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11 dead, 12K structures destroyed as LA fires turn neighborhoods into ash: Live updates
Editor's Note: This page is a summary of news on the LA fires for Friday, Jan. 10. For the latest updates on the Los Angeles wildfires in California, please read USA TODAY'S live updates for Saturday, Jan. 11.
LOS ANGELES – Firefighters made progress Friday in the battle against deadly wildfires that have decimated entire neighborhoods in coastal Southern California, but officials cautioned that strong winds would return to the region, raising the threat of further devastation as the death toll rose to 11.
Five wildfires remained active in Los Angeles County, scorching more than 36,000 acres or about 56 square miles, an area about the size of Miami, according to Cal Fire. The largest blaze, the Palisades Fire, which ranks as the most destructive in Los Angeles history, scorched over 20,000 acres, including picturesque coastal enclaves between Santa Monica and Malibu.
Evacuations from the Palisades Fire continued Friday, and hundreds of residents drove away along narrow, winding roads as emergency responders sent personnel and equipment into the fire zones, said Cal Fire Battalion Chief David Acu?a. Anticipating the fire's trajectory is a never-ending challenge, he said.
“One of the issues we’re having right now is we can’t tell where the fire is going to be in 30 minutes," Acu?a told USA TODAY.
The Eaton Fire near Altadena and Pasadena was at 3% containment as it grew to more than 13,600 acres. Several other fires have ignited across the county as fierce winds persisted, including the Kenneth Fire that broke out Thursday near Woodland Hills. The blaze prompted evacuation orders Thursday night, which have since been lifted.
More: A grim house-to-house search in LA. These are the wildfire victims who lost their lives
The blazes turned entire neighborhoods into ash, destroyed over 12,300 structures, and prompted officials to order the evacuation of more than 150,000 residents. At least 11 people have died in the two biggest blazes, according to the Los Angeles County medical examiner – six from the Eaton fire and five from the Palisades fire.
On Friday, the battle against the Los Angeles wildfires turned into an international effort as Mexico and Canada announced they would send firefighters and other resources to California. Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Friday afternoon that firefighters from Mexico were en route to the Eaton fire, joining over 10,000 personnel on the ground. The National Guard and neighboring states have also deployed resources as California faces rapidly growing devastation.
Meanwhile, the California governor on Friday announced an independent investigation into water mobility issues that reportedly hampered firefighting efforts. Newsom's announcement comes as politicians, including President-elect Donald Trump, have pointed fingers at California's elected leaders, saying they weren't prepared for the fires.
Also Friday, Newsom invited Trump to come to California and meet with those affected by the fires.
"Hundreds of thousands of Americans – displaced from their homes and fearful for the future – deserve to see all of us working in their best interests to ensure a fast recovery and rebuild," Newsom wrote in a letter to the incoming president on Friday.
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Developments:
? WATER ADVISORIES: Residents in Altadena, Malibu, Pasadena, Pacific Palisades and a northern section of the San Fernando Valley, including Sylmar, were under boil water advisories on Friday, with authorities asking residents to use bottled water.
? CURFEW: A curfew order has been issued for mandatory evacuation zones related to the Palisades and Eaton wildfires from 6 p.m. Friday to 6 a.m. Saturday, said Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna. He said those who do not obey the curfew will be "subject to arrest."
? FEDERAL HELP: President Joe Biden promised the federal government would cover the total cost of the wildfire response in Southern California for 180 days. Biden also announced the immediate availability of funding assistance and urged those affected by the devastating fires to visit disasterassistance.gov or call 1-800-621-3362 for help.
? POWER OUTAGES: More than 175,000 homes and businesses across California were without power Friday evening, according to PowerOutage.us.
? SCHOOL CLOSURES: The Los Angeles Unified School District, the second-largest school district in the nation, announced all of its campuses will be closed Friday due to the fires and hazardous air quality. The University of California, Los Angeles, canceled in-person classes on Friday.
Powerful Santa Ana winds forecast for next week
Gusty Santa Ana winds are forecast to come and go over southern California in the next several days, which could further exacerbate the deadly and devastating wildfires across the region.
The strongest gusts are expected early next week, especially Monday night and into Tuesday, forecasters said. And as strong as the wind is forecast to be next week, "we are not forecasting a replica of the winds from earlier this week," AccuWeather senior meteorologist Heather Zehr told USA TODAY Friday.
Those howling winds, measured at speeds approaching 100 mph, fueled the ferocious firestorms that followed.
A red flag warning expired in Los Angeles as winds slowed down to 15 to 25 mph by Friday evening, but the National Weather Service warned wind speed would start to pick back up Saturday.
– Doyle Rice
More: Will Santa Ana winds keep stoking California wildfires? Here's the weekend forecast.
Governor calls for probe of water system
The California governor on Friday announced an independent investigation into water supply issues that may have impeded firefighting efforts amid historic blazes devastating the Los Angeles area.
Reports of loss of water pressure in local hydrants and unavailability of water from the Santa Ynez Reservoir are "deeply troubling," Newsom wrote in a letter to leaders of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power and Los Angeles County Public Works. He said state water and firefighting officials would conduct an independent review of what caused the malfunctions.
