he said.

Children will “continue within a continuity of learning” with digital resources, he said. Packets are available for families without power.

Gov. Gavin Newsom was challenged during a visit to fire-ravaged neighborhoods by a distressed mother who demanded to know what action he was taking.

She asked to join his phone call to the president.

What are you going to do? the woman asked Newsom.

"We're getting the resources to help rebuild," he answered, noting that he was having a difficult time getting cell service and that his call to the president wasn't going through.

Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., said victims of the wildfires have lost not only their homes but also entire communities, and in blunt terms he urged people to obey evacuation orders.

“We are not through this by any means,” Schiff said at a news conference less than two hours after a new brush fire erupted in the West Hills section of Los Angeles.

“If you’re told to evacuate, then get the hell out,” Schiff said. “You might think you can outrun a fire. You are not going to outrun these fires — you’re just not.”

The new fire, the Kenneth Fire, began at around 2:30 this afternoon. It was a 50-acre brush fire when firefighters arrived, and by around 5:40 p.m. it was around 800 acres, fire officials said.

There are mandatory evacuation orders, and other people have been warned to be prepared to leave.

Vice President Kamala Harris, a native Californian, is canceling her trip to visit Singapore, Bahrain and Germany, her office said in a statement tonight.

"She will remain in the United States to support the federal response in California," her office said.

President Joe Biden has canceled his trip to visit Pope Francis in Italy for the same reason.

A brush fire that broke out this afternoon in the West Hills area of Los Angeles is burning into Ventura County and is expected to grow rapidly, officials said.

The Kenneth Fire was 50 acres when firefighters arrived with “the potential for rapid growth,” Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristin Crowley said.

By around 5:30 p.m., it was over 700 acres, according to Cal Fire.

“We are expecting this fire to rapidly spread due to high winds,” Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said.

Evacuation orders have been issued for the area.

Video from NBC Los Angeles showed helicopters dropping water on the fire as it burned in hilly areas.

Crowley asked the residents of Los Angeles to remain vigilant.

"This new fire shows that we are absolutely not out of this extreme weather event," she said.

In an effort to cope, grieve and find community, many social media users are sharing their “evacuation hauls” online. 

“I’m gonna show you guys what I packed in my evacuation bag,” L.A.-based creator Hana said on TikTok, showcasing packed essentials like documentation, a solar-powered charger, a Bible, a mask and extra clothing. 

Creator Sophia Isabella Navarro also shared she had “[like] two minutes” to gather belongings during her evacuation, which included a handmade stuffed animal, her Rhode beauty products, a CD with her late grandmother’s songs and a picture frame that “broke while [she] was running, trying to get out” of her home. 

A second death has been confirmed in connection with the Palisades Fire as officials discovered remains in the Pacific Palisades area.

The first death related to the Palisades Fire was announced earlier today when the sheriff's office conducted a wellness check at a residence on Pacific Coast Highway.

At least six people have died in this week's fires. Four were found dead in the Eaton Fire on the east side of Los Angeles County, near Pasadena.

Monday's NFC wild-card game between the Minnesota Vikings and the Los Angeles Rams has been moved, the NFL said tonight.

The game, which was to have been played at SoFi Stadium in L.A., will now be at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, a move that was made with public safety in mind, the league said.

"The decision was made in consultation with public officials, the participating clubs and the NFLPA," the players union, the statement said.

It will kick off at its previously scheduled time: 8 p.m. ET.

A firefighting plane that was working over the area of the Palisades Fire struck a drone in the area today, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

Fire officials reported the incident to the FAA, which will investigate.

It's a federal crime to interfere with firefighting efforts on public lands, punishable by up to 12 months in prison. The FAA can also fine a drone pilot up to $75,000 for interfering with wildfire response.

"The FAA treats these violations seriously and immediately considers swift enforcement action for these offenses," it said.

The mandatory evacuation orders for the Hurst Fire, burning in the Sylmar area of Los Angeles, have been lifted, the LAFD said.

The fire, which broke out Tuesday, burned 671 acres and was 10% contained today, according to Cal Fire.

Evacuation warnings remain, meaning people should be ready to leave if they are told to do so.

Residents all over Los Angeles County, a region on edge after major destructive and deadly wildfires, got an audible alarm on their cellphones warning them of an evacuation warning — an alert that was sent in error, a county official said.

“An EVACUATION WARNING has been issued in your area,” the text message, accompanied by a loud buzzing sound, read in part.

Janice Hahn, a Los Angeles County supervisor, said on X that the alert was a mistake.

“I have been informed the evacuation warning that many of us just received on our phones was mistakenly issued countywide due to a technical error,” she wrote. “A correction will be issued shortly.”

The alert was intended for people in an evacuation zone for a new fire in Woodland Hills, the Kenneth Fire, she said.

A second alarm was then sent telling people to disregard the first evacuation warning, saying it was for the Kenneth Fire only.

