California Democratic lawmakers called out Speaker Mike Johnson for floating the idea of conditioning California disaster relief money to raising the debt limit today.
Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove, who represents parts of Los Angeles County, said “it makes me question what kind of Christian Speaker Johnson is.”
Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar and Vice Chair Ted Lieu, who both represent districts in Southern California, also criticized House Republicans for considering attaching disaster aid for California to raising the debt limit.
“We should not be leveraging the pain and suffering of our fellow Americans to try to force through policy changes,” Lieu said. “And when Mother Nature strikes, she doesn’t care about party affiliation.”
As the Los Angeles fires continue to burn, almost 100,000 utility customers are without power in California this afternoon, according to Poweroutage.US.
Southern California Edison had the most customers without power, reporting that 75,500 are blacked out as of 7 a.m. PT today.
A little over 57,000 utility customers were without power in California yesterday morning, and 41,700 were without power in Southern California Edison’s jurisdiction.
Southern California is braced for “extremely critical fire conditions” caused by a new period of Santa Ana winds today through tomorrow across parts of Los Angeles and Ventura counties.
Crews work on destroyed power lines in the Pacific Palisades yesterday.David Crane / MediaNews Group via Getty Images
A Los Angeles County emergency proclamation will be ratified at a board meeting later today, a move which “cuts red tape for the county to provide resources as well as to receive state and federal assistance,” L.A. County 3rd District Supervisor Lindsay P. Horvath said at this morning’s fire briefing.
She also highlighted Gov. Gavin Newsom’s proclamation yesterday expanding the state legislature’s special session to provide $1 billion to augment the FEMA response, help rebuild schools and aid in cleanup and recovery, and $1.5 billion to bolster state preparedness efforts following the firestorm.
A firefighter walks past homes destroyed in the Palisades Fire yesterday.Mario Tama / Getty Images
Today, 88,000 residents are still under evacuation orders and 84,800 residents continue to be under warnings across Los Angeles County, Sheriff Robert Luna said at this morning’s fire briefing, a decrease from previous days.
So far, 21 fire-related deaths have been reported in the county’s jurisdiction, and three deaths were reported under the LAPD’s jurisdiction, for a total death toll of 24.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department has 24 active missing person cases — 18 in the Eaton Fire area and six in the Malibu area. All are adults. Meanwhile, the LAPD has 11 people unaccounted for and two others who “have most likely been found deceased but have yet to be positively identified,” Chief Jim McDonnell said.
Thus far, 3,654 properties in the Altadena area have been grid searched. Teams are also starting to search for remains in the Palisades area, Luna said.
A Cal Fire search and rescue team looks for human remains in the debris of burned houses in Altadena yesterday.Tayfun Coskun / Anadolu via Getty Images
“This operation continues. Not easy work. The good news was that no other remains were found yesterday. Hopefully that doesn’t happen today,” he said.
He urged people to be on guard, saying, “It is still very dangerous for the next 24 hours, so we’re keeping a very close eye.”
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office has arrested 39 people thus far and the Los Angeles Police Department has arrested 14 for various crimes following the breakout of last week’s fire.
Of those arrests by the sheriff’s office, 33 were in the Eaton Fire area and six were in the Palisades, for allegedly breaking curfew, flying drones, burglary, and carrying a loaded gun, Sheriff Robert Luna said at this morning’s fire briefing.
The LAPD’s 14 arrests in its jurisdiction are for alleged failure to obey curfew, DUI, vandalism, possession of ammunition and burglary tools, and burglary.
LAPD police chief Jim McDonnell said there were three noteworthy arrests outside the fire zones this week for arson.
On Sunday night, North Hollywood officers responded to a call of a possible arson suspect who was using a barbecue lighter to light fires. Officers took the suspect in for an outstanding felony warrant for arson and he was booked into Van Nuys Jail.
On Monday two other arrests took place. The first took place at 5700 Van Nuys Boulevard around 4:40 p.m. local time. West Valley officers responded to a radio call for an arson suspect who had ignited a nearby brush. Upon arrival officers found LAFD extinguishing the fire and the suspect was booked for arson at Van Nuys Jail.