The governor noted that local fire hydrants are not designed to extinguish massive wildfires, but losing anticipated water supply from them "likely impaired the effort to protect some homes and evacuation corridors."
"We need answers to ensure this does not happen again and we have every resource available to fight these catastrophic fires," Newsom said in a post on X.
The governor's announcement comes as criticism mounts over a critical lack of water during the early stages of the fires.
Biden on Thursday said local utilities shut off power over concerns that power lines could be "blown down and spark additional fires," adding that the move had hampered "the ability to generate pumping water." California Congresswoman Judy Chu, who represents the Los Angeles area where the fires are, reiterated Biden’s explanation Friday to CNN.
But this may not be a one-time occurrence, said Los Angeles Department of Water and Power CEO Janisse Qui?ones, who addressed the situation on Wednesday. During a news conference, Qui?ones said by 3 a.m. Wednesday, the city utility’s three 1-million-gallon water storage tanks in the Palisades area "went dry," reducing the water flow from hydrants in higher elevations.
"We pushed the system to the extreme. Four times the normal demand was seen for 15 hours straight, which lowered our water pressure," Qui?ones said. "It was like a worst-case scenario, but I think we should be planning for those worst-case scenarios."
– Terry Collins
Neighbors lend a helping hand
Chester Griffiths pulled long hoses Friday morning in a continued effort with his father to save neighbors’ houses in smoky Malibu.
Griffiths, 24, said his family’s house survived the Palisades fire with only minor damage. Neighbors just a few doors down weren’t so fortunate. Entire structures were destroyed, leaving a view of the Pacific Ocean framed by charred debris.
The hill across from their home on Pacific Coast Highway had gone up in a blaze, leaving nothing but charred ground and patches of burnt vegetation. Embers from the fire jumped the multilane highway, burning houses on both sides.
“Firefighters saved what they could, but a lot of it isn’t recoverable. It’s heartbreaking,” Griffiths said.
It wasn't just homes. Signs stood near debris where former businesses including Willie’s Fish & Tackle, had burned to the ground.
– Dave Mason, Ventura County Star
Family digs through the rubble: 'We've been crying for days'
Sarah and Ben Treger rode borrowed electric bicycles through their neighborhood, north of Pacific Palisades city center, checking on a list of addresses from a neighborhood group chat. Near the end of the list was their own home, which they found collapsed in a pile of rubble.
With gloved hands, Ben Treger shoveled through the debris, hunting for the box where he’d stashed a collection of family watches. The couple had evacuated in a hurry, taking their two small children – 6 months and 21 months old – to Santa Monica, where Ben’s parents live.
The small family doesn’t know where they will go next. Sarah Treger said she has been trying to find a nearby Airbnb, but they’re being booked so quickly the website’s calendars cannot keep up. “We’ve been crying for days,” she said, watching her husband dig.
From the pile of dust, the corner of a watch strap protruded. Ben tugged. It was the remains of his grandfather’s watch, six decades old.
“I think it still tells time,” he joked, looking at the hunk of charred metal strap and watch case.
More: Palisades, California, grapples with broken community after fire
– Isaiah Murtaugh, Ventura County Star
Erroneous evacuation alerts are 'top priority,' LA county officials say
Los Angeles County officials said they are working to address the erroneous evacuation alerts that have incited panic and frustration across Los Angeles this week.
Kevin McGowan, the director of the Los Angeles County Office of Emergency Management, on Friday apologized for the mistakenly issued alerts, saying "I can’t express enough how sorry I am for this experience."
He said that "every technical specialist is working to resolve this issue," and urged people not to disable the alert messages on their phone.
McGowan said there are "life and death" consequences if you don't receive a necessary alert.
'Hazardous' air quality levels in LA as wildfires rage
Unhealthy and hazardous air quality levels have been detected in Pasadena as multiple wildfires rage across Southern California.
At Jefferson Park in Pasadena, a quality monitor recorded an index of 526, a "hazardous" Code Maroon, which is the highest of six categories on the U.S. Air Quality Index. The categories range from good to moderate, unhealthy for sensitive groups, unhealthy, very unhealthy and hazardous.
"At this extreme, there's a health warning of emergency conditions," said IQAir. "The entire population is likely to be severely affected."
Other portions of Pasadena and San Marino saw Code Purple air quality levels, which indicates that the air quality is unhealthy for everyone, especially for vulnerable groups of people.
Amid LA wildfires, insurance commissioner seeks to protect coverage
California's insurance commissioner issued a one-year moratorium to prevent homeowners insurance companies from canceling or not renewing policies in areas devastated by the wildfires raging in the Los Angeles area.
Commissioner Ricardo Lara's moratorium is aimed at helping those impacted by the Palisades and Eaton fires in Los Angeles County, according to a state website. The department may issue "a supplemental bulletin" if additional areas are determined to be in need.
