The 10,396-acre Hughes fire reached 56% containment Friday as first responders made progress controlling multiple blazes burning in Los Angeles County, which is expected to receive rain over the weekend that could be capable of producing floods and mudslides in several burned areas.
Friday, 4:08 p.m. PSTThe National Weather Service issued a flood watch from Sunday 4 p.m. to Monday 4 p.m. for areas in or near burn scars created by the Palisades, Eaton and Hughes fires, as well as the Bridge Fire, which burned and caused scarring in the fall (see what areas are at risk here).
Friday, 10:00 a.m. PSTThe National Weather Service’s red flag warning for most of Los Angeles and Ventura counties expired, meaning firefighters should receive a break from strong winds and gusts that swept through the regions Wednesday and Thursday.
Friday, 9:45 a.m. PSTCal Fire data marked the Palisades Fire at 77% containment, the Eaton Fire at 95% containment and the Hughes Fire at 66% containment.
Friday, 8:43 a.m. PSTPresident Donald Trump, who is scheduled to visit Los Angeles on Friday, suggested abolishing the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which is set to cover 100% of the cost of California’s disaster response to the fires for 180 days, suggesting the federal government would still fund disaster response efforts but states would be responsible for response actions.
Thursday, 11:27 p.m. PSTThe National Weather Service forecasted a low pressure system “likely” to bring much needed rain to Southern California would move through the area Saturday into Sunday, though experts have warned the precipitation could create flash flooding, mudslides and toxic runoff.
Thursday, 8:30 a.m. PSTThe National Weather Service warned Thursday is a particularly dangerous day for fires in Los Angles and Ventura counties, adding most of both counties are at “critical red flag levels” with humidity less than 15% and winds that frequently hit 25 mph or greater.
Thursday, 3:30 a.m. PSTIn an interview with Fox News on Wednesday night, President Donald Trump threatened to withhold federal disaster funds from California as he blamed the state’s fish conservation efforts in its north for water shortages that have hampered the firefighting efforts. Trump told Fox: “I don’t think we should give California anything until they let water flow down.”
Thursday, 3:00 a.m. PSTThe Los Angeles Fire Department said it was able to stop forward progress of the Sepulveda Fire, which covered 40 acres near the Getty Center and Los Angeles’ upscale Bel Air neighborhood.
Thursday, 1:30 a.m. PSTThe wildfires have cost the city of Los Angeles at least $385 million so far, according to a preliminary report released by the city on Wednesday. Around $350 million of that cost is linked to the damage caused by the fire to the city’s infrastructure.
Thursday, 12:30 a.m. PSTA small new fire, called the Sepulveda Fire, was reported in Los Angeles county near the Getty Center and state freeway 405, and according to Cal Fire it covers around 20 acres.
Thursday, 12:00 a.m. PSTAccording to Cal Fire’s latest update the Hughes Fire expanded to cover 10,176 acres with 14% of the blaze contained—but despite it swelling in size, no structural damage or casualties have been linked to the Hughes Fire so far as the blaze mostly covers hills in the northern part of Los Angeles County.
Wednesday, 11:00 p.m. PSTRep. Judy Chu (D-Calif.) called for an investigation into delayed evacuation orders issued for Western Altadena, where 17 people died, at the start of the Eaton Fire on Jan. 7.
Wednesday, 11:00 p.m. PSTAccording to the Los Angeles Times, more than 31,000 people were ordered to evacuate due to the Hughes Fire while evacuation warnings were issued to another 23,000 people.
Wednesday, 5:00 p.m. PSTCal Fire officials announced the Hughes Fire reached over 9,400 acres, noting no buildings or homes were destroyed as of the early evening.
Wednesday, 3:49 p.m. PSTThe Hughes Fire increased to 8,096 acres, spreading northeast and triggering 12 evacuation warnings and 10 evacuation orders for adjacent areas.
Wednesday, 1:17 p.m. PSTThe Hughes Fire spread to 5,054 acres in a largely mountainous area.