The second Monday arrest took place yesterday at San Vicente Boulevard in the West L.A. area when officers responded to a radio call for an arson suspect who ignited a nearby trash can that was extinguished by firefighters. Video from a local business showed footage of the suspect starting the fires. That suspect was booked into jail for arson.
L.A. City Fire Chief Kristin M. Crowley warned residents to heed evacuation orders and be cautious as “life-threatening and destructive and widespread winds are already here.”
The region is under a particularly dangerous situation with red flag warnings issued through tomorrow.
“For this significant wind event we are taking an aggressive, lean forward posture. The LAFD staffed all available resources, strategically placing fire patrols and engines in the unimpacted high fire risk areas in the city.”
She said that she’s visited firefighters and first responders in the field and they’re “standing strong.”
“They hold their heads up high and they will continue to work hard for you. Thank you for your care and concern and I tell you our thoughts and prayers are holistically with everyone affected by these fires,” she said.
She noted the Palisades Fire remains at 17% containment with over 5,000 personnel assigned to incident.
“Firefighters will continue to work tirelessly throughout the day to increase containment lines, prevent further spread and address any flare-ups,” she said.
The Super Scooper water-dropping plane that was damaged last week after a collision with a drone has been repaired and is expected to return to duty in a matter of hours.
Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone told reporters that the plane will be operational as of 11 a.m. local time (2 p.m. ET). It’s a positive update as the plane, loaned out by Canada, has a high capacity for water and can be refilled quickly.
A hole in the wing of a Canadian Super Scooper after it collided with a drone.FBI via UPI / Shutterstock
“The good news is that for the last two days, we’ve had no increase in acreage at the Eaton Fire, and it remains estimated at 14,117 acres,” L.A. County Fire Chief Anthony C. Marrone said in a fire briefing this morning.
It is at 35% containment. He said over 7,000 structures are damaged or destroyed and there are 3,235 firefighting personnel assigned to the incident. Marrone also stressed that the water system in the Eaton Fire is operational, “meaning that we have water and we have pressure.”
Smoke from the Eaton Fire lingers above the mountains of the Angeles National Forest yesterday.Etienne Laurent / AFP – Getty Images
Thus far, 30% of damage inspections have been completed. Affected residents may visit recovery.lacounty.gov to view maps showing damage assessments to their homes.
The Palisades Fire remains at 23,713 acres and is 17% contained, according to updated Cal Fire numbers this morning.
The Eaton Fire is at 14,117 acres and is 35% contained.
The Hurst Fire spans 799 acres and is 97% contained.
The newest addition, the Auto Fire, has burned through 56 acres and is zero percent contained.
A woman watches as crews battle the Auto Fire in Ventura yesterday.Tayfun Coskun / Anadolu via Getty Images
Damian Dovarganes / AP
The mural is by Sergei Statsenko, who uses the pseudonym Steeke for his art.
Damian Dovarganes / AP
Some 13 million people are under a “particularly dangerous situation” red flag warning today, meaning conditions are extremely high-risk for rapid fire spread. The warning is in effect through tomorrow.
This Santa Ana wind event will peak this morning with gusts of 50 to 75 mph possible with relative humidity around 10% to 25%.
Locations at highest risk today include: Ventura, Oxnard, Camarillo, Westlake Village, Simi Valley, San Fernando, Fillmore and Pyramid Lake.
A firefighter monitors the spread of the Auto Fire in Oxnard yesterday.Etienne Laurent / AFP – Getty Images
Winds are forecast to weaken slightly this afternoon, with gusts of 40 to 55 mph, but the relative humidity will plummet 8% to 15%. Tonight into early tomorrow, winds will ramp back up to gusting 45 to 65 mph, with humidity of 10% to 25%.
The winds will lose strength late tomorrow morning into midafternoon. Though the winds are forecast to decrease tomorrow, a critical fire risk will remain in place.
Palisades Charter High School said its campus suffered “catastrophic damage on all sides” in the Palisades Fire that erupted last week.
While many of the facilities are intact, it’s estimated that more than 40% has been either damaged or destroyed. Access to campus has been limited due to damage and potential hazards such as asbestos, black carbon and toxins.
