Emily Osment revealed on Instagram that her parents and brother lost their homes in the recent LA wildfires.
The “Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage” star’s family homes were lost to the Altadena fire. She called on her fans to lean on their community and keep donating as the city begins to recover.
“It’s been an extremely difficult month,” Osment wrote. “Thank you to everyone that has reached out to my family in the wake of the fires. Devastated for my mother, my father and my brother who lost their homes in the Altadena fire. Community is everything and I know i’m heavily leaning on mine right now-and that’s okay! So much love for my beautiful, aching city. We will rebuild. We are so strong, even stronger than we could ever imagine. Please find some time to donate and show up and be there for those who are struggling right now.
I am devastated to hear the news that Emily Osment’s family homes were burned down in the Altadena wildfire. The actress took to social media to share her heartbreak, expressing her love for her city and the pain of losing her family’s homes.
In her post, Emily wrote, “So much love for my beautiful, aching city. My family’s homes burned down in the Altadena wildfire. We are safe and surrounded by friends and family. Thank you to everyone who has reached out with love and support. This is a devastating loss, but we will rebuild and come back stronger than ever.”
Our hearts go out to Emily and her family during this incredibly difficult time. We send them all our love and strength as they navigate through the aftermath of this tragic event. Let’s all come together to support them and the entire community affected by this devastating wildfire. #AltadenaWildfire #EmilyOsment #SupportAltadena
Michael Gessl’s house survived the Palisades fire that destroyed much of his neighborhood, but something else is making him nervous.
Rain.
There is, at last, precipitation in the forecast for this weekend. And Gessl worries about water seeping through his skylight, which was removed during the firefight. He’s holding it in place, for now, with rocks.
“I don’t want all the contents of my house to get wet and soggy,” said Gessl, 75, who never evacuated and has been hunkered down inside his cold, dark Pacific Palisades house since the fire started on Jan. 7.
He is keeping a close watch on the charred hillside behind his home, hoping old tree roots keep it from sliding when it gets wet.
About 40 miles south, Marianne Hunter dreads the rain because of an another ongoing disaster: the landslides on the Palos Verdes Peninsula.
A section of Dauntless and Exultant Drives is closed due to the ongoing landslide and work to continue to repave the streets and fix the water lines in the Portuguese Bend neighborhood in Palos Verdes on June 21, 2024. According to a resident, two of the homes in the neighborhood have been red tagged.
(Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
Such is the paradox of Los Angeles County this winter: It is dangerously dry. But recent disasters — the Palisades, Eaton and Hughes fires and the peninsula landslides — have made people fear the effects of rain they know they desperately need.
If the rain doesn’t come, the fire danger will increase. If it comes too fast, it could trigger mudslides and toxic runoff in the burn scars, and it could accelerate movement on the Palos Verdes Peninsula.
There, back-to-back wet winters triggered last year’s extreme land movement that warped roads, cracked houses and transformed landscapes. With the lubricated ground shifting, at times, nine to 12 inches a week, utility companies shut off electricity, gas and internet for hundreds of homes.
“L.A. needs the rain, obviously. All of Southern California does. However, rain here in any excessive amount is a problem,” said Hunter, 75, whose house in Rancho Palos Verdes has not had heating since the gas was shut off last summer.
Michael Anderson, the state climatologist for the California Department of Water Resources, calls it a “kind of uneasy dichotomy — we need the rain, but we’d really like it to come in as an overly friendly marine layer.”
Most of Los Angeles County is in a severe drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.
From Oct. 1 through Dec. 31, the county logged 0.19 inches of rain, Anderson said. In a typical year, 4.35 inches falls during that time.
Even if this weekend’s storms, which are predicted to be mild, bring an inch of rain, January would be the fifth driest since record keeping began in 1896, Anderson said.
The current dry spell comes after the back-to-back wet winters of 2023 and 2024. Atmospheric rivers pummeled the Southland with record-breaking rainfall that brought lush vegetation — which dried out and became combustible last summer when intense heat also shattered records.