The Eaton Fire could damage or destroy up to 5,000 structures, Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said.

A structure is a home or multifamily residence, but it also can be an outbuilding or a vehicle, he said.

The Eaton Fire, burning in the Altadena and Pasadena areas, is at 13,690 acres. It, like the Palisades Fire, was fueled by extreme winds.

The fire is 0% contained. The cause is not known.

“The number of resources assigned to this fire siege has increased significantly, and we are in a much better posture than we were on Tuesday and Wednesday,” Marrone said.

See the rest of the gallery here.

A new brush fire has emerged in the Woodland Hills area of Los Angeles, near the Calabasas neighborhood, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.

The blaze has been named the Kenneth Fire.

A mandatory evacuation order has been issued for residents in the area.

Authorities are working to establish a curfew in areas around the Palisades and Eaton fires to prevent looting.

Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said that details are being worked out but that he hoped a 6 p.m.-to-6 a.m. curfew could be in place by tonight.

There have been about a dozen arrests related to looting since the fires broke out, Luna said.

“That is unacceptable behavior,” Luna said.

One death has been confirmed in the Palisades Fire, in Malibu, Mayor Doug Stewart said.

The victim has not been identified. "This tragic news weighs heavily on our hearts," Stewart said.

"Malibu is more than a city — we are neighbors, friends and family. Even when we don't know someone's name, their loss is felt by all of us," he said.

Al Hugo has seen what fire is capable of as a captain for the Los Angeles Fire Department.

But when he watched his own home in Altadena burn to the ground, it was a "surreal" experience, he said. He returned to a pile of rubble where his house once stood and plans to search for his wife’s wedding band.

"Stay strong and rely on one another," he said. "We'll get through it."

Sean Inoue, executive director of the American Red Cross serving western Los Angeles, detailed the immediate needs being met for people facing destruction from the wildfires.

Inoue said emergency shelter, water, food and family reunification are the top priorities.

Private drones being flown in the Los Angeles area have been posing dangers for firefighting aircraft trying to battle blazes, the head of the U.S. Forest Service said.

“You also unfortunately have drones in the air, which is a concern to our pilots and to the safety of the aircraft, so we have to be mindful of that,” Forest Service Chief Randy Moore said.

Fire agencies in Southern California routinely warn about the dangers that private drones pose to aircraft and how they can interfere with efforts to fight fires.

In 2015, as flames raced toward a freeway in the Cajon Pass in Southern California, the presence of drones caused firefighting aircraft to leave the area for about 20 minutes, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said at the time.

The fire went across Interstate 15, burning 18 cars and two tractor-trailers.

Just hours after he attended former President Jimmy Carter's memorial, President Joe Biden convened a briefing to address the federal response for the Los Angeles-area wildfires.

Biden sat beside Vice President Kamala Harris along with other administration officials as he explained that he immediately approved a federal disaster declaration for Los Angeles yesterday. He added that California Gov. Gavin Newsom requested an increase in funding this morning, prompting Biden to cover "100% of the cost" for the next 180 days.

"I want to underscore I told the governor and local officials spare no expense to do what they need to do and contain these fires," Biden said.

Some of the federal assistance will go to cash assistance for people to cover immediate needs, such as food, while other allocations will go to fire management and debris removal. Biden said 400 federal firefighters have been sent to Southern California, as well as firefighting planes and helicopters.

Harris called the fires "apocalyptic" and praised the firefighters who are working tirelessly as thousands are displaced. The fallout of the fires will echo for months and years, she said.

Actor and pop star Mandy Moore posted photos of the fire's impact on her family's home in Altadena, saying her family was able to park and walk to their home to "bear witness to all the loss."

"Miraculously, the main part of our house is still standing," she wrote. "For now. It’s not livable but mostly intact. We lost Taylor and griffin’s studio with every instrument and piece of equipment they’ve ever owned. We lost our garage and back house. Everyone we know lost everything. Every house on our street is gone."

Moore said she's "feeling weird survivors guilt" and pledged to "do everything we can to help rebuild and support" the community.

The premier of Alberta, Canada, pledged today to send water bomber aircraft, helicopters and other resources to help California as it battles large wildfires in the Los Angeles region.

“Our hearts go out to everyone in California who has been evacuated due to the devastating forest fires,” Premier Danielle Smith wrote on X. “Good neighbours are always there for each other in times of need, and we will assist our American friends in any way they need during this crisis.”

She wrote that the government was sending incident command team support, water bomber aircraft and helicopters with night vision capabilities.

“Alberta is also actively working with the federal government and the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre (CIFFC) to assess California’s needs,” Smith wrote.

Planes from Canada have already been helping fight the fires in California. Quebec sends two water bomber planes and firefighting teams to California each fall as part of 31-year-old agreement with the U.S. state, the CBC reported.

The official death toll remains at five, four of the victims in the Eaton Fire, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department told NBC News.