Yesterday, the school asked for assistance from the Los Angeles community “to help secure a temporary campus or shared space, ensuring that our students can maintain a sense of normalcy and stability in their lives.”
The school is seeking temporary classrooms or a campus for lease or donation, access to athlete practice areas in the vicinity and volunteers to help with moving, setup and coordination.
A firetruck drives past the Palisades Charter High School.Caylo Seals / Sipa USA via AP
The Auto Fire ignited overnight in Ventura County in the river bottom off North Ventura Boulevard, fire officials said.
Just after midnight, Ventura County Fire said forward progress was stopped. The cause of the blaze is under investigation and no structures were threatened.
The Auto Fire stretches 56 acres and is zero percent contained as of this morning, according to Cal Fire.
Erin Alexander, a firefighter of Newport Beach Fire Department, called the fires burning in Los Angeles “some like I’ve never seen.”
“We put one fire out and another right down the way starting again. You have these houses that catch fire, that send off embers that catch other houses on fire. And we didn’t have enough water to put the fires out and it was … you know there is only so much you can do,” she told BBC News yesterday.
“Sometimes fast-moving fires even. If a house catches on fire, we can get in there and put it out at some point and then they have something to get home to. But this fire burns so hot and so fast that it burned everything to ground and they have absolutely nothing to go back to,” she added on seeing homes ablaze.
Benjamin Fanjoy / Bloomberg via Getty Images
Reporting from LOS ANGELES
Thousands of students remain displaced without a school to go to in the Los Angeles-area fires.
In the Pacific Palisades, the charred remains of an elementary school that burned down leaves eerie reminders of what once was: a burned-out cubby with children’s lunch boxes still inside, covered in soot.
Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent Alberto Carvalho told NBC News’ Liz Kreutz regarding students going back to school: “They’re going to be back in the classroom the latest Wednesday of this week. They will begin with necessary conversations about what these kids witnessed, and then the reassurances they need to hear that tomorrow is going to be OK.”
The superintendent said generally it takes a few years to build a school but officials will try to expedite that process, and the biggest challenge right now is removing hazardous debris.
While two elementary schools in the Palisades will be shifted to nearby campuses, it’s unclear where Palisades Charter High School, which teaches about 3,000 students, will find a temporary home.
“We’ve always looked forward to being able to go to high school together and then driving me to school every day, and now seeing that that’s gone and our school is gone is so devastating,” Palisades Charter High School freshman Lily Yadegar said.
She and her friends started a fundraising campaign to rebuild parts of campus that were burned.
Teacher Rick Steil, who lost his home in the fire, said he’s heard from many pupils amid the devastation.
“I’ve heard from many of them. I mean, I cry every night, basically reading a text from one of them,” he said. “I’m trying to stay really positive, and I’ve taught my students to be that way in their life.”
With thousands of homes burned in the Palisades and Eaton fires, so many families have lost so much. But with help from a few firefighters, one Altadena family was reunited with one of their most prized possessions. NBC Los Angeles’ Alex Rozier reports.
Reporting from LOS ANGELES
Southern California is braced for “extremely critical fire conditions” caused by a new period of Santa Ana winds today through Wednesday across parts of Los Angeles and Ventura counties, as the battle to contain rampant blazes goes on. NBC News’ Jay Gray reports.
Oregon’s state fire marshal said none of its engines was turned away and that they all passed their safety checks, after some social media posts claimed they had to be turned away from California due to not passing emissions tests.
“TO BE CLEAR: THIS IS FALSE,” it said in a statement on X. “No engine was turned away.”
The state has sent a total of 21 strike teams, 15 of which arrived in Southern California on Thursday and the fire marshal said they began operating Friday morning for their 24-hour shift with “no delay in the process or travel.”
The fire marshal said the equipment had gone through routine safety checks at Sacramento with Cal Fire to “make sure the engines are mechanically sound.”
“The equipment also does not regularly travel hundreds of miles at a time. Firefighter safety is our number one priority,” it added.
Animal rescuers are now responding to the devastating fires in Southern California, helping out animal shelters in the fire zones as they prepare for an influx of animals. KSBW reporter Felix Cortez spoke to two Monterey County agencies getting involved.
