Closing summary
Thanks for joining our live coverage of the Los Angeles wildfires so far today. It’s 7pm here in California and this blog is closing. These are are the top headlines we followed this afternoon and evening:
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There are three wildfires currently raging in Los Angeles county. They include:
The Palisades fire, at 23,713 acres and 14% containment.
The Eaton fire, at 14,117 acres and 33% containment.
The Hurst fire, at 799 acres and 97% containment.
At least 24 people have died, and relatives have begun identifying their loved ones as they return to their homes or are notified by local officials. The fires have destroyed more than 12,000 structures and may be the costliest disaster in US history, according to initial estimates of damage and economic losses exceeding $250bn from AccuWeather.
With fire weather expected to continue in the Los Angeles area through Wednesday, state and city officials have pre-deployed firefighters across LA and surrounding counties.
The LA county sheriff’s department has arrested three people in relation to “two drone usages”, Sheriff Robert Luna said on Monday. The Los Angeles county district attorney has also charged ten people in relation to crimes committed during the wildfires, nine for looting.
Altadena residents have filed three lawsuits against Southern California Edison, alleging that the utility is responsible for the Eaton fire. The lawsuits cite evidence that the fire began under a transmission tower and reference the utility’s role in other wildfires. However, no official cause for the fire has yet been determined.
House speaker Mike Johnson said he believes there should be conditions on disaster aid to California, citing “state and local leaders [who] were derelict in their duties”. Hours after Johnson’s comments, Joe Biden said in a media briefing that Congress “needs to step up” and provide funding. Meanwhile, president-elect Donald Trump told conservative outlet NewsMax that he’s eyeing the damage with the perspective he developed as a real estate developer.
California governor Gavin Newsom has called on the state’s legislature to approve $2.5bn in additional funding to aid “response and initial recovery efforts for Los Angeles”. To do so, the governor expanded the special legislative session he’d called for the state in November, designed to prepare for Donald Trump’s inauguration.
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In efforts to keep the Palisades and Eaton fires from spreading further – or other fires from catching – as high winds return this week, firefighters spent the day getting into position across southern California.
In the Eaton fire burn zone, planes dropped loads of retardant across Altadena to prevent new spread, and firefighters moved into position near the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, according to a Monday afternoon press conference.
On social media, California governor Gavin Newsom shared that the state had deployed more than 300 additional firefighters to join the more than 15,000 already on the ground.
The sun has set in Los Angeles on the seventh day since devastating wildfires broke out in southern California. Here’s a selection of photographs from today capturing the efforts to survey the damage before winds are expected to pick up once again.
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The Grammy awards will proceed as scheduled in Los Angeles on 2 February. In the meantime, the Recording Academy and MusiCares have pledged $1m to “support music professionals impacted by the devastating wildfires in Los Angeles”, according to a press release.
“The entire Grammy family is shocked and deeply saddened by the situation unfolding in Los Angeles,” said Harvey Mason Jr, CEO of the Recording Academy and MusiCares. “The music community is being so severely impacted, but we will come together as an industry to support one another. Our organizations exist to serve music people because music is a powerful force for good in the world, and we hope the broader industry will now rally to this cause.”
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President-elect Donald Trump said he’s eyeing the damage in Los Angeles with the perspective he developed as a real estate developer.
During a telephone interview with the conservative news outlet Newsmax he said: “We’re going to do things with Los Angeles.” He did not elaborate.
Trump also declined to answer a question about whether he would accept an invitation to tour the area.
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Three arrested in relation to 'drone usages'
The LA county sheriff’s department has arrested three people in relation to “two drone usages”, Sheriff Robert Luna said on Monday.
The assistant director of the FBI’s Los Angeles field office, Akil Davis, told CNN that it is seeing about 20 drones flying into restricted airspace – and noted that the fire department is counting even more.
“We continue to stress to the public: stop flying your drones over these fires,” Davis said.
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Firefighters strived on Monday to contain the blazes raging across Los Angeles before red flag warning level winds returned to the region.
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The Los Angeles county medical examiner released updated details of the deaths associated with the Palisades and Eaton fires Monday afternoon. The death toll remains at 24.
In the latest show of aid from the entertainment industry – which has been hard hit by the Los Angeles wildfires – Netflix and Comcast NBCUniversal pledged $10m each to organizations offering aid to victims of the fires.
Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos said its donation will be split among five recipients including World Central Kitchen and the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation.
Comcast chair and CEO Brian L Roberts allocated $2.5m its $10m cash commitment to Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles’ ReBUILD LA initiative. The remainder of the money would go to other charitable foundations helping victims.
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Today so far
Thank you for joining our coverage of the Los Angeles wildfires so far today. Here are the top headlines we’ve tracked this afternoon – nearly a week after deadly wildfires first broke out across southern California.
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There are three wildfires currently raging in Los Angeles county. They include:
The Palisades fire, at 23,713 acres and 14% containment.