Officials had originally said all five deaths were in connection with the Eaton Fire, which is engulfing the area around Pasadena. A single body was found in a residential home along Pacific Coast Highway today in relation to the Palisades Fire.

Officials emphasized that they are just getting into areas that have been limited by the fires. First responders are following up on other welfare checks and missing persons reports; they did not give a number, saying it could change at any time.

Remains were found at a residential home in the Palisades today, marking the first confirmed death in the largest of the Los Angeles fires.

The Los Angeles Sheriff's Department was conducting a wellness check following a missing person's report when they found the remains, according to NBC Los Angeles reporter Alex Rozier. Four people have been killed in the nearby Eaton Fire, but officials said it would take more time to assess the death toll in the Palisades Fire.

Rozier, who was at the scene, reported that two people were in the home but only one evacuated while the other stayed behind. The sheriff's office investigation is ongoing.

Caitlin Doran is one of the tens of thousands who had to evacuate her California neighborhood this week because of the wildfires. But among her Palisades evacuation party: a 175-pound tortoise named TipToe.

Doran documented the smoke-filled escape of her family and her animals for her 4.5 million followers on TikTok. 

“Transporting him honestly, he did a heck of a lot better than I thought that he would do. Thank goodness for baby bell peppers that really got us through the driveway situation,” Dorn said. 

In her TikTok videos, you can see Caitlin coaxing TipToe with fresh veggies.

Several of her family members live in the Palisades neighborhood and lost their homes to the fire. She said her family first moved there in the 1930s. 

It could take years for victims of the L.A.-area fires to resolve their insurance claims — assuming they had insurance to begin with — if past California fire events are any indication, according to one public adjusting firm.

Nadav Gat, public adjuster and team leader with Avner Gat, an insurance adjustment group based in Los Angeles, said some claims from the 2018 Woolsey Fire that raged through the Simi Valley area in northwest Los Angeles and southern Ventura counties dragged into 2024. Indeed, a lawsuit filed by actor Nick Nolte against Allstate insurance for losses sustained in that fire was still being litigated as recently as last spring.

"The claim process is very, very long," Gat said. "Especially in these situations when you have these national declared emergencies for the entire state."

Gat said public adjusters — which, despite their name, are actually privately hired by homeowners — can help speed up the claims process by creating a better, more streamlined presentation to an insurance company, though the best public adjusters can be expensive.

"A lot of times the people who are cheapest are going to be more volume-based, which is more risky for the homeowner," Gat said.

Flames from the massive Eaton Fire are approaching the summit of California’s Mount Wilson. The mountaintop is home to communication towers and an historic observatory.

The observatory said on Facebook that flames were approaching. "There are firefighters on the grounds but the power is out at the Observatory so communication is limited. We are monitoring the situation and will update here as we can," it said.

The observatory holds a special place in the history of astronomy. It was there that Edwin Hubble showed that the Milky Way is one of many galaxies, announced in 1924. Hubble was at Mount Wilson in 1929 when he confirmed that the universe is still expanding.

The Los Angeles Rams said they're still planning to play their wildcard playoff game at home on Monday, but are ready to dash for Arizona if necessary.

The NFL said yesterday that moving the Rams-Minnesota Vikings game to State Farm Stadium in Glendale remains a viable plan B if ongoing Southern California wildfires make playing at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood too risky.

The Rams today reiterated their support for the NFL's contingency plan.

"As of now, the Wild Card playoff game featuring your Los Angeles Rams and the Minnesota Vikings remains scheduled to be played at SoFi Stadium" on Monday at 5 p.m. PST/8 p.m. EST, the Rams said. "As with all games, the NFL has contingency plans in the event a change in location is needed due to the tragic fires in our region. If the NFL decides a change in location is needed, the game would be played on Monday night at State Farm Stadium in Glendale."

The team added: "That is currently only a contingency plan and if that happens we will inform all ticket holders via email what that means for their current tickets."

The Sunset Fire that broke out in Runyon Canyon last night is now 100% contained, according to the LAFD, and evacuation orders for that area have been lifted.

The Sunswept Fire in Studio City has also been successfully knocked down and the Woodley Fire was contained on Wednesday. 

Airdrops will continue today and hundreds of firefighters continue to tackle the blazes across the city. 

A smoke advisory is in effect and the L.A. County Department of Public Health urges locals to be mindful of smoke, avoid unnecessary outdoor exposure and limit physical exertion.

President Joe Biden is planning on holding a briefing with administration officials to review the "full federal response" he has ordered for the wildfires in Los Angeles.

The briefing was added to his schedule for 4:30 p.m. ET, following the memorial services held for Jimmy Carter at the National Cathedral.

The insured losses from this week’s fires may exceed $20 billion, and total economic losses could reach $50 billion, according to estimates published by JPMorgan today.

Those losses would far exceed the $12.5 billion in insured damages from the 2018 Camp Fire, which until now was the costliest blaze in the nation’s history, according to data from Aon.

