Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass was grilled during the Q&A portion of today’s fire briefing on what she will do to ensure devastating widespread fires don’t happen again.
“I am going to spend every moment that I can making sure that I am in as many areas as possible, meeting and talking to residents to see what is needed in the recovery,” she said.
L.A. County Office of Emergency Management Director Kevin McGowan also gave more detail about the erroneous evacuation alert messages that alarmed residents in the middle of the night.
He said the alert works through an interface that is activated with the type of alert — be it evacuation order or warnings — and a geographical area.
“That message package is sent into what is the integrated public and alert warning system aggregator that then transitions, I’ll call it, for lack of better terms, into a cloud that connects with all of our cell service providers,” he said. “The root cause analysis is trying to establish where along that sequence there is an error going on.”
Cellphone towers are another element, as they have different reach in how they’re activating messages to cellphones, he said.
“There’s a term called bleed over, where a cellphone that may be in a different jurisdiction or a different area is receiving that message from a cellular tower that may be geographically in a different space,” he said.
A man comforts his daughter on the charred remains of their family home in Altadena, Calif., on Thursday. Zoe Meyers / AFP – Getty Images
California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara spoke on what insurance looks like for homeowners impacted in the Los Angeles County wildfires, saying, “now is the time for you to focus on your family and your health. The last thing you should be worrying about is your insurance.”
During today’s fire press briefing, Lara called on insurance companies to suspend any pending non-renewals and cancellations issued between Oct. 9 to Jan. 7, essentially 90 days prior to the blazes. He also urged insurers to extend the payment grace period beyond 60 day for policy holders in affected areas.
A resident inspects the remains of her home in Altadena, Calif., on Thursday. Justin Sullivan / Getty Images
Lara also touched on the previously announced one-year moratorium, which will will ensure those who lost homes in wildfires cannot be dropped by their insurance companies for one year.
A resident recovers a safe from their home in Pacific Palisades, Calif., on Thursday. Patrick T. Fallon / AFP – Getty Images
“Your insurance company should do the right thing and retain you as a valued policy holder,” he said.
Airbnb has expanded its offer of free stays to an additional 25,000 evacuees.
“The situation is devastating, and we’ll continue to do everything we can to support the Los Angeles community,” the company said today in a post announcing the news.
The company partnered with 211 LA, a hub for local community members and organizations, earlier this week to provide free emergency housing to an unspecified number of people who have lost their homes or been forced to evacuate.
Airbnb said it is accepting donations toward this initiative, adding that 100% “will go directly toward providing people with free housing.”
As of today, 153,000 people are under evacuation orders due to wildfires raging across Los Angeles County and 57,830 structures are at risk, Sheriff Robert Luna said.
An additional 166,800 residents are under evacuation warnings.
A 6 p.m. curfew order that was established for those in the mandatory evacuation zones will remain.
During today’s briefing, both Luna and Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman warned against looting and violating curfew, noting that anyone caught will be arrested and prosecuted.
A man arrested on suspicion of attempting to light a fire in Woodland Hills yesterday will not be charged after an interview and investigation found there was not enough probable cause to arrest him, Los Angeles PD Assistant Chief Dominic Choi said at a fire briefing this morning.
The man was arrested after officials received a 911 call around 4:32 p.m. that a suspect was “attempting to light a fire in the community of Woodland Hills,” near the Kenneth Fire. He was detained by residents.
The Ventura County Sheriff’s Office also responded, Choi said, but ultimately there was not enough probable cause to warrant an arrest. The person was arrested on a felony probation violation.
The Palisades Fire stands at at 20,438 acres with 8% containment, L.A. Fire Chief Kristin Crowley said this morning.
More than 3,000 personnel “worked hard overnight to strengthen containment lines and address multiple spot fire in the Topanga Canyon area,” according to Crowley.
Red flag warnings continue in Los Angeles County through 6 p.m. today.
“Wind gusts are expected to increase in daylight hours that will test our containment lines,” Crowley said.
The Palisades Fire continues to burn yesterday in Malibu, Calif.Mario Tama / Getty Images
The Eaton Fire in Angeles National Forest now stands at 13,690 acres with 3% containment, L.A. County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said this morning.
He said 4,000 to 5,000 structures may be damaged or destroyed. The blaze pushed toward Mt. Wilson yesterday, but the observatory is “OK” and no buildings have been destroyed there.