Benjamin Fanjoy / Bloomberg via Getty Images
An air tanker drops a large payload of flame retardant on the Eaton Fire in Altadena yesterday. A sign closing a trail at Mandeville Canyon is covered in the bright chemical substance as fire crews continue to battle raging fires across the city.
Valerie Macon / AFP via Getty Images
Vehicles and homes are left coated in retardant as many neighborhoods remain cut off to residents in Mandeville Canyon.
Valerie Macon / AFP via Getty Images
Agustin Paullier / AFP – Getty Images
While many connections have been restored, there are still more than 80,000 energy customers without power following the wildfires of the last week, according to PowerOutage.us.
More than half of these are in Los Angeles County, while 20,000 are in neighboring Ventura County.
The National Weather Service said a rare “Particularly Dangerous Situation” red flag warning for fire will begin in the next several hours, which is issued “only for most extreme events.”
The warning was issued for “extremely rare and dangerous” fire weather conditions that have previously resulted in large and deadly fires, with extremely low humidity and damaging winds expected.
Risks include “extreme fire behavior and very rapid growth,” downed trees and power outages.
Joe Thompson’s desperate post-wildfire scramble to find a new place for his family to live led him Saturday to a five-bedroom home in Santa Monica, California, that had been put on the market the day before for $28,000 a month — more than double the rent posted a year ago. The agent was asking for three months’ rent up front and already had applications from multiple people.
Thompson and his partner turned away, appalled.
“We’re not going to do that,” Thompson, 44, a trader and investor, said later. “We’ll just keep looking.”
The couple and their two young children were displaced last week. Although their house was left standing, they don’t know the extent of the damage or when they will be allowed back. So they have joined thousands searching for housing in a city that had a dire shortage before the disaster.
The stampede has resulted in some homeowners and property managers jacking up prices on short-term rentals, including dozens that appear to violate a California law against increasing prices by more than 10% during a state of emergency, according to a review of Zillow listings and interviews with real estate agents, housing advocates and home-seekers.
Authorities have asked residents to report gouging to the state Attorney General’s Office.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass issued an executive order yesterday to help residents rebuild homes lost in the fires, saying it would clear away the bureaucracy involved.
“This order is the first step in clearing away red tape and bureaucracy to organize around urgency, common sense and compassion,” she said in a statement.
The order includes creating a task force for debris removal, as well as a “one-stop-shop” to issue permits, waive certain review processes and expedite building inspections.
Mario Tama / Getty Images
Yet another period of strong downslope offshore Santa Ana winds is ramping up this morning, the same phenomenon that caused the wildfires that have devastated communities across the Greater Los Angeles area.
The National Weather Service said in an update yesterday that winds could gust anything up to 75 mph today in Los Angeles and Ventura counties, possibly bringing down trees and power lines.
“The greater concern however will be the strength of the winds when combined with very dry relative humidities and dry fuels. This combination will result in extremely critical fire weather conditions, as forecast by the Storm Prediction Center,” the NWS said.
“Not only will these extreme and dangerous conditions make fighting ongoing fires much more difficult, but these will make new ignitions much more likely. New fires that do develop will have the potential to grow and spread rapidly, adding to the danger of the situation.”
Reporting from ALTADENA, California
ALTADENA, Calif. — Dennis “Buzz” Chatman said that, when he bought his house in Altadena in 2020, the original property title in 1950 indicated that the only nonwhite people allowed in the neighborhood were servants.
“So being able to plant my flag there meant a lot,” Chatman, a film and TV producer, said.
Now, he’s grappling with having lost not only his house, but what he says was a haven for Black families to the devastating fires in Los Angeles last week.
Video provided by the Ventura County Fire Department showed firefighters battling a brush fire in Ventura County, California. According to their social media post, they are actively working to stop the fire’s forward spread amid strong winds.
Deadly wildfires continue to ravage the Los Angeles area, as firefighters battle windy conditions to contain the out-of-control blazes.
But what does it mean to “contain” a wildfire?
Containment does not mean that a blaze has been completely extinguished. Rather, it refers to how much of a perimeter has been established around an active fire, preventing it from growing and engulfing more land.