Five wildfires fueled by dry conditions and strong winds have burned through 29,000 acres of land around Los Angeles since Tuesday, according to Cal Fire. The two largest fires, Palisades and Eaton, are still completely uncontained.

Read the full article here

Tonight's game between the Los Angeles Lakers and Charlotte Hornets will be rescheduled in light of the blazes still raging throughout the city, the NBA announced today.

"We are grateful for the thousands of local firefighters and first responders who have demonstrated enormous bravery," the NBA said in a statement. "Our prayers remain with those affected by the unimaginable devastation caused by the wildfires."

A new date for the game, which was to take place at the Lakers home arena, has not yet been decided. The Lakers posted a statement to fans also expressing gratitude to first responders and acknowledged it was time to "focus on what matters most."

"We are heartbroken for Los Angeles," the team said. "Our thoughts are with all those impacted by this unimaginable situation."

Lakers head coach JJ Redick's family was among the many forced to evacuate the Pacific Palisades on Tuesday.

Mayor Bass insisted again today that fire department budget cuts haven't impacted suppression efforts — before shutting down conversation about the increasingly touchy subject.

The first-term mayor said $17.8 million in LAFD reductions hasn't hurt efforts to knock down the still out-of-control Palisades Fire.

"There were no reductions that were made that would have impacted the situation that we were dealing with over the last couple of days," she told reporters.

When asked about the budget again minutes later, Bass said dollars and bottom lines are not on her mind right now.

"Our No. 1 priority right now is to save lives, to protect lives, to save homes," she said. "I'm not here to talk about the status of our budget."

Los Angeles County public officials are vowing to crack down on people allegedly stealing from homes as devastating wildfires rip through the region, insisting that lawbreakers will face consequences.

“In the midst of the emergency, we have all seen individuals who are targeting vulnerable communities by burglarizing and looting homes. This is simply unacceptable,” Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger told reporters Thursday.

Barger then addressed looters directly: “I promise you, you will be held accountable. Shame on those who are preying on our residents during this time of crisis.”

The Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department has made 20 arrests since the wildfires broke out Tuesday, Barger said, adding that law enforcement officers were “proactively patrolling to protect these communities from looting and any criminal activity.”

Read the full story here.

NBC Los Angeles helicopter reporter Julia Deng surveys the charred remains of hundreds of destroyed homes as smoke from the Palisades Fire clears.

Netflix canceled the New York premiere for its new film “Back in Action," starring Cameron Diaz and Jamie Foxx. The premiere was set to take place Thursday at The Plaza hotel, but the streamer canceled it due to the fires' impact on people in the industry and their loved ones.

Foxx posted on Instagram last Wednesday night, saying, “Not good on the West Coast stay prayed up everybody. Please be safe.”

Video shows the fire damage to homes along the coast in Malibu and to structures and vehicles in Altadena.

L.A. County Public Works Director Mark Pestrella said the department has been focused on utility restoration due to “significant damage” to the county’s sewer, power and transportation systems from the wildfires.

Thousands of trees were knocked down and there's a "tremendous amount of debris throughout the communities that have had experienced this fire," he said.

Pestrella warned that debris can be hazardous, may be toxic, and should be removed by professionals. He said the water supply system is currently still helping fire suppression and the city’s reservoirs have been used to help with aerial operations.

The Sunset Fire's forward progress has been stopped, LAFD Chief Kristin M. Crowley said this morning.

The blaze ignited in Runyon Canyon last night and spans 42.8 acres

“Forward progress, I’m very glad to share with everyone, was stopped and crews are working to put out spot fires within the perimeters and to keep the wind from spreading any additional embers,” she said. 

Evacuation orders for this fire were lifted at 7:30 a.m. local time. (10:30 a.m. ET).

“This fire was rapidly and aggressively attacked by using coordinated air and ground fire suppression efforts. Residents heeded our timely evacuation orders,” she said. 

The Sunswept Fire in the Studio City area was fanned by high winds. “Our LAFD poured all available resources into this fire, and through a combined effort, were successful in preventing another devastating brush fire. Our firefighters stopped the forward progress at just under one acre,” Crowley said.

Sheriff Robert Luna said 179,783 people are under evacuation orders due to the Palisades, Eaton, Hurst and Lidia fires in Los Angeles County.

Another 200,000 residents are under evacuation warnings.

"I cannot emphasize enough that I urge residents that are asked to evacuate to follow our warnings," he said.

Sheriff Robert Luna said that more thorough searches by staff and canines are needed to get a clearer assessment of the death toll in the wildfires.

"At one point, we’ll be able to do a more thorough search of these impacted areas — some of them look like a bomb was dropped in them — where we will be able to bring in canines and other things to help us, hopefully not discover too many fatalities, that is our prayer," he said during a fire briefing this morning.

"This is a crisis," he said, noting the sheriff's office is working with the coroner's office. "We’ll figure out those numbers. So be patient with us when you ask us about death toll numbers. Right now, frankly, we don’t know yet."