“You’re really kind of piling extreme on extreme here,” Anderson said.
A small amount of rain is forecast for the region this weekend, most likely between Saturday afternoon and Monday evening, said Mike Wofford, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard.
A half-inch of rain or less is expected across most of the county, but precipitation totals could be up to 1.5 inches in the eastern San Gabriel Mountains.
Because the rain is expected to be light, the risk of debris flow in burned areas is low, Wofford said. But there is a small chance a thunderstorm could emerge directly over a burn scar — a worst-case scenario that could cause problems.
Mayor Karen Bass issued an emergency executive order Tuesday to shore up Los Angeles burn areas and protect watersheds ahead of potential rain.
Mudslides damaged both lanes of Mulholland Drive in February 2024 during a very wet rainy season.
(Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
She directed city crews to clear and remove vegetation, reinforce hillsides and roads and clear debris. The city will install reinforced concrete barriers and sandbags to buttress affected areas and stem the flow of toxins, according to the mayor’s office.
The city also will work to divert stormwater into the sewer system to prevent fire-contaminated runoff from flowing directly into the ocean.
In Pasadena and the neighboring, unincorporated community of Altadena, the Eaton fire burned more than two feet into the hillsides, “so there is no root system left” to hold soil and debris, said Lisa Derderian, a spokeswoman for the city of Pasadena.
“We are concerned for even the lightest rain” in burned foothills areas, Derderian wrote in an email, adding that “it’ll be several years of heightened awareness and preparedness every time we get rain [and] wind.”
Officials will be distributing thousands of pre-filled sandbags in the coming days, she said.
Elizabeth Richey, a 59-year-old landscape designer, has been watching the forecast with growing alarm.
Her rented home in Altadena burned in the Eaton fire. For two weeks, it was off limits, blocked off by local authorities and the National Guard.
When Richey returned for the first time this week, she salvaged a few personal treasures from her blackened garden: Her grandmother’s flower pot. Her mother’s stone Buddha statues. Some vintage, colorful glass fishing balls and wrought-iron furniture.
A fallen street sign and destroyed homes on Marathon Road in Altadena on Jan. 14.
(Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)
“Its beautiful stuff, all charred, but still there,” she said, adding: “The rain brings an urgency to getting the stuff out before its becomes a soupy mess.”
Richey had checked the garden but had not yet scoured the wreckage of the house, because she did not have proper protective gear.
She left early the night of Jan. 7 because she was initially worried about wind, not fire. On her way out, she grabbed one photo of her late mother sitting in a field of poppies — but nothing else.
“I’m still in shock about everything that I’ve lost. Four generations of memorabilia, all my kids memories: gone,” said Richey, who has two adult children.
Richey was desperate to comb through the house — before it gets wet.
On the landslide-plagued Palos Verdes Peninsula, Hunter said she hoped for a gentle weekend rain, not an inundation that would cause the ground to slip farther and her community’s problems to escalate once again.
Her house in the hard-hit Portuguese Bend neighborhood has just minor cracks from land movement, but the last year has been challenging.
She said she and her husband made “a huge investment” for solar power for their house after the electricity was cut off. With no gas, they sporadically use a fireplace to stay warm.
The telephone landline was disabled. And thus, so was her husband’s pacemaker monitor, which was connected to it.
In recent weeks, the land movement in Rancho Palos Verdes has slowed.
Local officials credit the dry winter and several newly installed deep de-watering wells, which have pumped out millions of gallons of groundwater that drives the area’s landslide movement.
But as worried as she is about too much water, Hunter is equally concerned about fire.
“We have a lot of foliage, a lot of trees … a lot of dry brush,” she said. “So, there’s good in every bad. And vice versa.”
As rain clouds loom over the scorched landscapes of Palisades, Altadena, and Rancho Palos Verdes, residents are grappling with a new wave of fear and uncertainty. The recent wildfires have left these communities vulnerable to mudslides and debris flows, adding a new layer of danger to an already devastated region.