The Eaton fire, at 14,117 acres and 33% containment.
The Hurst fire, at 799 acres and 95% containment.
At least 24 people have died, and relatives have begun identifying their loved ones as they return to their homes or are notified by local officials. The fires have destroyed more than 12,000 structures and may be the costliest disaster in US history, according to initial estimates of damage and economic losses exceeding $250bn from AccuWeather.
With fire weather expected to continue in the Los Angeles area through Wednesday, state and city officials have pre-deployed firefighters across LA and surrounding counties.
Altadena residents have filed three lawsuits against Southern California Edison, alleging that the utility is responsible for the Eaton fire. The lawsuits cite evidence that the fire began under a transmission tower and reference the utility’s role in other wildfires. However, no official cause for the fire has yet been determined.
House speaker Mike Johnson said he believes there should be conditions on disaster aid to California, citing “state and local leaders [who] were derelict in their duties”. Hours after Johnson’s comments, Joe Biden said in a media briefing that Congress “needs to step up” and provide funding.
California governor Gavin Newsom has called on the state’s legislature to approve $2.5bn in additional funding to aid “response and initial recovery efforts for Los Angeles”. To do so, the governor expanded the special legislative session he’d called for the state in November, designed to prepare for Donald Trump’s inauguration.
The firefighting plane that was grounded after sustaining damage from a drone has been repaired and will return to firefighting duty Tuesday, pending FAA approval, said LA county fire chief Anthony Marrone.
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Donald Trump is in talks to visit Los Angeles to survey the damage wrought by wildfires over the past week, CNN reports. The visit could occur as early as next week, but no details have been finalized.
The news follows a letter California governor Gavin Newsom sent on Friday inviting Trump to the state. Trump has vocally criticized California’s elected officials for their handling of the wildfires.
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Biden calls on Congress to 'step up' funding
Hours after House speaker Mike Johnson said he believed there should be conditions on disaster aid to California, the president has said Congress “needs to step up” and provide funding.
Holding a briefing with federal officials at the White House on Monday, Biden said the federal government is covering most costs associated with the fires for the next 180 days, but that Congress will need to cover additional costs to rebuild Los Angeles.
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Newsom proposes $2.5bn in aid from state legislature
California governor Gavin Newsom has called on the state’s legislature to approve $2.5bn in additional funding to aid “response and initial recovery efforts for Los Angeles”. To do so, the governor expanded the special legislative session he’d called for the state in November, designed to prepare for president-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration.
The assistance “will support recovery and cleanup, additional wildfire preparedness, and reopening schools shuttered by the fires”, according to a press release.
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Canada will send 60 firefighters to help battle the blazes in southern California, the office of Canada’s emergency preparedness minister told CNN Monday.
The contingent will consist of 40 experienced wildland firefighters from Alberta and a team of wildfire specialists already en route from British Columbia.
The province of Quebec – which had already loaned California two “Super Scoopers” months earlier that began aiding in firefighting efforts last week – announced it would send an additional two planes.
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The non-profit Broadway Cares/Equity Fights Aids has awarded $500,000 in emergency grants to help residents and first responders recover from the Los Angeles wildfires.
“These wildfires have left deep scars, but they’ve also ignited a powerful wave of support from Broadway to the west coast,” said Robert E Wankel, Broadway Cares/Equity Fights Aids board of trustees president and chairman and CEO of The Shubert Organization.
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As wildfires have raged across Hollywood, the film industry has postponed awards shows and premieres, as entertainment companies and unions raise funds for impacted employees and members. Today, the Academy Awards further postponed nominations while the Sundance film festival announced it would go ahead with its Utah event.
Here’s the Guardian’s Benjamin Lee with more:
The ongoing wildfires in California have added a further delay to this year’s Oscar nominations as the industry continues to feel the impact.
With 92,000 residents under evacuation orders and the death toll up to 24, Hollywood has seen a number of events postponed and rescheduled.
This year’s Oscar nominations were scheduled to be announced on 17 January before the wildfires delayed them by two days. This morning, the Academy announced they would now be revealed on 23 January and cancelled February’s nominees luncheon.
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Los Angeles prosecutors charge 10 in wildfire crimes
Ten people have been charged in relation to crimes committed during the Los Angeles wildfires, the district attorney’s office has announced.
Nathan Hochman, the district attorney, said nine of the charges are for looting, while a 10th is for arson “not connected with the origination of the major fires”.
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As fire crews try to get the upper hand on the fires that are burning across parts of Los Angeles, more stories of people who lost their lives in the infernos are emerging. On Sunday, the county coroner told the family of the actor Dalyce Curry, affectionately known as “Mama” that the 95-year-old grandmother’s remains were found in her Altadena home, ABC 7 News reports.
Curry was an actor who appeared in films including The Blues Brothers and The Ten Commandments and, according to her granddaughter Loree Beamer-Wilkinson, was “very active: you would not think she was 95”.