As of last night, the death toll was at five, all in connection with the Eaton Fire.

L.A. Fire Chief Kristin M. Crowley said during a briefing this morning that "extreme fire behavior" continues to challenge firefighting efforts in the Palisades area.

As another challenge, wind gusts are up to 60 mph and expected to resume. Los Angeles County is under a red flag warning through tomorrow.

The chief said preliminary reports estimate the number of destroyed structures to be in the thousands.

"Safe to say that the Palisades Fire is one of the most destructive fires in the history of Los Angeles," she said.

It stands at 17,234 acres with 0% containment.

As wildfires continue to blaze through Southern California, Gov. Gavin Newsom updated the status of three blazes this morning, 

The Hurst Fire burned through 855 acres and is 10% contained. 

The Lidia Fire burned through 348 acres and is 40% contained 

The Sunset Fire burned through 60 acres and is holding currently. 

Containment does not equate to safety. However, it points to a “control line [that] has been placed around that portion of the fire, and fire should not be able to cross,” according to the the Western Fire Chiefs Association’s website.

The Producers Guild Awards said in a statement it will extend the voting window for the awards by two days, “to allow members additional time to cast their ballots” in light of the wildfires burning in Los Angeles County.

The nominations will now be announced Sunday instead of tomorrow.

Similarly, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences also extended the Oscar nomination voting period for the 97th ceremony by two days, delaying the announcement of nominations from Jan. 17 to Jan. 19, Variety reported.

Several professional sports are being affected by the deadly blazes. 

Last night’s game between the NHL's Los Angeles Kings and Calgary Flames was postponed until further notice. The NBA said it is currently monitoring the wildfires before making a call on today’s matchup between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Charlotte Hornets. And the NFL's Los Angeles Chargers have adjusted their practice schedules to limit their players’ time outdoors due to the air quality. 

Additionally, the Chargers announced yesterday that the organization would be donating $200,000 in wildfire relief, targeting groups including the American Red Cross, the L.A. Fire Department Foundation, the aid organization Team Rubicon and pet rescues that are sheltering displaced animals.

The fires have also hit several major players and personnel across leagues. Los Angeles Clippers’ small forward Kawhi Leonard missed yesterday’s game against the Denver Nuggets, stepping away from the team after his family was forced to evacuate. He had recently returned to the court after missing the start of the season because of a knee surgery. 

“Family, friends and loved ones, you definitely have to take care of home,” Clippers head coach Ty Lue told reporters yesterday. “[Leonard] totally has my support, 100%.” 

Lakers’ head coach J.J. Redick also mentioned earlier this week that his family had to evacuate the area. And yesterday, Golden State Warriors’ head coach Steve Kerr told media that staff member Everett Dayton, as well as his mother, had to evacuate. 

The wind-driven wildfires burning out of control in the Los Angeles area couldn’t have emerged at a more perilous moment for California’s homeowners, as officials try to rehab what they concede is a deepening “insurance crisis.”

“We were all thinking 2025 is going to be the year insurers regain their appetite for the market in California, but having this catastrophe hit us right out of the gate is really unfortunate,” said Amy Bach, executive director of United Policyholders, a California-based nonprofit consumer group.

“Up until this latest disaster,” she said, “we thought we might be turning a corner.”

The state Insurance Department issued a new regulation last month meant to turn the tide of some of the largest insurance companies’ refusal to take on new customers in California or decisions not to renew policies of current ones. Under the rule, insurance companies are permitted to pass on the cost of reinsurance to consumers, although at an amount that can’t exceed an industry standard.

Read the full story here.

The Los Angeles City Fire Department lifted evacuation orders for the West Hollywood Hills area at 7:30 a.m. (10:30 a.m. ET). The notice permits residents to return to their homes but urges caution in doing so. The fire department will continue working in those areas, according to the release.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass echoed the notice on in a post on X, noting that the area north of Franklin will also be open. The Sunset Fire evacuation lift comes after nearly 100,000 Los Angeles County residents were ordered to flee their homes as fires burned across the county.

KNBC helicopter reporter Julia Deng surveys the leading edge of the Palisades Fire as it continues to spread. The fire remains at zero percent containment.

Actor and singer Mandy Moore said she and her family were able to flee Altadena last night to a friend’s house “before it was too late.”

“Honestly, I’m in shock and feeling numb for all so many have lost, including my family,” she captioned two jarring Instagram videos showing buildings engulfed in flames, charred trees and thick smoke covering the sky.

“My children’s school is gone. Our favorite restaurants, leveled. So many friends and loved ones have lost everything too,” she wrote. “Our community is broken but we will be here to rebuild together. Sending love to all affected and on the front lines trying to get this under control.”

Paris Hilton, who also fled, said she and her family were watching the news when they saw their “home in Malibu burn to the ground on live TV.”