Wednesday, 12:25 p.m. PSTThe Hughes Fire grew to 3,407 acres, according to Cal Fire, with evacuation orders extending to the community of Castaic and evacuation warnings stretching to the northernmost parts of Santa Clarita, which had an estimated population of 224,028 in 2023.
Wednesday, 10:53 a.m. PSTThe Hughes Fire began just north of the city of Santa Clarita and quickly spread to about 500 acres, with 0% contained, triggering evacuation orders in Naylor Place and Martins.
Wednesday, 10:30 a.m. PSTCal Fire data marked the Palisades Fire at 68% containment and the Eaton Fire at 91% containment, listing no other active fires in Los Angeles as a red flag warning is in effect for much the region until Friday evening.
Monday, 12:00 p.m. PSTA “particularly dangerous situation” is forecasted to develop in parts of Ventura County, the San Fernando Valley and adjacent areas just north of the regions, with the National Weather Service warning of 50 to 70 mph wind gusts across coasts and valleys, as well as 60 to 100 mph gusts in mountains and foothills from noon Monday to Tuesday morning.
Monday, 9:15 a.m. PSTPresident Donald Trump commented about the fires in Los Angeles during his inauguration speech, focusing on the impact they have had on “some of the wealthiest and most powerful individuals in our country,” with Trump adding, “They don’t have a home any longer. That’s interesting.”
Sunday, 3:10 p.m. PSTTrump will visit California on Friday, he announced at a rally, saying, “we’re going to get some of the best builders in the world, we’ll get it moving back” (Trump has previously criticized state and local officials’ response to the wildfires).
Jan. 16, 12:36 p.m. PSTLos Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman announced another eight people were charged for crimes linked to the wildfires in Los Angeles, bringing the total to 17 as the accused face charges such as looting, arson and impersonation of a firefighter.
Jan. 15, 2:19 p.m. PSTThe National Weather Service said winds peaked for the day and would lower into the evening, noting the end of several red flag warnings at 6 p.m. with the exception of warnings in mountainous regions that remain effective until Thursday at 3 p.m.
Jan. 15, 2:00 a.m. PSTSome 25 people have died, with nine confirmed deaths from the Palisades fire and 16 from the Eaton Fire, the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner said. An earlier toll for the Eaton Fire was at 17, but officials later clarified that a set of remains was non-human.
Jan. 14, 10:30 p.m. PSTCalifornia Gov. Gavin Newsom signed an executive order aimed at cracking down on “predatory land speculators making aggressive and unsolicited cash offers” to victims of the fire to purchase their property. The order makes it illegal to make “unsolicited undervalued offers to purchase property,” in specified areas of Los Angeles County.
Jan. 14, 2:10 p.m. PSTCal Fire says the Auto Fire, which broke out Monday in Ventura County, is 25% contained several hours after fire crews stopped forward progress on the 56-acre blaze.
Jan. 14, 4:00 a.m. PSTThe National Weather Service’s “particularly dangerous situation” red flag warning for parts of Los Angeles and Ventura counties went into effect through Wednesday, and the agency’s LA office noted that while such warnings “do not predict fire starts, they do highlight an extremely dangerous environment that is favorable to very rapid fire growth if a fire does start.”
Jan. 13, 11:45 p.m. PSTThe Auto Fire started late on Monday night and rapidly grew to cover 56 acres (the fire received its name because of the large number of auto dealerships in the impacted area, according to the Los Angeles Times).
Jan. 13, 9:00 p.m. PSTThe Los Angeles Department of Water and Power issued a warning that it may be forced to cut off power supply—with outages potentially lasting as long as 48 hours—in certain areas as a safety measure to prevent wildfires while the Red Flag Warning remained in effect.
Jan. 13, 8:45 p.m. PSTLocal, state, and federal officials announced help for those affected: former President Joe Biden announced wildfire victims are eligible for a $770 one-time payment designated for essential items (here’s who can apply), while Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass issued an executive order aiming to expedite the process of rebuilding homes, and California Gov. Gavin Newsom proposed $2.5 billion in additional funding for disaster response and recovery efforts in Los Angeles that will need to be approved by the legislature.