The Kenneth Fire, which broke out near Victory Trailhead at the border of Ventura and L.A. counties last evening, has had forward progress stopped. It stands at 1,000 acres with 35% containment and no structures were destroyed.
Aaron Lubeley hugs a family member yesterday while viewing the remains of his home burned in the Eaton fire in Altadena.Josh Edelson / AFP – Getty Images
L.A. County Office of Emergency Management Director Kevin McGowan apologized to the public this morning for the erroneous alerts that have been sent to millions of residents regarding evacuations.
Mistaken messages were issued last night and this morning to people across the county, even to those who don’t live near fires or are under evacuation warnings or orders.
“I can’t express how sorry I am enough for this experience,” he said at a fire briefing this morning. “First want to express this is not human-driven. There is no one sitting at a desk right now initiating emergency alerts.”
He acknowledged there’s “an extreme amount of frustration fear and anger.”
The office is working with the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s integrated public alert and warning team to “resolve this issue and define the root cause.”
He urged everyone to not disable the messages on their phones.
Los Angeles Councilwoman Traci Park, who represents the Pacific Palisades, was out surveying the wildfire damage and described the current situation as “a nightmare that no one can wake up from.”
Ricardo Lara, California’s insurance commissioner, told NBC News yesterday that the wildfire disaster across Los Angeles County “definitely is not going to help our growing insurance crisis.”
A one-year moratorium announced yesterday will ensure those who lost homes in wildfires cannot be dropped by their insurance companies for one year.
“Even if you get a non renewal notice, it has to be within 75 days, you have to give people time to be able to find insurance and make the right adjustments,” Lara said.
“But these victims of these fires are protected for one year, starting since the governor announced the state of emergency. That’s when we kicked in our moratorium,” he said. “The last thing we want is people being scared of being dropped from their insurance after these devastating fires.”
Cesar Plaza becomes emotional yesterday while looking at his home destroyed by the Eaton Fire in Altadena.Nic Coury / AP
Maria Shriver joins the “TODAY” show to talk about experiencing the horrific wildfires in California firsthand and having to evacuate her home. She also shares ways people can help those who have been impacted by the severe fires. “This is a defining moment,” she says.
Los Angeles County said it was aware of “reports of erroneous messages” sent out as emergency alerts to residents this morning — after millions were sent alerts in error yesterday.
“We apologize for the disruption,” the county wrote on X around 6:45 a.m. local time (9:45 a.m. ET). “We are working with FEMA to investigate the issue.”
Earlier, the city of Beverly Hills said that an evacuation alert was sent mistakenly to residents this morning. Multiple people said on social media that they too were jolted awake by the alert around 4 a.m. local time, some living in El Segundo, Silverlake, the Valley, and as far as Santa Clarita and Gardena — all areas not in close proximity to fires. However, no new evacuation orders were issued by city or county officials this morning.
It comes after an evacuation warning alert was sent to nearly 10 million people across the county Thursday afternoon around 4 p.m local time yesterday, including places far from where wildfires are burning. A second alert soon followed telling people to disregard the warning and that it was meant for people near the Kenneth Fire.
The Palisades Fire has burned through more than 19,978 acres and is 6% contained. It had damaged or destroyed more than 5,300 structures, according to the L.A. officials’ pressers last evening. All evacuation orders and warnings for the Palisades Fire remain in effect.
Homes burned in the Palisades Fire.Josh Edelson / AFP – Getty Images
The Eaton Fire has burned through more than 13,690 acres and is zero percent contained, and it is estimated that more than 5000 structures have been destroyed, according to Chief Deputy Jon O’Brien of the L.A County Fire Department.
The Hurst Fire has burned through more than 771 acres and is 37% contained.
The Lidia Fire has burned through more than 394 acres and is 75% contained.
The Kenneth Fire has burned through more than 1,000 acres and is 35% contained. All evacuation orders and warnings issued for the Kenneth Fire have been lifted.
The Sunset Fire is contained with no structures destroyed and all evacuation orders have been lifted, according to L.A. officials.
Almost 180,000 people have been ordered to evacuate as of last evening.
At least 10 people have died in the fires that have swept across Los Angeles County, the medical examiner’s office said last night.
Reporting from LOS ANGELES
As fires rage on in Southern California, stories of neighbors supporting each other through the hardship have emerged.