“While the loss is overwhelming, I’m holding onto gratitude that my family and pets are safe,” she wrote on Instagram. “My heart and prayers are going out to every family affected by these fires. To all the people who have lost their homes, their memories, and their beloved pets. My heartaches [sic] for those still in harm’s way or mourning greater losses. The devastation is unimaginable. To know so many are waking up today without the place they called home is truly heartbreaking.”

Other stars who have fled their homes include Cary Elwes, Mark Hamill and James Woods.

Wildfire containment refers to suppression efforts made by firefighters and the various firefighting strategies to stop the fire from moving in that area.

Containment does not mean safety, it means a “control line has been placed around that portion of the fire and fire should not be able to cross,” according to the the Western Fire Chiefs Association’s website.

Despite this, even if a fire is 100 percent contained, it does “not mean the fire has stopped burning and no longer poses a threat.”

The percentage tells the public how much of the fire perimeter firefighters believe will not go beyond their defenses.

Wind and other factors can sometimes cause spotfires to jump these lines, which is why containment percentages can fluctuate, the Fire Chiefs Association’s website added.Palisades Fire has burned through more than 17,234 acres and is zero percent contained.

Eaton Fire has burned through more than 10,600 acres and is zero percent contained.

Hurst Fire has burned through more than 855 acres and is 10% contained.

Lidia Fire has burned through more than 348 acres and is 40% contained

Sunset Fire has burned through more than 43 acres and is zero percent contained.

The strong winds that have helped fires spread across urban areas of southern California are not going away yet.

Some 17 million people today remain under red flag warnings that are in effect through tomorrow, and 7 million are also under wind alerts across Southern California. 

The intense Santa Ana winds have eased compared to the past two days, but wind gusts are still forecast to be 40-50 mph today and 50-70 mph tonight into tomorrow morning.

For that reason, a critical risk of fires continues today with rapid fire growth possible again today.

Californians are under mass evacuation orders as the fires continue to wreak devastation. One Pasadena man said: “We’ve been here in Pasadena for 23 years, and we’ve seen nothing like this.”

Prolonged drought, an exceptionally dry winter and powerful Santa Ana winds set up a dangerous triple whammy of extreme conditions that have fueled several out-of-control wildfires in the Los Angeles area.

Fast-moving fires have engulfed the Pacific Palisades neighborhood, parts of Pasadena and Altadena, and Sylmar, north of San Fernando, with two deaths reported and more than 1,000 structures destroyed as of yesterday.

Flames were fanned by ferocious winds whose gusts exceeded 100 mph in some places. The parched landscape across Southern California meant that any ignition was likely to become a monster blaze.

“We haven’t had any substantial rain for hundreds of days,” said Max Moritz, a wildfire specialist at the University of California, Santa Barbara.

With climate change altering rainfall patterns and making droughts both more likely and more intense, destructive wildfires like the ones in the Los Angeles area will continue to threaten people’s lives and livelihoods, Moritz said.

Read the full story here.

Brent Pascua, battalion chief with Cal Fire, told NBC's "TODAY" show this morning that calmer winds could help firefighters “start to build some containment" on the fires raging across Los Angeles.

“I believe if it stays like this we can actually turn a corner on these fires and make some progress today, some good progress. In case they pick up again later tonight, we’ll have something to anchor into,” he said, speaking from the Pacific Palisades.

Housing

Airbnb.org: Offering free temporary housing for residents displaced by wildfires in L.A. County in partnership with 211 LA. Impacted residents can request assistance for temporary housing through an intake form, which identifies those in greatest need.

Queen Mary: The Queen Mary has rooms available and is offering them at $189 per night including breakfast. More info here.

Big Bear: A collection of vacation homes and hotels is listed on this page, which has been created specifically for the needs of fire evacuees.

Visit Anaheim: People affected by the wildfires can visit Visit Anaheim’s official website and find special hotel offers and assistance.

With much of the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles destroyed by a wildfire, NBC News’ Jacob Soboroff surveys the destruction of the place where he grew up, including his childhood home.

Something you don't see every day: a helicopter dumping water on the Hollywood Hills to put out a raging wildfire. That's what people gathered to see this morning on the corner of Hollywood Boulevard and North La Brea Avenue.

The Sunset Fire is at 43 acres and is zero percent contained.

Several historic buildings and structures belonging to California State Parks have burned down in the Palisades Fire.

A historic ranch house belonging to 1930s vaudeville actor turned movie star Will Rogers and the Topanga Ranch Hotel, which once housed workers building the Pacific Coast Highway, were among the sites destroyed by fire Tuesday night, California State Parks said in a statement on its website.

"State Parks was able to evacuate the horses and some of the cultural and historical artifacts, including artwork, at Will Rogers SHP ahead of the fire," the service added.

President-elect Donald Trump has called on California Gov. Gavin Newsom to resign, blaming him for the fires.

"One of the best and most beautiful parts of the United States of America is burning down to the ground," he wrote on its social media platform Truth Social, adding "It’s ashes."