Jan. 13, 2:00 p.m. PSTHochman announced nine people were charged in connection to looting carried out in the Pacific Palisades and Altadena, in addition to one arson charge for a man who allegedly started a fire in the city of Azusa, which is located about 20 miles east of Altadena.
Jan. 13, 11:12 a.m. PSTThe NWS issued a red flag warning for a large portion of southern California until Wednesday and said much of the San Fernando Valley and Ventura County would be in a “Particularly Dangerous Situation”—an especially severe fire warning—from early Tuesday morning until noon Wednesday. Forecasters are expecting 45 to 70 mph wind gusts and low humidity capable of creating rapid fire growth in the most hard-hit areas: “In other words, this setup is about as bad as it gets,” the agency said.
Jan. 13, 8:10 a.m. PSTLos Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said 23 people have been reported missing as a result of the fires—17 near the Eaton Fire and six near the Palisades Fire—and LAPD Assistant Chief Dominic Choi said six people are also missing and unaccounted-for in the city of Los Angeles, though it’s unclear if there’s overlap with Luna’s count. The death toll remains at 24, including a former child actor from Australia, a surfer from Malibu and a 67-year-old amputee who refused to leave his disabled son behind. Luna also said 34 people have been arrested since the fires began for breaking curfew and other offenses, including three arrests for drone-related incidents.
Jan. 13, 7:00 a.m. PSTFEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell told CNN the agency will cover the full cost of removing wildfire debris for six months—180 days—but warned cleanup from the disaster is going to take longer.
Jan. 13, 1:20 a.m. PSTThe Pasadena Unified School District announced all its schools will remain closed this week as evacuation orders remain in effect, the air quality in the area is “unhealthy” and “damage to school facilities and safety concerns, make it impossible to reopen schools for in-person learning at this time.”
Jan. 13, 1:10 a.m. PSTBass announced firefighters and engines were being “strategically pre-deployed in areas close to the Palisades Fire as well as various fire stations throughout the city,” in response to the National Weather Service’s warnings about strong gusts winds on Tuesday and Wednesday that have raised risk of further flareups early this week.
Jan. 13, 12:40 a.m. PSTThe Hurst Fire, the smallest of the active fires which covers 799 acres, is now 95% contained and has no active evacuation orders or warnings linked to it.
Jan. 12, 9:50 p.m. PSTThe Los Angeles United School District said it will reopen most of its schools and all of its offices on Monday but officials will continue to “monitor conditions” and inform families about any changes by 5.30 a.m. on Monday.
Jan. 12, 2:34 p.m. PSTAuthorities will start drawing up plans for evacuated residents to return to their neighborhoods “first thing Thursday,” after another bout of heavy wind subsides, County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said in a meeting.
Jan. 12, 6:02 a.m. PSTFEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell told CNN, “the winds are potentially getting dangerous and strong again,” adding that the firefighters’ response in the coming days “all depends on the weather.”
Jan. 10, 1:26 p.m. PSTAll evacuation warnings linked to the Archer Fire in Granada Hills are lifted as the blaze lessened in size to about 19 acres, after officials lifted evacuation orders and said the fire was no longer spreading.
Jan. 10, 1:01 p.m. PSTNewsom directed state water and fire officials to conduct an independent investigation into causes of the “lost water supply and water pressure in municipal water systems” during the fires, also requesting reviews of preparation and response procedures taken by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, as well as Los Angeles County Officials.
Jan. 10, 9:30 a.m. PSTBiden, who described Los Angeles as a “war zone,” said the death toll for the fires is still expected to rise, though it’s not clear how significantly: “There are still a lot of people who are unaccounted for. We don’t know where they are,” he said.
Jan. 10, 8:15 a.m. PSTBass said FEMA has pledged to reimburse disaster relief expenses, as the Palisades Fire expanded to more than 20,000 acresand the Eaton Fire increased to nearly 14,000 acres.