Another granddaughter and Curry’s part-time caretaker Dallyce Kelley said she dropped her grandmother off at home late last Tuesday night. The next morning she awoke to the news that the power in Curry’s home went out. On Friday she was escorted to the charred remains of her grandmother’s home.
“It was total devastation,” Kelley told ABC 7. “Everything was gone except her blue Cadillac.”
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The Duchess of Sussex has pushed back the release of her new Netflix series due to the wildfires that have ravaged the LA area.
With Love, Meghan was set to debut on Wednesday, but the streaming service said Sunday that it supports her request to push the premiere to focus on helping those affected by the fires.
The Duchess was born and raised in Los Angeles and now lives in Montecito, California, with Harry, the Duke of Sussex and their two children.
On Saturday, the royal couple visited Pasadena to hand out food and water to fire victims and thank first responders.
With Love, Meghan is a lifestyle programme featuring the Duchess chatting with celebrity pals and demonstrating tasks like floral arrangements and baking. “I’ve always loved taking something pretty ordinary and elevating it,” Meghan says in the trailer. The show will now drop on 4 March.
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Wildfires could be costliest disaster in US history
Although government agencies have not yet provided preliminary estimates of the damage caused by the Los Angeles wildfires, AccuWeather – a company that provides data on weather and its impact – approximates the damage and economic losses fall somewhere between $250bn and $275bn.
That far exceeds the cost of the damage caused by the Camp fire, California’s most destructive in 2018 ($30bn) or the Maui fires ($5.7bn) in 2023. It’s also greater than the damage caused by Hurricane Helene, which devastated six southern states last fall ($225bn to $250bn).
The fires have killed at least 24 people and wrecked more than 12,000 structures according to initial estimates.
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Karen Bass, the Los Angeles mayor, has directed city officials to distribute hundreds of thousands of N95 face masks to local libraries, recreation centers and senior centers.
“We’re working protect everyone from the impact of poor air quality caused by the fires,” she shared on social media Monday afternoon. “Pick up a mask now and protect yourselves and your loved ones.”
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As officials prepare for the return of high winds in southern California, thousands have already been displaced by the Los Angeles area wildfires. Here are the latest photos coming in from the ground:
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Health insurer Anthem Blue Cross has announced it plans to donate $10m to help communities recover from the Los Angeles wildfires.
The president of Anthem Blue Cross Commercial Plans Beth Andersen said that with nearly 7,000 employees in California the company wanted to support the people affected by the fires. The money will be donated by the insurer’s foundation.
“We want our associates, members, care providers, and communities to know we stand with them,” Andersen said.
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Officials pre-deploy firefighters as LA braces for 'explosive fire growth'
State and city officials are pre-deploying firefighters as fire weather is expected to continue in the Los Angeles area through Wednesday.
Red flag warnings will continue this week, according to the National Weather Service. “In other words, this setup is about as bad as it gets. Stay aware of your surroundings. Be prepared to evacuate. Avoid anything that can spark a fire,” the service posted on social media Monday.
In response, mayor Karen Bass announced that first responders and fire engines “have been pre-deployed in areas close to the Palisades fire and fire stations throughout the city”.
California governor Gavin Newsom added that “hundreds of firefighting assets are currently prepositioned across Southern California” in Los Angeles and other neighboring counties.
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Altadena residents file suit against southern California utility
Altadena residents have filed three lawsuits against Southern California Edison, alleging that the utility is responsible for the Eaton fire. The lawsuits cite evidence that the fire began under a transmission tower and reference the utility’s role in other wildfires. However, no official cause for the fire has yet been determined.
“We believe that the Eaton fire was ignited because of SCE’s failure to de-energize its overhead wires, which traverse Eaton Canyon,” attorney Richard Bridgford, who is representing one of the homeowners, told the Los Angeles Times.
The utility has said it does not believe the transmission tower was responsible for the fire and that the cause of the fire is still under investigation.
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Friends and relatives have identified longtime Topanga resident and avid hang-glider Arthur Simoneau, 69, as a victim of the Palisades fire.
Simoneau, who built his home in the Santa Monica mountains in 1992, was returning home from a ski trip when he learned of the evacuation orders, friend Steve Murillo told the Los Angeles Times. Although he was clear of the blaze, he started driving home to try and save his house.
“Arthur was the kind of guy that once he put his mind to something, you couldn’t really talk him out of stuff,” said Murillo, who spoke to Simoneau as he was en route to the home on Tuesday.
Neighbor Susan Dumond told the LA Times that Simoneau was the unofficial caretaker of their street.
“That’s his nature: to protect the community, protect his house. I would imagine that’s what he did,” said Dumond. “He cared about the community a lot, and would do anything to try to help it.”
Although she evacuated during the fire, she returned later to retrieve medical equipment – which is where she saw sherrif’s officials inspecting Simoneau’s house.
On a GoFundMe page, Simoneau’s son wrote that he always knew his hang-gliding and motorcycling father “wouldn’t die of old age or illness.”
