Firefighters continued to battle multiple major wildfires.
The “particularly dangerous situation” will go into effect at 4 a.m. Tuesday and last through noon Wednesday for swaths of Los Angeles and Ventura counties. The National Weather Service reserves the designation for signifying an extreme red flag warning, when especially hazardous fire weather conditions are expected.
Palisades fire
Burned 23,713 acres and numerous homes, businesses and landmarks in Pacific Palisades and westward along Pacific Coast Highway, toward Malibu. As of 7:00 a.m. Tuesday morning, the fire was 17% contained, up from 14% early Monday.
Many parts of Pacific Palisades, Malibu, Calabasas, Brentwood and Encino are under evacuation orders or warnings. More than 12,000 structures remain threatened. Santa Monica has downgraded its mandatory evacuation orders to warnings. Officials estimate that more than 5,300 structures, including many homes, have been damaged or destroyed.
Eaton fire
Burned 14,117 acres and many structures in Altadena and Pasadena. As of 7 a.m. Tuesday morning, the fire was 35% contained, up from 33% early Monday. Officials say 7,000 structures have been damaged in the fire.
Most of Altadena was under an evacuation order, as was unincorporated Kinneloa Mesa. In Pasadena, a mandatory evacuation order was in place in the northern half of the neighborhood of Hastings Ranch. In Sierra Madre, mandatory evacuations were in effect in some areas north of Grand View Avenue, and voluntary evacuations were in place in other portions of the city.
Coverage of the fires ravaging Altadena, Malibu, Pacific Palisades and Pasadena, including stories about the devastation, issues firefighters faced and the weather.
Unprecedented new extreme fire alert brings danger to SoCal for next two days
An unprecedented fourth “particularly dangerous situation” fire weather warning took effect Tuesday morning and is expected to last through Wednesday.
The National Weather Service reserves the designation for signifying an extreme red flag warning, when especially hazardous fire weather conditions are expected.
During each of the three warnings issued this season, destructive wildfires erupted: the 19,904-acre Mountain fire in Ventura County, which razed more than 240 buildings; the 4,037-acre Franklin fire, which spread rapidly in Malibu and destroyed 20 buildings in December; and last week’s Palisades and Eaton fires, which now rank among the deadliest and most destructive in modern California history.
Rural areas got millions in state fire prevention funds over parts of L.A. that burned
Since 2021, state authorities have repeatedly declined to fund wildfire prevention efforts in communities devastated by the Palisades fire, according to Cal Fire records, which show the agency instead poured money into projects in far-flung rural areas.
Records reviewed by The Times show Cal Fire elected not to fund more than $3.8 million in Wildfire Prevention Grants for Santa Monica Mountains communities including Pacific Palisades and Malibu over the last four years.
Eaton fire now 35% contained
The Eaton fire is now 35% contained, burning about 14,000 acres.
With high winds back, the burn area is now under a red flag warning.
Fire officials said they have resources in place to fight any flare-ups.
I was forced to evacuate my home. Do I still need to pay my mortgage, rent, utility bills?
During a disaster, getting to safety is the top priority. But for many Angelenos displaced by the devastating wildfires raging across Los Angeles County, questions loom about what comes next.
The fires have destroyed thousands of structures and forced roughly 92,000 residents to evacuate. With some homes sitting empty and others reduced to rubble, here are answers you might need.
What (or who) sparked L.A. County wildfires? Here’s where investigations stand
As fires continue to scorch L.A. County, local, state and federal investigators are working to determine exactly where and how each blaze began. Here’s what we know so far about the efforts.
Peak gusts of up to 72 mph already hitting Southern California as extreme fire weather warning hits
Gusts of up to 72 mph have already hit the San Gabriel Mountains, as Los Angeles and Ventura counties brace for extreme fire weather conditions Tuesday.
The National Weather Service has issued its highest level of warning for an extreme red flag fire warning, which is called a “particularly dangerous situation.” Extreme winds are forecast to come from the east, meaning fires that ignite would be expected to spread to the west.
Here’s a look at some peak gusts:
Western San Gabriel Mountains and Highway 14 Corridor
72 mph, 3 a.m., Magic Mountain Truck Trail
62 mph, 1:53 a.m., Mill Creek
Western Santa Monica Mountains Recreational Area
60 mph, 12 a.m., Sandstone Peak
‘Particularly dangerous situation’ fire warning now in effect in L.A., Ventura counties
The “particularly dangerous situation” fire weather warning for swaths of Los Angeles and Ventura counties is now in effect.
The designation, signifying an extreme red flag warning, went into effect Tuesday at 4 a.m. and will last through noon Wednesday. On Tuesday morning, gusts of up to 72 mph were reported in the western San Gabriel Mountains and Highway 14 corridor, the National Weather Service said.
Areas covered by the latest alert include Camarillo, Fillmore, Northridge, Simi Valley and Thousand Oaks.
A conventional red flag warning — for a combination of strong winds, dry air and vegetation, and expected severe wildfire behavior if ignition occurs — is in effect across the region, including large portions of L.A., San Diego, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and Ventura counties, as well as some mountainous areas of Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties.
This event will be a more conventional Santa Ana, with winds coming out of the east and spreading fires to the west. That means the winds will have more of a focus on Ventura County compared with those last week, which came generally out of the north and hit Los Angeles County hard.