Jan. 10, 8 a.m. PSTKevin McGowan, director of Los Angeles County’s Office of Emergency Management, apologized during a press conference for an evacuation alert mistakenly sent to millions of county residents at about 4 a.m. local time, saying the error was “not human driven” while acknowledging “an extreme amount of frustration, fear and anger.”
Jan. 10, 5:20 a.m. PSTSatellite images released by Maxar on Jan. 9 showed the scale of devastation caused by fires so far as Cal Fire’s latest update says the blazes have destroyed more than 10,000 structures, including homes and businesses.
Jan. 10, 4:05 a.m. PSTBiden announced he has approved Newsom’s request for a Major Disaster Declaration, adding that it will allow “folks impacted by the Southern California wildfires to get cash assistance to cover things like groceries and medicine.”
Jan. 10, 2:30 a.m. PSTThe Kenneth Fire grew in size to cover nearly 1,000 acres, according to Cal Fire’s latest update, but firefighters have managed to contain 35% of the blaze.
Jan. 9, 11:30 p.m. PSTThe Los Angeles County Fire Department said a fire fighting plane struck by a civilian drone over the Palisades Fire was the SuperScooper—an amphibious plane which can scoop up water from a river or lake and aerially dump it on a fire—and has been grounded, though it managed to land safely.
Jan. 9, 10:30 p.m. PSTThe death toll from all the fires rose to 10, the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s office announced.
Jan. 9, 10:00 p.m. PSTLos Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said his department has requested support from the California National Guard and is trying to implement a curfew between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. in the areas affected by the Palisades and Eaton fires to prevent looting and other crimes.
Jan. 9, 9:15 p.m. PSTThe Ventura County Fire Department said, “forward progress of the Kenneth fire has been stopped,” and the fire continues to hold at 960 acres with 0% containment.
Jan. 9, 9:00 p.m. PSTThe LAPD told local outlets they received a call informing them that a “suspect was ‘attempting to light a fire’ in the area of the Kenneth Fire,” and while the suspect is now in custody the department added: “We are continuing our investigation and we CANNOT confirm any connection to any fire.”
Jan. 9, 8:35 p.m. PSTLos Angeles Police have arrested a man suspected of arson in the Woodland Hills area, and the department told NewsNation they are now investigating if the Kenneth Fire was intentionally set.
Jan. 9, 5:09 p.m. PSTNewsom approved a request from Los Angeles County to deploy 8,000 National Guard members to the region to help combat fires and prevent looting (the sheriff’s department arrested 20 people for looting as of Jan. 9).
Jan. 9, 4:35 p.m. PSTThe NFL announced the Jan. 13 wild card playoff matchup between the Los Angeles Rams and Minnesota Vikings will be moved from SoFi Stadium in the Los Angeles area to State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, citing concerns for public safety.
Jan. 9, 3:16 p.m. PSTThe Kenneth Fire began in the neighborhood of West Hills and spread to 50 acres, triggering evacuation orders for some residents in the Hidden Hills community.
Jan. 9, 3 p.m. PSTThe death toll from the fires reached six, according to multiple outlets, with the city of Malibu reporting its first death of a resident killed in the Palisades fire.
Jan. 9, 1:55 p.m. PSTBiden said the federal government will pay the full cost of the disaster response for 180 days, covering the costs of things like “debris and hazard removal, temporary shelters, first responders’ salaries and all necessary measures to protect life and property” (the federal funding initially covered 75% of eligible firefighting costs).
Jan. 9, 11:27 a.m. PST Bass said the Sunset fire in the Hollywood Hills was “fully contained” after the fire began Wednesday evening and spread to 43 acres.
Jan. 9, 11:27 a.m. PSTLos Angeles Unified School District announced its schools and offices will remain closed through Friday, adding students will continue to have access to digital academic resources, meal distribution and mental health support services.