When Scott Kay saw flames engulf his neighborhood he sprung into action by grabbing hoses and water down homes and was joined by other neighbors.
“I can’t control any of this, but I can turn on a garden hose and I can turn off a gas line. So I can do what I can control,” he told NBC’s Liz Kreutz.
“An number of homes didn’t burn. Scott definitely saved a lot,” his friend told “TODAY.” “I think he is a hero.”
Since the fires, synagogues have opened doors to the displaced and shelters are handing out much needed essentials. In the Beverly Hills, Jeff Gross, owner of Mickey Fine Pharmacy, was helping evacuees with critical medications.
“That’s just what community pharmacy does. We definitely put others before ourselves,” Gross said.
Reporting from LOD ANGELES
As crews try to contain the massive wildfires in Southern California, a new one has popped up, triggering more evacuations. It comes as the death toll continues to climb. NBC’s Tom Llamas reports for “TODAY.”
Kenichi Haskett, one of the section chiefs for the L.A. County Fire Department, said weather remains the No. 1 challenge in tackling fires still raging across the county, and he urged residents to have an exit strategy.
He said more than 3,000 firefighters, from throughout the Western states, are on scene at the Palisades Fire.
“The weather has been challenging firefighters. You can see in the pictures, those hose lays put out about 1,000 gallons per minute, the wind’s spraying the water everywhere,” Haskett explained on “TODAY” this morning. “When you get just light winds, 30, 40 mph winds, it doesn’t help us make effective water drops, and then once we get these dry winds, those hot winds, the water … spray everywhere. So, weather has been our No. 1 challenge.”
He urged locals to heed evacuation warnings and be ready to go — have bags packed, pets in carriers, and cars out of garages in case the power fails.
“You need to have a predetermined exit strategy,” he said.
NBC News’ Angie Lassman discusses the latest weather conditions in Los Angeles as five wildfires continue to scorch the area.
Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara has issued a mandatory one-year moratorium preventing homeowners insurance cancellations and nonrenewals in affected areas of Southern California.
The commissioner’s bulletin would cover those within the “perimeters or adjoining zip codes” of the Palisades and Eaton fires, according to his official website.
“My heart goes out to my fellow Angelenos. Our top priority is protecting Californians during this crisis and helping us recover,” Lara said.
“I am using my moratorium powers to prevent insurance companies from canceling or non-renewing policies in wildfire-impacted areas, so people don’t face the added stress of finding new insurance during this horrific event. 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,” Lara said.
The protections would cover residents one year from Gov. Gavin Newsom’s emergency declaration Jan. 7 regardless if they suffered a loss.
Impacted residents can go to the Department of Insurance website to see if their ZIP code is included in the moratorium.
“The Department may issue a supplemental bulletin if additional ZIP Codes are determined to be within or adjacent to a fire perimeter subject to this declared state of emergency for Los Angeles and Ventura counties,” Lara added.
Lara also announced a free two-day insurance support workshop Jan. 18 and 19 to help residents understand their insurance policies and the claims process, while also providing information about available resources for rebuilding and recovery, according to the commissioner’s website.
The Ventura County Fire Department captured the dramatic moment on camera when one of its helicopters dropped water onto the Kenneth Fire last night.
“Forward progress of the Kenneth fire has been stopped, and the fire is currently holding at 960 acres with 0% containment,” the Ventura County FD said.
Around 400 firefighters were to remain on scene through the night, the fire department added, to provide structure protection and knock down hot spots.
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said in the latest update this morning that the Kenneth Fire has reduced to 960 acres and is 35% contained.
Gusty Santa Ana winds will continue across the Greater Los Angeles area into today, according to a National Weather Service update early this morning.
“The good news is that the winds have been slow to develop. The bad news is that they will develop,” the agency said.
The weather is shaping up to be a typical Santa Ana event, with winds picking up after midnight. The winds are expected to shift east, affecting the Ventura County coast more, the update added.
“Fortunately this wind event will not affect the Eaton fire area much at all, but the western end of the Palisades fire will see some strong winds.”
Gusty winds from the north and northeast are expected to develop Sunday, with stronger winds possible Monday night into Tuesday.
Dry weather is expected to continue through the middle of next week.
William McNamara drove into Los Angeles fire zones to rescue animals.
The actor and producer, who works with a dog and cat rescue operation, said he made sure to stay out of firefighters’ way as he searched for animals that may been left behind.