In Palisades, where the flames have left a trail of destruction in their wake, residents are bracing for the potential impact of heavy rainfall. The charred trees and barren hillsides offer little protection against the threat of mudslides, prompting many to fear for their safety and the safety of their homes.
Similarly, in Altadena, where the scars of the Bobcat Fire are still visible, residents are anxiously monitoring weather forecasts and preparing for the worst. The steep terrain and lack of vegetation make the area particularly susceptible to mudslides, raising concerns about the potential for further damage and destruction.
And in Rancho Palos Verdes, where landslides are a constant threat, the approaching rainstorm has only heightened fears of a disaster waiting to happen. The unstable cliffs and eroded slopes leave little room for optimism, as residents brace themselves for the possibility of evacuation and loss.
As these communities grapple with the aftermath of wildfires and the looming threat of mudslides, one thing is clear: the dread grows with each passing day. The residents of Palisades, Altadena, and Rancho Palos Verdes are facing an uncertain future, as they wait to see what the rain will bring to their already fragile landscapes.
Meghan Markle is continuing her volunteer efforts in her hometown of Los Angeles amid the ongoing wildfires. After donating essential supplies and serving meals with World Central Kitchen in Pasadena alongside her husband, Prince Harry, last week, the Duchess of Sussex was at it again—this time, supporting teen girls who were affected specifically by the Eaton Fire.
Working with the new relief organization Altadena Teen Girls Fire Recovery Group, Markle arrived to the volunteer site with new clothing and beauty products to donate, as well as lunch for volunteers—according to People. She also chatted with families and assisted the girls with shopping.
Altadena Teen Girls Instagram
Altadena Teen Girls Fire Recovery Group was launched by 14-year-old Avery Colvert to help “young girls regain their sense of self and confidence” in the aftermath of the fires. On Wednesday, the group shared an Instagram reel that showed footage of Markle’s low-key volunteer visit.
Dressed in a black T-shirt, leggings, and sneakers, the duchess wore a beige sweater wrapped around her shoulders and sported a black “LA” baseball cap while carrying two large tote bags filled with supplies. The group also revealed that Meghan and Harry’s Archewell Foundation financially supported their mission, offering them a “special thanks.”
Getty
“We are official! We can now accept donations directly to our organization and make sure that all of these funds get RIGHT to the community where it’s needed! So many of you have set up your own Venmos and stuff to gather money for us and we are so grateful,” the message read, adding: “A special thanks to The Archewell Foundation for your support!”
In addition to doing what she can to help, Markle has postponed the launch of her new Netflix show, With Love, Meghan, to “focus on the needs of those impacted by the wildfires” in her home state of California. The series will now debut in March.
For more information on how you can help those affected by the Los Angeles wildfires, click here.
In a heartwarming gesture of kindness, Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, donated supplies to Altadena teen girls amid the devastating fires in Los Angeles. The former actress and humanitarian showed her support for those affected by the fires by providing much-needed essentials to the local community.
Markle’s donation not only showcases her compassion and generosity but also highlights the importance of coming together to support those in need during times of crisis. Her act of kindness serves as a reminder of the impact that one person can make in the lives of others, especially during challenging times.
The Altadena teen girls who received the supplies from Markle are sure to be grateful for her support and generosity. This gesture is a testament to Markle’s commitment to making a positive difference in the world and helping those who are less fortunate.
As we continue to navigate through these difficult times, let us all take inspiration from Meghan Markle’s act of kindness and find ways to support and uplift those in need in our own communities. Together, we can make a difference and spread love and compassion to those who need it most.
Southern California faces most urgent warning for strong winds, extreme fire danger
A view of the destruction in Pacific Palisades on Saturday, with Santa Monica’s Ocean Towers visible in upper left.
(Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)
The Santa Ana wind forecast for Southern California has worsened, with officials saying the conditions will bring the “risk of large fire growth” beginning Monday.
The National Weather Service office in Oxnard on Sunday issued the most extreme version of its red flag fire weather warning, known as a “particularly dangerous situation” alert.
In the calm before new fire warnings, SoCal emergency responders dig in for a ground war
Wildfire smoke from the Palisades and Eaton fires is seen on Jan. 8 from the Kenneth Hahn State Recreational Area.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
It was a typical sunny Sunday afternoon in Santa Monica, with scores of people enjoying the beach, having brunch and walking their dogs.
But just up Pacific Coast Highway in Pacific Palisades and eastern Malibu, authorities were preparing to wage a ground war on any conflagrations that might rise up as fast and excessively dry winds were expected to whip across the region in the coming days.
For first responders, trauma could linger long after L.A. County wildfires are out
Firefighters stand in formation as they listen to a daily Eaton fire briefing at the Rose Bowl.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
Mike McGrew estimates his family has more than 320 years of cumulative experience in police and firefighting work.
His dad was chief of the Santa Barbara Fire Department. His grandfather was with the L.A. city fire department. He was a police officer for 31 years.
L.A. wildfire coverage shows why local TV news matters in a crisis
Jasmine Viel of KCAL reports on the Palisades fire.
(CBS News)
As the devastating wildfires began to sweep across Los Angeles on Jan. 7, frightened residents were not turning to Netflix.
Local TV news broadcasts were the video go-to for residents seeking immediate information on the crisis that engulfed the region. Anchors and correspondents have spent hours in the field and on the air providing life-saving details about evacuations and damage, along with a generous helping of emotional comfort.
Five major banks offering mortgage relief in fire-ravaged L.A. region areas, Newsom announces
California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass tour the downtown business district of Pacific Palisades on Jan. 8.
(Eric Thayer / Getty Images)
Five major banks are offering homeowners up to three months of mortgage payment relief in areas devastated by the Southern California wildfires, Gov. Gavin Newsom said Saturday.
In a statement, Newsom’s office said the banks will have a streamlined process that will not require submitting forms or documents and when the forbearance period ends, there will not be an immediate repayment or late fees. The 90-day pause on mortgage payments for homes that were destroyed or damaged by the fires will not be reported to credit agencies, Newsom’s office said.
California attorney general says bidding wars aren’t exempt from price-gouging rules
California Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta warned that price-gouging protections apply even in the case of bidding wars.
(Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
California Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta on Saturday warned landlords that price-gouging rules in effect because of the Los Angeles County fires apply even in cases where bidding wars break out over their property.
Under those rules, which kicked in when the governor declared a state of emergency, local landlords generally can’t charge more than 10% above what they were charging or advertising before the crisis.
The Tongva’s land burned in Eaton fire. But leaders say traditional practices mitigated damage
Tongva community leaders say the Indigenous practices implemented on their Altadena property helped lessen damage from the Eaton fire.
(Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)
The descendants of the Los Angeles Basin’s first people had not had land of their own for nearly 200 years.
Two years ago, a 1-acre property in suburban Altadena dotted with oak trees and shrubs became the first parcel of land returned to the Tongva people. They finally had a space to host traditional ceremonies, community gatherings and other events.
Burned and anxious pets fill Pasadena shelter after Eaton fire
Veterinary assistant Stephanie Alfaro, clockwise from left, staff member Maribel Medrano and Dr. Naomi Barney treat Canelo for burns he suffered on his paws from the Eaton fire at the Pasadena Humane Society in Pasadena on Saturday. Canelo’s owner, who had to evacuate the fires, brought him to the Pasadena Humane Society. They have been treating his burns and changing his bandages once a day since the start of the fire.
(Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times)
The kitten’s paw pads were raw and red.
Her whiskers, mostly gone. Her ears, singed. Her eyelids, swollen.
They live in L.A. County’s riskiest areas. Should they rebuild on their burned-out lots?