"This is all his fault!!!" he wrote.

Yesterday, Trump blamed Newsom for not signing a water restoration order, which he claimed would have helped in the city's response.

In a statement in response, Newsom’s director of communications, Izzy Gardon, yesterday accused Trump of “playing politics” while the wildfires continued to wreak havoc in Southern California.

“There is no such document as the water restoration declaration — that is pure fiction. The Governor is focused on protecting people, not playing politics, and making sure firefighters have all the resources they need,” Gardon said.

Nick Libonati and his friends successfully fought off the fire in the Palisades, protecting his home last night by using buckets of water to extinguish any hot spots popping up around it, NBC Los Angeles reported.

“What a blessing we got up here in time,” Libonati said. “You can’t understand the emotions, especially that my best friends came with me. Heroes, in my opinion, to me.”

The group was seen filling buckets of water from Libonati's pool and passing it among themselves to douse the smoking spots around the house. Libonati said he finally evacuated Tuesday but returned to his home yesterday, finding that it had been spared by the fire.

Red flag warnings are in effect for “much of Los Angeles and Ventura Counties until 6 p.m. Friday,” the National Weather Service said last evening.

The warnings are in place due to “moderate to strong North to Northeast winds and low relative humidity.”

Winds will be lighter this morning but will pick up again in the afternoon and night, lasting into early tomorrow, the weather service said, adding "gusts of 30 to 50 mph could sporadically affect lower elevations and favored valleys."

Northeast winds will continue to blow over Eaton Fire for the next few days, the agency said in the statement.

Conditions will “remain very dry,” with minimum humidity in the “teens to upper single digits” this afternoon, the weather service added, followed by poor overnight recoveries of “near or below 20 percent” tonight.

Santa Ana winds will still be strong enough to carry wildfire embers as they ease through today. There are further strong wind gusts expected for tomorrow morning. KNBC meteorologist Belen de Leon has all the details.

Some Los Angeles restaurants are distributing free meals to first responders and residents forced to leave their homes.

"As so many have been displaced by the fires, if you find yourself displaced and in need of a meal, please join us, compliments," Bar Etoile, a restaurant in L.A.'s East Hollywood neighborhood, wrote on Instagram last night.

Yeastie Boys Bagels wrote that its food trucks would be at locations in Silver Lake, Studio City, Melrose Place, Los Feliz, Venice, DTLA and Highland Park today, despite its owner having had to evacuate his own home a few hours prior.

U.S. nonprofit World Central Kitchen is partnering with local restaurants and food trucks, and will continue to provide food at Pasadena Convention Center, a major evacuation center, today.

After a mandatory evacuation was ordered for the area last night, the Hollywood Bowl announced that its staff was cooperating with the order.

“Due to the Sunset Fire, we have received evacuation orders and all Hollywood Bowl staff have safely evacuated the premises,” the historic concert venue announced in a statement on Facebook.

“We extend our deepest gratitude to the firefighters who are working tirelessly to protect our community,” the post added.

Before the evacuation order, the planned concert by German pianist Igor Levit, scheduled for last evening, was postponed because of the wildfires and high winds.

The Sunset Fire in the Hollywood Hills is the newest of the five fires that are underway.

When asked by a reporter if she regrets cutting the fire department budget, Mayor Karen Bass dodged the questions.

She was also asked by David Blevins of Sky News, NBC News' British partner broadcaster, if she felt she owed Los Angeles an apology for being in Ghana, where was attending the long-planned inauguration of the Ghanaian president.

The mayor declined to answer.

Firefighters tackle the raging wildfire in Altadena, northwest Los Angeles on yesterday, as homes and vehicles were reduced to charred remains in the wake of the Eaton Fire.

At least three schools in the Palisades suffered "sustained significant damage" as a result of the fires, a spokesperson for the Los Angeles Unified School District said yesterday.

These includes Palisades Charter High School, Palisades Charter Elementary School, and the Marquez Elementary School.

LAUSD also announced that all schools in L.A. County would remain shut today for in-person teaching. UCLA yesterday announced it was moving its undergraduate classes online.

Universal Studios says its park in Hollywood and Universal CityWalk will be closed today because of the “extreme winds and fires currently spreading throughout Los Angeles.”

“Out of an abundance of caution, Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal CityWalk will be closed on Thursday, January 9,” the theme park wrote on X.

The park was also closed yesterday because of “extreme winds and fire conditions.”

Universal Studios is part of NBC News' parent company, NBCUniversal.

Jamie Lee Curtis revealed that the church in Pacific Palisades where she got sober had gone up in flames, according to an Instagram post yesterday.

The church is “the building that I got sober in 25 years ago,” the Oscar-winning actor said on social media, adding the church had a “beautiful Sunday school” and was “a gorgeous house of worship.”

“I think of all of the souls who came there for comfort and solace and all the baptisms and funerals and weddings and the thousands of people who reclaimed their lives through Sobriety,” she added.