“It was always in the back of our heads that he would die in spectacular Arthur fashion,” he wrote. “Unfortunately, he died in the Palisades fire protecting his house [and] doing what he did best: being a badass and doing something only he was brave enough (or crazy enough) to do.”
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Mike Johnson says California aid should come with conditions
House speaker Mike Johnson believes there should be conditions on disaster aid to California, citing “state and local leaders [who] were derelict in their duties”.
Johnson, who spoke to CNN on Monday, added: “I think that there should probably be conditions on that aid. That’s my personal view. We’ll see what the consensus is. I haven’t had a chance to socialize that with any of the members over the weekend, because we’ve all been very busy. But it will be part of the discussion for sure.”
Congress, which is responsible for approving federal aid for disaster relief, usually does not add conditions to those packages. But Johnson’s comments, focused on “water resource mismanagement, forest management mistakes and all sorts of problems”, suggest the Republican-led House may approach aid differently for California.
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Beyoncé contributes $2.5m to fire relief fund
Beyoncé has contributed $2.5m to a newly launched LA Fire Relief Fund created by her charitable foundation, BeyGOOD.
“The fund is earmarked to aid families in the Altadena/Pasadena area who lost their homes, and to churches and community centers to address the immediate needs of those affected by the wildfires,” BeyGOOD shared on Instagram.
Last week, Beyoncé’s mother Tina Knowles shared that her Malibu bungalow was destroyed in the Los Angeles-area fires.
“It was my favorite place, my sanctuary, my sacred happy place. Now it is gone,” she wrote on Instagram. “God bless all the brave men and women in our fire department who risked their lives in dangerous conditions.”
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Relatives have identified Evelyn McClendon, 59, as another victim of the Eaton fire. McClendon was working to evacuate her home in Altadena where she lived next door to her brother, Zaire Calvin, and elderly mother.
Calvin told Fox 11 LA reporters that he was focusing on evacuate his wife, one-year-old child and elderly mother when the fire broke out. He thought his sister was evacuating too, but “as we were leaving, I glanced and I remember seeing her car still parked out in front of the house”.
Calvin said the family barely escaped, and when they returned the following day a cousin found McClendon’s remains in the wreckage of her bedroom. He said the family was from the community and had survived previous wildfires before.
“I just want to say rest in peace to Evelyn McClendon,” he said. “You were loved, you were cared about.”
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The firefighting plane that was grounded after sustaining damage from a drone has been repaired and will return to firefighting duty Tuesday, pending FAA approval, said LA county fire chief Anthony Marrone. The Super Scooper – which can “scoop” water from nearby lakes and oceans to dump on fires – was loaned to California by Canada, where it was aiding efforts to extinguish the Palisades fire when it was hit by a drone Thursday.
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The Los Angeles county medical examiner has formally identified two of the victims of the Eaton and Palisades fire as Victor Shaw, 66, and Charles Mortimer, 84. Shaw’s family had previously come forward to identify him after they were alerted to his death in the Eaton fire.
Mortimer, who died in a hospital from a heart attack, smoke inhalation and burns, appears to have been a local realtor who lived in Pacific Palisades.
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In the latest show of international solidarity with California, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said Ukraine is ready to assist those affected by the devastating wildfires, with 150 Ukrainian firefighters ready to go.
In a social media post, Zelenskyy wrote, “The situation there is extremely difficult, and Ukrainians can help Americans save lives.”
The offer by the Ukrainian president comes three days after Donald Trump Jr, son of president-elect Donald Trump, responded to the Los Angeles wildfires by appearing to blame Ukraine . “Oh look of course the LA fire department donated a bunch of their supplies to Ukraine,” Trump Jr said in a post on X on 8 January.
Here’s The Guardian’s Kate Lamb with more:
Here's a summary of what we know about the historic California fires as of now:
There are still 2 active fire incidents: The Palisades fire has burned 23,713 acres, and is 14% contained. The Eaton fire has burned 14,117 acres, and is 33% contained.
The Hurst fire has burned 799 acres and is 95% contained.Officials said the death toll is expected to rise after 24 deaths from all the fires have been confirmed so far. Officials also pleaded with residents to stay away from evacuation zones as emergency responders were searching for human remains among the wreckage.
92,000 people in Los Angles county are under evacuation orders while another 89,000 are under evacuation warnings.
Almost 10,000 firefighting personnel are dedicated to these incidents. Hundreds of firefighters have traveled in from other states and countries to assist in efforts.
Dozens of arrests have been made in the midst of the devastating fires, including of those violating curfews, involved in drone incidents which have disrupted rescue efforts, and looting and burglarizing. Los Angeles city and county officials also warn those creating fake GoFundMe’s, price gouging, and insurance scams.
Many schools in Los Angeles reopened today, including most in the public Los Angeles unified school district. By contrast, the Pasadena unified school district remains closed for the rest of the week.