Eton Canyon during the aftermath of the Eaton fire.
(Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)
They were drawn to the Altadena foothills for the hummingbirds and the bats and the peacocks. It was the view of the canyon, downtown skyscrapers, and Santa Catalina Island, somehow all in one frame.
Everyone on Leilani Way knew the risks of living in the San Gabriel Mountains’ fire-prone foothills. The benefits just outweighed them.
From the ashes of a Pasadena synagogue, a powerful discovery is made
Laurence Harris gets a hug from Amy Whitman Richardson in front of an etched mural at the Pasadena Jewish Temple and Center that was destroyed by the Eaton fire.
(Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times)
Night had fallen on the Pasadena temple.
The community had braced for high winds; Hebrew school had been canceled earlier. But no one had prepared for a fire to erupt and tear their synagogue apart.
The Times investigated why so much of Altadena burned. Here is what we found
Why was so much of Altadena burned? To understand the path of the Eaton Fire, The Times made an extensive review of firefighter radio transmissions and interview residents and firefighters. So findings:
The fire immediately threatened hillside homes around Eaton Canyon. Firefighters got to the scene quickly and saved homes, but winds were by then pushing flames and embers west toward the heart of Altadena.
As the blaze grew, firefighting resources were no match. Aircraft were grounded almost immediately amid intense wind, and fire operations became more about saving lives than protecting structures.
Embers traveled up to two miles to the west, passing over some neighborhoods but hitting central Altadena hard. Within hours, entire blocks were on fire.
12 hours of fire that decimated Altadena: ‘I’m going to lose half of my town’
A cross that once adorned the top of the Altadena Community Church lies amid scorched rubble following the Eaton fire.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
When residents first saw flames on a hillside in Eaton Canyon, the fire itself was not that large.
But with gusts clocked at 59 mph, the fire quickly started pushing a shower of sparks across the canyon.
Firefighters make significant progress on containment of wildfires, as recovery efforts continue
The ruins from a house on Hartzell Street burned by the Palisades fire.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
Firefighters are taking advantage of a lull in the wind to make steady progress against the massive fires that have ravaged Los Angeles since Jan. 7.
Officials are also easing evacuation orders and lifting curfews across the region as residents of burned neighborhoods return to face the damage.
Trump to visit L.A. in first official trip as president, sources say
President-elect Donald Trump speaks to the press after paying their respects in front of the flag-draped casket at the Lying in State Ceremony for former President Jimmy Carter on January 8, 2025.
(TING SHEN / AFP via Getty Images)
President-elect Donald Trump, who is scheduled to be sworn into office on Monday, has announced that his first official trip as the nation’s leader will be to Southern California to tour the devastated areas.
Trump has spent much of the last 10 days hurling abuse at California’s leaders for what he sees as their mismanagement of the crisis sparked when hurricane force winds flames tearing through multiple locations in greater Los Angeles.
“One of the best and most beautiful parts of the United States of America is burning down to the ground,” Trump posted to Truth Social on Jan. 8. “It’s ashes, and Gavin Newscum should resign. This is all his fault!!!”
Trump is expected to arrive late next week, according to a story published by The Hill.
California’s FAIR Plan, the home insurer of last resort, may need a bailout after the L.A. fires
A firefighting plane makes a drop on a burning home in Pacific Palisades on Jan 7.
(Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
The California FAIR Plan Assn., the state’s property insurer of last resort, was born of smoldering ashes — not of a wildfire, but of one of the worst urban disturbances in U.S. history.
The Watts riots in 1965 damaged or destroyed more than 600 buildings, causing insurers to flee and highlighting the need for a new type of carrier to step in.
Southern California in ‘uncharted territory’ as extreme fire weather returns next week
A burned car in fire-ravaged Altadena.