Overnight, firefighters responded to a fire in the riverbed of the Santa Clara River, along the border of Ventura and Oxnard, located near Auto Center Drive.
Firefighters after midnight said forward progress on the Auto fire has been stopped. The fire was 0% contained and burned about 56 acres. Firefighters overnight continued to mop up hotspots and worked to increase containment, officials said.
Auto Fire in Ventura County burned 55 acres; forward progress stopped
The Auto fire in Ventura County has burned 55 acres, but officials said forward progress has been stopped.
The fire prompted evacuations on the Santa Clara River between the 101 Freeway and Victoria Avenue.
No structures were lost.
Crews battle brush fire in Oxnard as Santa Ana winds sweep through the region
Fire crews battled a brush fire in Oxnard on Monday night as strong Santa Ana winds swept through Ventura County.
The fire was reported around 7:45 p.m. in the Santa Clara River bottom near North Ventura Boulevard, according to the Ventura County Fire Department. It was dubbed the Auto fire because of the number of auto dealerships in the area.
It rapidly grew to about 55 acres, fanned by wind gusts of 20 and 30 mph, according to the Fire Department. Shortly before midnight, the department said forward progress on the fire had been stopped.
Fire crews “remain on scene mopping up hotspots and working to increase containment,” the department said in a post on X. The fire didn’t threaten any structures, according to fire officials.
As the fire burned, an evacuation order was issued Monday night by the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office for the Santa Ana River area between the Ventura Freeway and Victoria Avenue.
There were 75 firefighters on scene from several agencies as well as water-dropping aircraft. The blaze was near the River Ridge Golf Course, where helicopters were able to easily access water, according to reporting from KCAL News.
The cause of the fire was under investigation, officials said.
Most of Ventura County was under a red flag warning Monday evening, which will be upgraded to a particularly dangerous situation warning at 4 a.m. Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service. This more extreme fire weather warning comes as mountainous areas in Ventura and Los Angeles counties brace for wind gusts of 50 to 70 mph.
Mayor Bass issues order to expedite rebuilding efforts after fires
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass issued an executive order Monday that seeks to expedite rebuilding efforts after fires leveled thousands of homes and businesses in the city last week, mostly within Pacific Palisades.
Executive Order 1 requires city departments to complete project reviews within 30 days from when a complete application is submitted and waives discretionary hearings under zoning rules, among other efforts.
L.A.-area residents out of town during fires share agony of watching homes burn from afar
Diego Wallraff was attending a retreat in India when his apartment building in Pacific Palisades burned down last week. A somatic therapist and actor, he lost most of his most treasured possessions, including the irreplaceable Tibetan singing bowls and gongs he’s collected over 15 years of world travels.
At first, Wallraff, 63, thought his home was spared. The fire-tracking app Watch Duty showed the blaze hadn’t spread to his part of the Palisades. But that turned out to be false hope — the app’s map was hours behind what was happening on the ground in real time.
Palisades High is looking for a temporary home after severe fire damage
The leaders of fire-damaged Palisades High School are looking for a temporary place to hold classes for about 3,000 students.
About 40% of the campus was damaged or destroyed, according to Principal Pamela Magee in a communication to the school community. Although the original main campus survived, the condition of the property as a whole makes it unsuitable for the immediate resumption of classes.
In a letter to the community, the school administration said it is seeking:
● Temporary classroom spaces or campuses available for lease or donation.
● Large indoor and outdoor spaces suitable for hosting students and teachers.
● Support from local organizations that can assist in logistics and operations.
● Volunteers to help with moving, setup and coordination.
● Access to athletic practice areas in the vicinity.
“Our primary goal is to keep our community united during this challenging time, enabling students to continue their education alongside their friends, teachers, and peers,” the school’s release states. “In-person learning is crucial for their emotional and social development; without it, students may experience increased feelings of isolation and anxiety, further complicating their recovery from the trauma of recent events.”
The spring semester was supposed to begin Monday. Instead, it will begin online Jan. 21.
The school is raising money at the following link: https://givebutter.com/RaisePali
Fire victims can get aid from the feds. How to apply for FEMA and avoid potential scams
As wildfires continue to scorch homes across Los Angeles County, thousands of residents are left to sift through the remains and answer a key question: what now?
A chance to rebuild, to start anew could be possible. Homeowners and renters who do not have insurance, or whose insurance policies don’t cover basic needs, may be eligible to receive assistance through the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Weather service issues its most severe fire warning for parts of L.A. area as winds pick up
After a brief reprieve, Southern California faces two days of dangerous winds that officials fear could expand current fires and spark new ones.
Firefighters spent Monday carving containment lines around the Eaton and Palisades fires and finalizing preparations ahead of a windstorm that’s expected to hit a swath of the region including Ventura County, the San Fernando Valley and part of Los Angeles and the San Gabriel Valley, bringing wind gusts ranging from 45 mph to 70 mph.
With her city in flames, L.A. Mayor Karen Bass’ political future hangs in the balance
Apocalyptic fires had been ravaging Los Angeles for more than 24 hours when Mayor Karen Bass stepped off a plane and into a now-viral encounter that may come to define her mayoralty.
As an Irish reporter who happened to be on her flight hurled questions at her, the mayor of the nation’s second-largest metropolis stood silent and seemingly paralyzed.