“Also, the women’s club in the Palisades where I met many sober people. Both are gone. Tough times. We will persevere. God bless you all,” she concluded.

A home in the upscale Pacific Palisades that reportedly belongs to actors Adam Brody and Leighton Meester was destroyed by a wildfire that ripped through the Los Angeles neighborhood.

Airbnb.org is offering free temporary housing for residents displaced by wildfires in Los Angeles County in partnership with 211 LA, a community hub and nonprofit organization which connects residents with essential services in the area.

Impacted residents can request assistance for temporary housing through an intake form with 211 LA, which identifies those in the greatest need.

Stays are “completely free for guests and are funded by Airbnb.org and the generosity of Airbnb hosts,” according to a statement released yesterday on its website.

The program specifically focuses on residents who have lost their homes or been forced to evacuated in the Altadena, Malibu, Pacific Palisades, Pasadena, Santa Monica and Sylmar areas, the statement added.

Airbnb.org is Airbnb’s charitable arm, which runs independently from the home-sharing platform itself, according to the website.

As smoke crept closer to Darrin Hurwitz’s Pacific Palisades home in California on Tuesday morning, he started packing up the most meaningful items in his house: a few family heirlooms, a couple of pieces of art and his two daughters’ favorite stuffed animals. 

There wasn’t time to grab much else. The nearby Palisades Fire — one of several wind-whipped blazes raging across Southern California — suddenly surged, threatening Hurwitz’s most valued possession: his family’s lives.

“Within minutes, 10 to 20 minutes, there wasn’t one fire. There were multiple fires, as embers were sort of crisscrossing the area,” Hurwitz told MSNBC’s Chris Jansing yesterday. “The ferocity of the fire led us to think that we needed to get out of our house, and get out of our house very quickly.”

Read the full story here.

Megan Mantia and her boyfriend return to the site of her Altadena home after the Eaton Fire swept through the area yesterday. Many residents returned to find their homes reduced to smoldering piles of ash, as raging wildfires continue to wreak havoc across Los Angeles.

The Sunswept Fire is now under control, the unified Los Angeles command responding to the fires said early today, adding that the Woodley Fire in the Sepulveda Basin has also been contained.

It also said the fire department was making progress on the Sunset Fire.

The Los Angeles County sheriff has issued an unsafe water alert for the city of Pasadena, saying the water system was potentially impacted with debris.

"Bottled water should be used for all drinking (including baby formula and juice), brushing teeth, washing dishes, making ice, and food preparation until further notice. This also applies to pets and domestic animals," the alert read.

A boil water notice was in force previously. The new alert strictly warned against self-treatment of water, including by boiling or filter, saying it won't "make the water safe."

"The expected timeframe for resolution is unknown and dependent on evolving fire, wind, and related conditions," the alert added.

A shortwave infrared satellite image released by Maxar Technologies shows burning buildings caused by the Eaton Fire in Altadena, northeast Los Angeles, yesterday.

Across the city, another shortwave infrared blended image reveals areas of the the Palisades Fire.

More than 362,000 homes and businesses are without power in California amid the wildfires as of early this morning, according to online outage tracker PowerOutage.us.

Almost 200,000 homes are out in Los Angeles County alone, according to the outage tracking site.

The Palisades Fire has burned through more than 17,200 acres, while the Eaton Fire has grown to 10,600 acres, both with zero containment, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said in an early morning update.

Meanwhile, the Hurst Fire has spread across at least 855 acres, but is now at least 10% contained, while the Lidia Fire has burned through nearly 350 acres, with 40% containment.

Fueled by powerful winds and dry conditions, a series of ferocious wildfires erupted Tuesday and roared across the Los Angeles area, destroying hundreds of homes and leaving at least five people dead.

A Los Angeles county fire official said there were an untold number of significant injuries linked to two of the fires, and a city official in Los Angeles described Tuesday night as “one of the most devastating and terrifying” that she’d seen in her corner of the city.

“This is looking worse and worse the more information we get,” climate scientist Daniel Swain said.

Read the full story here.

Emergency services are being pushed to their limit as they work to contain the ongoing wildfires ravaging Los Angeles County, fueled by dry conditions and powerful winds. More than 80,000 people have been asked to evacuate the area.

Los Angeles County Fire has requested mutual aid from Orange, Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties. Firefighters from neighboring states, including Nevada, Oregon and Washington, are also joining efforts to combat the blaze.

The following organizations are seeking donations to assist in relief efforts for the Southern California wildfires:

KNBC’s Julia Deng reports that multiple homes are on fire on Sunswept Drive in the Studio City area of Los Angeles, with the flames threatening a hillside behind the homes.

• What we know on L.A. fire evacuations, maps, causes and more
• The dangerous combination fueling the fires: dryness and strong winds
• Water tanks went dry in Pacific Palisades, hampering efforts to fight fire
• Families flee Palisades Fire with prized possessions and minutes to spare