(Ringo Chiu / For The Times)
Another round of extreme fire weather is expected next week with gusts of up to 80 mph in Southern California, bringing new dangers as Pacific Palisades, Altadena and surrounding communities struggle to assess the damage of devastating wildfires earlier this month,
“The bottom line is: we’re in uncharted territories this deep into the winter, or rainy season,” in having barely any rain, said Alex Tardy, a National Weather Service meteorologist in San Diego.
Free camps are offering a safe space for kids as L.A. fires cause child-care upheaval
Volunteer counselors Ann McNamee, top left, and Maddy Cross play Duck-Duck-Goose on Jan. 15 with children who attend Project:Camp at Eagle Rock Recreation Center, a free child-care pop-up for families affected by the fires.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
Squeals of joy can be heard from the playground at Eagle Rock Recreation Center. A group of 30 children is huddled into groups according to their favorite breakfast item.
“I like pancakes better than waffles,” one child announced.
Samaritan scofflaws: they broke the law to stay inside the fire zone, but saved houses and helped neighbors
Stephen Foster walks through a home destroyed by the Palisades fire in the Sunset Mesa neighborhood after delivering dog food and supplies to an elderly man who did not evacuate his home.
The fire refugees arrive with regularity at the checkpoint on Pacific Coast Highway. They come alone or in pairs, lining up behind the clutch of police cruisers and a National Guard Humvee, pleading to get back to homes inside the Palisades wildfire perimeter.
They want medicines and other necessities, sure. But they also want a sense of knowing: What has the great Palisades wildfire done to their homes and to their lives?
Firefighter union rallies behind LAFD chief, denounces unsigned attack on her performance
Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristin Crowley, right, at a Jan. 11 newss conference.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
The union that represents more than 3,000 Los Angeles city firefighters renewed its support for Fire Chief Kristin Crowley on Friday, denouncing an anonymous letter that accused her of mishandling the response to the massively destructive Palisades fire.
United Firefighters of Los Angeles City Local 112 condemned a letter circulated this week — one that claimed to be from “retired and active LAFD chief officers” but contained no names or signatures — saying Crowley had “failed” the residents of Los Angeles and lost the confidence of Mayor Karen Bass.
‘This has been really devastating’: Inside the lives of incarcerated firefighters battling the L.A. wildfires
Incarcerated firefighters from the Fenner Canyon Conservation Camp 41, a medium-security state prison, are helping battle the Eaton fire.
(Pedro Calderon Michel)
Every other day, Joseph McKinney, Joseph Sevilla and Sal Almanza wake up around 4 a.m. and eat breakfast at their base camp at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena before heading up the San Gabriel Mountains to do battle with one of the most destructive fires in Los Angeles County history.
Their firefighting tasks, which are assigned each day by their captains, could include containment work, structure defense or removing dry vegetation to try and stop the spread of the blaze. The men work either 12- or 24-hour shifts and if they work the latter, they get the next day off to recuperate at base camp.
After weeks of battling the devastating wildfires that ravaged the Palisades and Altadena neighborhoods in California, residents are finally being allowed to return to their homes. The fires, which forced thousands of people to evacuate and destroyed numerous homes, have now been contained thanks to the tireless efforts of firefighters and emergency personnel.
While the threat of the fires may have subsided, the impact on the community is still deeply felt. Many residents are returning to find their homes damaged or destroyed, and the road to recovery will be a long and challenging one. However, the outpouring of support and solidarity from neighbors, first responders, and volunteers has been truly inspiring.
As residents begin the process of rebuilding and healing, it is important for the community to come together and support one another. Whether it’s offering a helping hand, donating supplies, or simply lending an ear to listen, every act of kindness can make a difference during this difficult time.
Our thoughts are with the residents of Palisades and Altadena as they navigate this challenging chapter. Together, we will overcome and emerge stronger than ever. #CaliforniaFires #Palisades #Altadena #CommunityStrong
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california fires, palisades neighborhood, altadena neighborhood, residents allowed to return, wildfire update, california wildfire news, evacuation lifted, fire containment, southern california wildfires, safety updates