Jan. 9, 9:55 a.m. PSTPasadena urged residents in a portion of the city to not use tap water for drinking or cooking “until further notice,” citing the Eaton Fire’s damage to reservoirs and pump stations that potentially impacted water quality in certain areas.
Jan. 9, 4 a.m. PSTThe wildfires severely impacted the air quality in the Los Angeles area with levels of PM 2.5 pollutants—airborne particles less than 2.5 microns in diameter—hitting 165, which is labeled “unhealthy” by the EPA’s AirNow tracker and 11 times above the World Health Organization’s recommended safe limit of 15.
Jan. 9, 3 a.m. PSTAt least 2,000 homes, businesses and other buildings have been destroyed by the fires so far, and more than 130,000 people have been forced to evacuate—some even multiple times as the fires spread to other parts of Los Angeles county.
Jan. 9, 12:30 a.m. PSTThe Los Angeles Fire Department said “the majority of the Evacuation Zone for the Sunset Fire is LIFTED” in an update shortly after midnight as Cal Fire’s tracker showed the size of the blaze in the Hollywood Hills shrinking from its previous size of 60 acres to 43 acres at 12:17 a.m. PST.
Jan. 8, 9 p.m. PSTThe city of Santa Monica instituted a mandatory curfew from sunset to sunrise on Wednesday night “to support law enforcement efforts in these zones, and other measures to facilitate an effective response,” the Palisades Fire.
Jan. 8, 8:11 p.m. PSTAnother fire, called the Sunset Fire, broke out around 6 p.m. PST in the Hollywood Hills which has rapidly grown in recent hours to engulf more than 50 acres or area, prompting mandatory evacuations.
Jan. 8, 7 p.m. PSTBiden canceled the final overseas trip of his presidency on Wednesday—shortly before he was set to travel to Italy and the Vatican—to stay in Washington D.C. and monitor the emergency in California.
Jan. 8, 5:11 p.m. PSTBiden approves a Major Disaster Declaration for California, making federal funding available to those impacted by the fires in Los Angeles County.
Jan. 8, 1:39 p.m. PSTNearly 1 million customers of electricity providers in Los Angeles County were without power, PowerOutage.us reported before it said the outage management system of Southern California Edison—the main electricity provider in the county—went offline.
Jan. 8, 1:25 p.m. PSTThe Palisades Fire in Los Angeles’ Pacific Palisades—an affluent coastal neighborhood—exploded to 15,832 acres, according to Cal Fire, making it the largest fire of the four burning in Los Angeles County as of Wednesday afternoon.
Jan. 8, 11 a.m. PSTThe Eaton Fire in Altadena, a small city directly north of Pasadena, grew to 10,600 acres with 0% containment, according to the Cal Fire.
Jan. 8, 10:45 a.m. PSTBass announced Los Angeles Fire Department air operations resumed after a lengthy suspension of air support began Tuesday due to high winds.
Jan. 8, 7:31 a.m. PSTFEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell said FEMA is “closely monitoring” the wildfires and has authorized additional assistance from the agency to support firefighting efforts.
Jan. 8, 6:15 a.m. PSTThe Woodley Fire began in the Sepulveda Basin neighborhood, expanding to 30 acres before being brought under control, according to The New York Times.
Jan. 7, 10:29 p.m. PSTThe Hurst Fire ignited in the suburban area of Sylmar.
Jan. 7, 5:30 p.m. PST Newsom declared a state of emergency, urging residents to heed evacuation orders and saying, “This is a highly dangerous windstorm creating extreme fire risk, and we’re not out of the woods.”
Jan. 7, 10:30 a.m. PSTThe Palisades Fire started in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood and resulted in about 30,000 people receiving evacuation orders as it initially spread to about 2,000 acres.
The Palisades Fire began Jan. 7 and burned 23,448 acres as of Friday, with about 77% of the fire’s perimeter contained, according to Cal Fire. Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Kristin Crowley said Jan. 9 “it is safe to say that the Palisades Fire is one of the most destructive natural disasters in the history of Los Angeles.”