Corporations, many of which have headquarters and other properties in California – like Disney, Paramount, and Apple – have pledged millions to California fire relief efforts.
The fires wreaking havoc in the Los Angeles area began last Tuesday, and LAFD fire chief Kristin Crowley said today: “We are not in the clear as of yet.”
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Animal advocacy organizations like the American Humane Society are rushing to rescue and care for pets and other animals affected by the devastating wildfires.
The American Humane Society said 80 adoptable animals were transported to shelters in nearby states Washington and Oregon in order to make space in Los Angeles area shelters for animals that have been displaced by the wildfires.
The organization has also created a emergency relief fund for the animals.
Drone footage shows the scale of devastation in southern California when compared with Google Earth images from before the wildfires. Footage from Altadena, Malibu and Pacific Palisades shows buildings razed to the ground along whole streets in Los Angeles county.
Corporations donate millions to California fire relief efforts
Corporations are pledging money to support those affected by the historic California fires.
Disney has pledged $15m for response and rebuilding efforts. “The history of The Walt Disney Company is inextricably linked to the greater Los Angeles region,” The company said in a statement. “And the destruction from the devastating fires affecting thousands in our area is truly heartbreaking.”
Paramount said in an internal memo obtained by Variety it donated $1m and will also offer cash grants and temporary housing to displaced employees.
Walmart committed $2.5m “to support relief efforts, including donations of food, water, essential products and grants.” The company said: “Associates, customers and members in the communities we serve are experiencing the devastating impacts of the wildfires in Southern California. Our thoughts are with those affected, and we are acting quickly to help.”
Apple’s Tim Cook said the tech company will be donating to support the victims and on-the-ground recovery efforts. “The devastation caused by the fires in Los Angeles is heartbreaking,” Cook said. “Thank you to the incredible firefighters, first responders, and all those assisting for your heroic efforts.”
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Sheriff Luna said there is an investigation into all causes of the fires within his jurisdiction, including possible arson or weather conditions.
No cause for any of the recent fires has been confirmed so far.
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Bass initially refused to answer this question from the same news outlet, Sky News, when she was confronted in an airport.
Bass previously told residents last Thursday that cuts to the fire department’s annual budget have not affected the city’s current ability to address the fires.
“I think if you go back and look at the reductions that have been made, there were no reductions that would have impacted the situation we were dealing with over the last couple of days,” she said at the time.
Her comments today now point to disagreements in whether or not the budget was even cut.
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When asked if she owes the people of Los Angeles an apology for cutting the fire budget, Mayor Bass responded: “My focus is on us being prepared as a city for tomorrow.
She added: “We could face another difficult situation for thousands of Angelenos. When we are past this period, there will be an evaluation of everything that went on. And at that point in time, we will see there is not agreement as to whether or not the budget was cut.”
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Karen Bass urges residents to stand together.
“My top priority and the priority of everyone else is to do everything we can to protect lives.”
Bass said firefighting efforts are positioned in strategic locations, in preparation for the hurricane-force winds which could threaten progress.
She also announced that in-person local assistance centers will be operational seven days a week, 9am-8pm, at the UCLA research park. People who have lost critical documents such as birth certificates or social security records can go there for help.
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Officials warn against fake GoFundMe, price-gouging and insurance scams
Officials speak from the podium, warning those creating fake GoFundMe’s, hotels from price gouging beyond the 10% maximum, and insurance scams.
Officials said billions of dollars are expected to flow into Los Angeles over the next months and years as a result of the fires, and they will monitor those trying to exploit this as an opportunity.
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Twenty-four people have perished as a result of the fires, and the death toll is expected to rise. Luna said 21 deaths have been confirmed in Los Angeles county – 16 in the Eaton and five in the Palisades area.
Twenty-three people are reported actively missing, 17 in the Eaton area and six in the Malibu area. All are adults.
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LA sheriff says searchers finding human remains and asks for patience
LA county sheriff Robert Luna noted the importance of repopulation efforts, but spproximately 92,000 people in Los Angles county are under evacuation orders while another 89,000 are under evacuation warnings.
“We have people literally looking for the remains of your neighbors,” Luna said. “Please be patient with us.”
Overnight, several more arrests were made now totalling 34 – 30 in the Eaton area and four in the Palisades areas. Of these:
Two were for curfew violation.
Two were arrested for a drone incident.
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LA fire chief says 'we are not in the clear'
LAFD fire chief Kristin Crowley said: “We are not in the clear as of yet. We must not let our guard down.”
“Our thoughts, our hearts, our prayers, go out to you,” Crowley said. She added: “We will continue to work very, very, very hard for everyone.”
Crowley, who publicly criticized the city on Friday for budget cuts that she said have made it harder for firefighters to do their jobs, now says the Los Angeles city fire department has “maximized our resource capabilities and our response capabilities”.
“Crews up and down the state are mopping up flare-ups and hotspots.”