The firefighters and police officers are the “true heroes here,” he said.
He urged pet owners to leave stickers or signs at their homes so rescuers know they have animals.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom was challenged by a distressed mother during a visit to the Palisades, as she demanded to know what action he was taking to support those impacted by the fierce wildfires.
“I’m literally talking to the president right now,” Newsom replied, pointing to his phone. “I’m doing that to specifically answer the question of what we can do.”
He explained that he had tried five times to make the call, which is why he was walking around to find better cell service.
Newsom said his call with President Joe Biden was aimed at securing “immediate reimbursements, individual assistance, and resources to help rebuild.”
“Will it be different next time?” the woman asked. “It has to be,” he emphasized.
“I’m making the call to address everything I can right now, including making sure people are safe,” Newsom said before heading into a car.
Ethan Swope / AP
Ethan Swope / AP
Fire crews battle the Kenneth Fire in the West Hills section of Los Angeles yesterday.
Reporting from LOS ANGELES
The NFL has moved the Rams’ wild-card playoff game against the Minnesota Vikings to Arizona after days of devastating wildfires in the Los Angeles area.
The game will be played Monday night at State Farm Stadium, the home of the Arizona Cardinals, in suburban Glendale.
The league announced the decision yesterday, a few hours after yet another fire broke out in an area several miles from the Rams’ training complex in the Woodland Hills neighborhood. The Rams canceled the post-practice media availability for their players to allow everyone to get home quickly.
In a brief statement, the league said the decision was made “in the interest of public safety.”
Paris Hilton, the reality TV star and businesswoman, said her “heartbreak is truly indescribable,” as she shared a video of her destroyed Los Angeles home in an Instagram post last night, showing her house reduced to a pile of rubble.
“When I first saw the news, I was in complete shock — I couldn’t process it. But now, standing here and seeing it with my own eyes, it feels like my heart has shattered into a million pieces,” she said.
“This house wasn’t just a place to live — it was where we dreamed, laughed, and created the most beautiful memories as a family.”
“To see it reduced to ashes… it’s devastating beyond words.”
“To everyone who has sent love, prayers, and kindness—you’ve reminded me that even in the ashes, there is still beauty in this world. Thank you from the deepest part of my heart.”
“And to everyone going through this pain, please know you’re not alone. We’re in this together. We will rebuild, we will heal, and we will rise stronger than before,” Hilton added.
A grassroots volunteer effort has been established at a Rose Bowl parking lot in Pasadena to support those affected by the fires. KNBC’s Velena Jones spoke with one of the organizers, Maria Gonzalez, a donation coordinator, who shared how the initiative began,
The initiative started when a man and his father started serving hot dogs to evacuees who had no food, and through social media, it has grown into “a humanitarian zone, where people can come and drop off anything they want to donate or they can come and volunteer to help the community that is impacted by all these fires,” Gonzalez explained.
The area is now stocked with water, canned food, blankets, hygiene products and hot meals for families in need. Many of the volunteers who are distributing the items are also staying overnight to assist those who have been displaced.
“These are times that we all need to come together, and it is beautiful to see our community united,” Gonzalez added.
All evacuation orders and warnings issued for the Kenneth Fire have been lifted, according to an update posted last night on the City of Calabasas’ X account.
For residents who are unable to return to their homes, an evacuation shelter is open at Calvary Community Church, 5495 Via Rocas, Westlake Village, California 91362.
All evacuation orders and warnings for the Palisades Fire remain in effect, according to the post.
SuperScooper Quebec 1, an aircraft specifically used for aerial firefighting, was “struck by a civilian drone not assigned to the Palisades fire” yesterday afternoon, according to a statement from the L.A. County Fire Department on X.
The collision caused wing damage to the aircraft, though no injuries were reported.
The Federal Aviation Administration is now investigating the incident, and the aircraft is “out of service until further investigation and repair,” LAFD spokesman Erik Scott said in the statement.
It’s a federal crime to interfere with firefighting efforts on public lands, punishable by up to 12 months in prison. The FAA can also fine a drone pilot up to $75,000 for interfering with wildfire response.
Restaurant owner Andrew Gruel and his community are coming together to help residents who have been affected by the wildfires in Southern California.
Gruel said people “showed up in droves” to donate clothing, food and other products after he put out a call for help.