“My heart goes out to my fellow Angelenos. Our top priority is protecting Californians during this crisis and helping us recover,” Lara said in a statement. "I am working on all fronts to make sure wildfire victims get the benefits they are entitled to, and they get it as soon as possible.”
Erroneous evacuation alert sent to Beverly Hills residents
Some residents in the city of Beverly Hills received evacuation alerts that were mistakenly issued early Friday morning, the city said in a statement.
The erroneous alert from the Los Angeles County Fire Department was sent to residents around 4 a.m. Friday, said a statement on the official X account for the city of Beverly Hills.
"The County’s Office of Emergency Management has confirmed this was another error," the statement said. "There are no evacuations currently affecting BH."
On Thursday afternoon, residents in Los Angeles County received an evacuation warning that was "mistakenly issued countywide due to a technical error," Janice Hahn, the county supervisor, said in a post on X.
Drone collided with firefighting aircraft over Palisades Fire
A firefighting aircraft was grounded on Thursday after it was struck by a drone while flying over the Palisades Fire, the Federal Aviation Administration said.
Los Angeles Fire Department spokesperson Erik Scott said the incident occurred Thursday afternoon when a Super Scooper plane, Quebec 1, was hit by a civilian drone not assigned to fire operations. "Quebec 1 sustained wing damage and remains grounded and out of service," Scott said in a statement on X. "There were no reported injuries."
Firefighting "Super Scooper" planes refill by descending to the placid waters of bays and lakes and skimming the water’s surface to load their tanks, according to Reuters. They then release the water to douse a blaze and repeat the process until they refuel.
– Thao Nguyen
More: FAA says drone collided with firefighting aircraft flying over Palisades Fire
Police: no probable cause to charge arson suspect
The Los Angeles Police Department said it arrested a possible arson suspect Thursday afternoon near the Kenneth Fire in the Woodland Hills neighborhood but ultimately did not have probable cause for the incident.
Dominic Choi, Los Angeles Police Department assistant chief said at a news conference Friday the man was detained by residents who said he was “attempting to light a fire in the community."
After interviewing the suspect and reviewing evidence, officers determined they did not have probable cause to arrest the man on charges related to any fires. They instead arrested him on a felon probation charge.
Choi said the investigation is ongoing.
President Biden: 'Spare no expense' to fight fires
Biden on Thursday declared the deadly fires in Southern California "a major disaster" and told state and local officials to "spare no expense to fight" as the federal government would cover 100% of the cost of disaster assistance.
Biden announced the immediate availability of funding assistance and urged those affected to visit disasterassistance.gov or call 1-800-621-3362 for help.
During a briefing at the White House, Biden said that California Gov. Gavin Newsom asked for more funds to help battle the deadly wildfires that have scorched thousands of acres.
More: How contained are the wildfires scorching the Los Angeles area?
"Due to the magnitude of the disaster, I was talking with the governor and he requested if I could increase the federal funding that was authorized under this legislation from 75% to 90%," Biden said. "We're increasing it to 100% of all costs to be covered by the federal government for both the fire management assistance grants and what they call disaster declaration."
"I'm announcing the federal government will cover 100% of the costs for 180 days," Biden continued. "It's going to cover debris and hazard material removal, temporary shelter, first responder salaries, and all of the necessary measures to protect life and property."
Palisades Fire evacuees: 'Everybody at this point is just numb'
Some residents of Pacific Palisades returned home briefly Thursday to find much of their houses and possessions in cinders.
Jimmy Dunne, a longtime resident who raised his children in the area, was one of the lucky ones. Dunne walked and hitchhiked back to the neighborhood before grabbing his bicycle from his unburnt home to see the damage.
Many places he’s known for years didn’t make it. Two of his children lost their homes.
"Everybody at this point is just numb," he told the Ventura County Star, part of the USA TODAY Network, as he paused in front of the charred remains of his grocery store, Gelson’s Market. Staff at the store knew Dunne, his family, and his dogs by name.
Police helped ferry some Palisades residents back to their homes to look through the wreckage for 15 minutes before taking them back to safety, some told local TV outlets. Among the items they went back for were essential documents and electronic devices.
Many stood waiting their turn wearing KN95 masks and ski goggles to help with the fumes. Read more here.
– Isaiah Murtaugh, Ventura County Star; Michael Loria, USA TODAY
Map of LA fires
How to help communities impacted by wildfires
As several fast-growing wildfires continued to threaten communities, some organizations are taking donations to help victims of the fires.
? The crowdfunding platform GoFundMe published a page of verified fundraisers to support those affected by the fires.
? The GlobalGiving California Wildfire Relief Fund is taking donations that the organization says will go directly toward supporting wildfire relief and recovery efforts in the state.
? The California Community Foundation's Wildfire Recovery Fund aims to offer relief to marginalized communities hardest hit by the devastating fires.
? The California Fire Foundation provides aid to firefighters battling the blazes, as well as their loved ones and the communities they support.
? Anthony Robledo
Contributing: Claire Thornton, USA TODAY; USA TODAY Network; Reuters
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: LA fires live updates: Inferno still rages; more wind in forecast