Some stats from the briefing:
The Eaton fire has burned 14,117 acres, with 33% containment. No acreage was gained, “which is a very good thing.” Some 3,4008 firefighting personnel is dedicated to the incident.
The Palisades fire has burned 23,700 acres, with 14% containment. 5,123 personnel are assigned to this incident.
The Hurst fire has burned 799 acres with 95% containment.
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Los Angeles officials are now holding a press briefing to update the public on the California fires.
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Firefighting efforts are 'exhausting' as many work multiple days straight
Calfire state fire marshal chief Daniel Berlant said the firefighting efforts since the fires broke out last Tuesday have been “exhausting.”
Some firefighters who were working two days straight were woken up to get back to work, Berlant said.
Berlant said relief efforts include bringing in firefighters from neighboring states, as well as activating the national guard and other resources such as Black Hawk helicopters.
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Have you been affected by the California fires? Tell us how this will impact you financially going forward: whether you have to rebuild your lost home or business in the city, are in search of a new home elsewhere, or face any other financial repercussions, we’d like to hear about it.
The Eaton fire, which covers much of PUSD, is still only 33% contained as of 5.59 this morning, according to Cal Fire.
Many evacuation orders and warnings remain in place.
“Our community is strong, resourceful, and resilient,” PUSD superintendent Elizabeth Blanco said. “We will rebuild and honor the beauty and shared history of our schools and neighborhoods while incorporating modern enhancements. We will build a future that reflects the strength and spirit of our community and demonstrates the power of us.”
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By contrast, the nearby Pasadena Unified School District will remain closed until 17 January “after careful assessment and consultation with local emergency management officials”.
In a statement, the district said: “The Eaton fire has brought unimaginable losses to our students, families, and staff. Our hearts are with everyone affected by this tragedy.
“The health and safety of our PUSD community remain our highest priority as we navigate the significant impact of the fire on so many of our students, families, and staff. Nearly half of our employees reside within the evacuation zone. Many of them, like so many of our students and families, have lost their homes.”
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Despite the devastation caused by the ongoing fires, some schools in the region are expected to reopen shortly.
Los Angeles Unified School District – the country’s second largest school district – announced most schools and offices will reopen Monday morning. More than half a million students were out of school as a result of the fires.
Missing school causes concern for a number reasons, but especially because many students rely on it for meals. LAUSD provided two meals per student, per day since the fires broke out.
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Los Angeles county fire chief Anthony Marrone just said in an interview with CBS that he does believe there are enough resources to fight the wildfires in the area, contradicting Los Angeles fire department chief Kristin Crowley, who publicly criticized the city on Friday for budget cuts that she said have made it harder for firefighters to do their jobs.
Marrone said these fires are “unprecedented”.
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Almost 50,000 customers remain without power in California.
As of 8.45 am ET, 49,638 customers in California were experiencing power outages, according to PowerOutage.us.
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The Los Angeles fire department says that trying to manage donations at their fire stations is having an effect on their operations, and is encouraging people to send all donations to donation centers and nonprofits instead.
In a statement, the Los Angeles fire department said:
First and foremost, we want to express our heartfelt gratitude for your generosity and unwavering support. Your donations have made a significant difference in helping us fight these multiple fires affecting our communities.
While the City of Los Angeles and the Los Angeles Fire Department are more than grateful for your support, please do not drop off donations at fire stations or shelters as it impacts the critical operations of these frontline responders.
The department is urging people to instead send items to donation centers and nonprofits.
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The South Coast Air Quality Management District has extended a windblown dust advisory due to strong Santa Ana winds through Tuesday afternoon.
The South Coast Air Quality Management District is the air pollution control agency responsible for Orange county and the urban areas of Los Angeles, Riverside, and San Bernardino counties.
The agency said that high winds could disperse ash from the fires and burned structures, potentially leading to air quality index levels that are “unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse” in most of Los Angeles, Orange, and Riverside counties in the South Coast Air Basin and the Coachella Valley.
The agency also warns that windblown ash from these burned structures may contain elevated levels of air toxins.
“If you see windblown ash, take precautions to reduce exposure” the agency said.
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'Particularly dangerous situation' warning issued for Ventura and LA counties
The National Weather Service has issued a “particularly dangerous situation” red flag warning for Ventura and Los Angeles counties from Tuesday morning until noon on Wednesday.
These warnings have been issued in response to expected damaging gusty winds and low humidity in the area, with gusts predicted to reach between 45mph and 70mph.
The National Weather Service said: “Peak winds for this next event will be weaker than those last week. Nevertheless, winds will be strong enough to potentially cause explosive fire growth.”
A Red Flag Warning indicates that critical fire weather conditions are either occurring now, or will occur shortly.
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Summary
The time is nearly 5am in Los Angeles, 8am in New York and 1pm in London. Here is the latest on the wildfires situation affecting LA.
Firefighters are preparing for a return of dangerous winds that could again stoke the wildfires.