“Amidst all this tragedy, the goodness in people has come out,” he said.
The Palisades Fire has burned through more than 19,900 acres, and is 6% contained while the Eaton Fire has grown to 13,600 acres, and is the only fire with zero containment, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said in an early morning update.
The Kenneth Fire has burned through 1,000 acres and is 35% contained, while the Lidia Fire has burned through 390 acres, with 75% containment.
Meanwhile, the Hurst Fire has reduced to 771 acres with 37% containment.
Reporting from LOS ANGELES
Jim Cragg, commander of American Legion Post 283 in the Pacific Palisades, has seen unpleasant things around the world during 30 years in Army special operations.
But he said the devastation left in his neighborhood is startling and will be hard to comprehend.
“I’ve seen what the world has to offer in its worst case,” Cragg told NBC Los Angeles yesterday. “But my neighbors are not ready for this.”
“My family’s not ready for this, my 10-year-old daughter, asking me, ‘Where am I going to go to school, Dad?’” Cragg said. “At first, she thought, ‘Oh, great, the school’s shut down’ — she has no idea. There’s nothing. Every place where she grew up here, is gone.”
His daughter’s school, other schools, other homes are destroyed.
Cragg’s home was saved: A few years ago, after another nearby fire, he bought sprinklers that wave back and forth, and this time placed those on the roof, sprayed his home with fire retardant, and left.
Yesterday, he returned to find his home and the homes of neighbors below him intact. The street above him and up the hill was less fortunate, he said.
“I was just up — and it’s devastating” Cragg said. “All my neighbors across the top, their houses are gone.”
He and another man, a Marine, returned to the area and used buckets to gather pool water and dump them on the roof of his house and his neighbors’ homes.
“Our house, I’m thrilled that our house is standing, we have something to come back to,” Cragg said. “But this is a devastated neighborhood.”
The American Legion Post 283, which has around 700 members, also survived. Cragg said he wants to use the space to help first responders, and also the community members rebuild their neighborhood and lives.
More than 267,000 homes and businesses are without power in California amid the wildfires as of early this morning, according to the online outage tracker PowerOutage.us.
More than 100,000 homes are out in Los Angeles County alone, according to the outage tracking site.
The website also said, however, that it was experiencing a problem collecting data from Southern California Edison, which serves 5 million customers, so the overall totals it displays may not be fully up to date.
NBC Los Angeles’ Alex Vasquez spoke with Army National Guard members at the base in Ontario, California. Vasquez said they will be assisting law enforcement and firefighters in areas impacted by the deadly wildfires around Los Angeles.
Reporting from LOS ANGELES
Johnnie Burman, an evacuee from Santa Monica, at Westwood Recreation Center.Brandon Tauszik for NBC News
Ash trickled down from a gray sky and the smell of smoke lingered in the air today as Angelenos made phone calls to loved ones.
The common refrain: We’re OK. We’re safe. We’re at a shelter.
The evacuees paced outside the grounds of the Westwood Recreation Center in West Los Angeles today. It is one of four makeshift spaces for wildfire evacuees run by the Red Cross in the affected areas.
“The devastation, the destruction, I never thought this would happen,” said Johnnie Burman, 64, an evacuee from Santa Monica who went to the shelter in hope of finding his elderly neighbor and friend.
Mario Tama / Getty Images
Mario Tama / Getty Images
Images reveal the extent of destroyed homes in the Pacific Palisades yesterday as multiple wildfires, fueled by intense Santa Ana winds, continue to burn across Los Angeles County.
For the Los Angeles area, the recent string of wildfires represents a worst-case scenario — unusually powerful and prolonged Santa Ana winds struck after months without significant rain. But the steep consequences of the blazes are not a surprise, according to an NBC News review of after-action reports following previous fires, wildfire risk maps, public meetings about wildfire risk and interviews with fire experts.
“Entirely foreseeable,” said Char Miller, a professor of environmental analysis and history at Pomona College.
“We have been building homes deep into the fire zones. We know they’re fire zones, we know they’re dangerous, and yet City Hall and county government has constantly greenlit development in places of greater and greater risks,” Miller said. “All of the factors you don’t want to see combined combined.”
Reporting from Pacific Palisades
Amid the wide destruction of the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles, there were symbols of hope. One of them was a temple still standing amid the destruction. It’s a place I know well.