The National Weather Service has issued a rare warning of a “particularly dangerous situation,” beginning overnight Monday into Tuesday. The service’s Ariel Cohen warned of the risk of “explosive fire growth as those winds pick back up”.
At least 24 people have been killed and thousands of homes have been destroyed in the Los Angeles area.
At least 16 people are still missing and rescue crews are using sniffer dogs to search the debris of burned-down buildings. Authorities are expecting the death toll to rise.
Fire crews made some progress tackling the flames this weekend meaning a limited number of people were allowed to return to previously evacuated areas.
The Palisades Fire is 13% contained and has burned through more than 23,000 acres, according to an update from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. The Eaton fire is 27% contained and has burned through over 14,000 acres. The Hurst fire is 89% contained and has burned through 799 acres.
Los Angeles district attorney Nathan Hochman is expected to announce charges against a group of people accused of looting houses and in the Pacific Palisades at a news conference on Monday afternoon.
I’m handing over this blog to my colleague Anna Betts now. Thank you for reading.
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Power companies in Los Angeles are working to prevent potential damage to power lines by clearing dry shrubbery and vegetation from the areas surrounding power poles.
Once cleared, the companies are then dousing power poles with fire retardent similar to that being dropped by firefighting aircraft.
“We are way ahead from the fire,” Connor Norton, a PG&E employee working in North Hollywood told CBS News on Sunday.
Most Los Angeles schools and offices outside those areas still affected by fires will reopen today, the Los Angeles Unified School District has said.
“Conditions have improved for a majority of areas across the Los Angeles region and the district is confident it is safe for students and employees to return to campuses,” it said.
Firefighters from Mexico and Canada are being deployed to California to help the efforts to contain the Los Angeles wildfires.
More than 70 firefighters from Mexico received training on Sunday and have been practising under the guidance of California teams.
“It’s extremely important to have the help from our neighbors,” Curtis Rhodes, Cal Fire public information officer, told NBC. “Not only do we have México down here, we have the Canada firefighters coming in here today.”
Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the Ukraine president, has offered California 150 firefighters in response to a post on X by Donald Trump Jr.
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Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan Hochman is expected to announce charges against a group of people accused of looting houses and in the Pacific Palisades at a news conference on Monday afternoon, US media is reporting.
California governor Gavin Newsom has accused Elon Musk of “encouraging looting” after the billionaire shared posts on his social media platform X that claimed the politician had “decriminalised” it.
The Palisades Fire is 13% contained and has burned through more than 23,000 acres, according to an update from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
The Eaton Fire is 27% contained and has burned through over 14,000 acres.
The Hurst Fire is 89% contained and has burned through 799 acres.
LA's dry season expected to worsen in coming weeks
Weather forecasters are predicting that the dry season in Los Angeles is likely to get worse in the coming weeks and that the drought which intensified last week across southern California will continue to worsen into March.
Meteorologist Eric Holthaus has written for the Guardian and says the rain forecast for the next three weeks in Los Angeles means the city’s record-dry start to its rainy season will keep getting worse.
This year’s rainy season is running at just 2% of normal for Los Angeles, which has only seen 0.16in of rain so far.
Weather models increasingly indicate that southern California will receive no rain at all during the rest of January, and potentially no rain during the first week or two of February as well.
That’s really unusual. January and February are the wettest months of the year for Los Angeles, averaging more than 7in of the city’s 13in of rain in a typical year. Even in the winter of 2006-2007, LA’s driest year in history, the city still received a little more than 3in of rain.
Intensifying drought conditions mean that the current round of extremely out-of-season fire weather will continue with the resurgence of any moderate-to-strong Santa Ana winds.
There are emerging signs in longer-range weather models that the current weather pattern could get sticky – and settle into what’s called a blocking pattern. If a blocking pattern, specifically a “Rex block” sets up, it would continue to shunt Pacific moisture either north into Alaska or further south into Mexico, worsening California’s drought.
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The Getty Museum is “confident” its art collections will be protected after fears winds could fan flames towards it and put world-famous works, including Vincent Van Gogh’s Irises, at risk.
President and chief executive of the J Paul Getty Trust Katherine Fleming told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “We try to be super-responsible stewards of global cultural heritage, and don’t take at all lightly the fact that we’re holding all of these treasures.
“And consequently our facility was built to withstand the various things that this region tends to throw our way, earthquakes and forest fires or brush fires among them. So, yes, we’re certainly not cavalier or cocky, but we are confident.”
Opened in 1997, the Getty Centre hails itself as a “marvel of anti-fire engineering”, with its exterior walls made of travertine and the building reinforced with concrete on the inside, PA Media reports. Fleming said the building also has “very sophisticated air circulation systems” because the main concern is smoke damaging the collection, and sections of the gallery can be isolated if one was to be breached.
Images from the picture agencies have been flooding into wires services across the weekend. Here is a selection:
Los Angeles residents have been speaking to the Guardian’s Kate Mishkin in Brentwood. One, Barbara Fishman, said:
How do you decide what to take after you’ve lived in a house for 28 years and you have all kinds of things that you love and you have to take, you know, suitcases of shit? You just decide, I’ll take this sweatshirt, leave this one. I wear these shoes, I’ll lose those, whatever. I mean, the reality of it doesn’t set in until God forbid, like some of those people, they lost their houses.”
Another, Aaron McNeil, was evacuated with his wife and two kids to a Culver City hotel. On Sunday afternoon, he was allowed to return to his home for more belongings.
We have no idea when they’re going to lift the evacuation. So just since we’re at least allowed in right now … we just grabbed a few more essential stuff. We got our fingers crossed that the winds that are coming tomorrow and through Wednesday, I think, don’t whip it back up to what it was.
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On Sunday, LA city Fire Chief Kristin Crowley urged people to stay away from scorched neighborhoods.
“There are still active fires that are burning within the Palisades area, making it extremely, extremely dangerous for the public,” Crowley said during a Sunday morning briefing. “There’s no power, there’s no water, there’s broken gas lines, and we have unstable structures.”
Officials have warned the ash can contain lead, arsenic, asbestos and other harmful materials.
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After the death toll from the LA wildfires rose to 24 over the weekend, authorities predicted it was likely to rise as sniffer dogs conducted systematic searches in neighborhoods flattened by fire.
Eight deaths have been attributed to the Palisades Fire and 16 to the Eaton Fire, according to the Los Angeles County coroner’s office.
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70 additional water trucks arrive in LA before expected wind event
The Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony C. Marrone has said 70 additional water trucks have arrived to help firefighters fend off flames spread by renewed gusts. “We are prepared for the upcoming wind event,” Marrone said.
Fire retardant dropped by aircraft will act as a barrier along hillsides, officials said.
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Firefighters braced for 'explosive fire growth' amid red flag weather warning and new forecast of strong winds
Firefighters across Los Angeles County are bracing for powerful winds to return that could threaten new areas and block efforts to contain existing blazes.
“There will be the potential — especially late Monday night through Wednesday — for explosive fire growth as those winds pick back up,” said the National Weather Service’s Ariel Cohen. “In the case of an evacuation order being issued, you have to follow that immediately. Seconds could save your life.”
The US National Weather Service has issued red flag warnings for severe fire conditions through Wednesday, with sustained winds of 50 mph (80 kph) and gusts in the mountains reaching 70 mph (113 kph).
The most dangerous day will be Tuesday, warned fire behavior analyst Dennis Burns at a community meeting Sunday night. “It will kind of ebb and flow over the next couple days,” Burns said. “Tomorrow night, it will really ramp up.”
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Death toll in California rises to 24 as firefighters brace for more life-threatening winds
Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the devastating wildfires that continue to rage in southern California, killing at 24 people people and displacing up to 100,000 from their homes.
The fires, which are burning through an area larger than the area of San Francisco have destroyed thousands of homes, and reduced entire neighbourhood to ash.
Here is the latest on what California governor Gavin Newsom says could be the “most devastating natural disaster in US history”.
Firefighters are focusing on two of the worst fires in the county: the Palisades fire, which is 11% contained, and the Eaton Fire, which is 27% contained, according to Cal Fire, California’s department of forestry and fire prevention.
Firefighters have had some success over the weekend, with the Hurst fire now 89% contained having destroyed 799 acres, while a fourth fire, Kenneth, burning just over 1,000 acres before it was brought under control early on Sunday.
However, officials have warned that the Santa Ana winds could return, with Cal Fire, warning of “critical fire weather” through to Wednesday. In a post on BlueSky, CalFire said: “Life-threatening winds and dangerously low humidity are forecast for much of southern California – from Ventura to San Diego – creating a significant risk of rapid fire spread. The winds will cause increased fire activity.”
The death toll has risen to 24, according to the Los Angeles medical examiner, although officials acknowledge it is certain to rise. At least another 16 people are missing, according to Los Angeles county sheriff Robert Luna, who said search and rescue efforts were ongoing.
California governor Gavin Newsom said he will suspend a number of environmental laws to allow rebuilding across southern areas of the state destroyed by the wildfires. He said more than 50 teams of inspectors had been assigned to evaluate the damage, and hoped to complete the work in two weeks.
At least 20 arrests have been made for looting. Among them were two burglars who posed as firefighters when entering houses, according to the police.
Rob Bonta, the attorney general of California, has warned against scammers attempting to prey on victims amid the wildfires. Speaking at a press conference, Bonta said: “[In] emergencies like this, in addition to bringing out the best in so many, [it] also brings out bad actors who seek to use the trauma, the chaos of moments like this for their own gain.”
Schools, except some in mandatory evacuation zones, will reopen on Monday, after closing for all 429,000 students in the Los Angeles unified school district on Thursday and Friday, Superintendent Alberto Carvalho announced. Even still, tens of thousands of people forced from their homes by the enormous fires raking will not be able to return for at least four days, officials said on Sunday.