The second blaze, called the Eaton Fire, began in the evening on Jan. 7 in Eaton Canyon near the San Gabriel Mountains and grew rapidly, covering 14,021 acres with 95% contained as of Friday. The fire triggered a round of mandatory evacuations in the nearby areas of Altadena, Pasadena and Sierra Madre.
The Hughes Fire, which broke out Wednesday north of Santa Clarita, has burned about 10,396 acres and is 56% contained as of Friday. At least 31,000 people in the area were under evacuation orders the day the fire broke out.
The Sepulveda Fire started Thursday and covered about 45 acres, eventually reaching 60% containment as of Friday. The fire broke out near the Bel-Air neighborhood, east of the Palisades Fire.
Red flag warnings for much of Los Angeles County and the neighboring Ventura County expired at 10 a.m. Friday, one day after the NWS forecasted dry conditions and peak wind gusts of 35 to 50 mph over much of the two counties, “with local gusts of 50 to 65 mph in the favored mountains.”
JPMorgan analysts led by Jimmy Bhullar estimated in a note Jan. 9 there could be $50 billion in total damages, including $20 billion in insured losses, though they noted “estimates of potential economic and insured losses are likely to increase.” Those estimates would place the fires as the costliest in U.S. history. Jasper Cooper, vice president-senior credit officer at Moody’s Ratings, said the credit rating business expects “insured losses to run in the billions of dollars given the high value of homes and businesses in the impacted areas,” adding “commercial property losses could be significant.”
A mix of extremely gusty winds, drought conditions and low humidity created conditions conducive for fires to quickly spread. The appearance of weather conditions suggestive of La Niña, a climate phenomenon linked to drier conditions and drought in southern parts of the U.S., likely played a large part in priming southern California for extreme fire conditions. Los Angeles in particular has seen an underwhelming amount of rain in the last eight months alongside a dry winter. The last time the city recorded over a tenth of an inch of rainfall was last May, according to the Los Angeles Times, contributing to drought. The dry conditions paired with historically strong winds gave way to this week’s fires. Wind gusts of up to 99 mph were reported near Altadena and other nearby areas early Wednesday. The National Weather Service forecast wind gusts of 50 to 80 mph in parts of southern California and up to 100 mph gusts in mountains and foothills last week. The conditions are the result of a wind pattern called the Santa Ana winds or “devil winds,” which are often fast-moving, dry and warm winds that originate inland, around Nevada and Utah, and blow toward the coastal regions of Southern California. Cal Fire is still investigating the specific causes for each of the fires blazing in Los Angeles County.
The Los Angeles County medical examiner confirmed 27 people had died as of Friday, including 17 from the Eaton Fire and 10 from the Palisades Fire, though the number could climb. At least 16 others were reported missing to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office, but that number could also climb.
Curtis, who advocated in a “Tonight Show” appearance for people to donate to relief efforts, said she was donating $1 million to start a support fund for the city and people impacted by the fire. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have reportedly made monetary donations to relief efforts, and donated clothing, children’s items and other supplies. Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg, the third-wealthiest person in the world, said he and his wife Priscilla are personally donating to relief efforts, and Jared Isaacman, the billionaire businessman tapped by Trump to serve as the next administrator of NASA, has said he will match the first $1 million donated to his company’s relief campaign. The NFL is donating $5 million to relief efforts.
Most Los Angeles Unified Schools were reopened Jan. 13 after being shut down on Jan. 9 and Jan. 10. Schools in areas most impacted by the fires or accompanying evacuation orders were temporarily moved to alternate sites (list here). Pepperdine University announced its Malibu campus will resume in-person classes on Jan. 21.
An NFL wild card playoff game between the Los Angeles Rams and Minnesota Vikings took place in Arizona instead of SoFi Stadium in the Los Angeles area. The Rams secured 750 spots on 15 buses to take fans from Los Angeles to Phoenix and back. Several other sporting events in the L.A. area were postponed, including an NHL game between the Los Angeles Kings and Calgary Flames, an NBA matchup between the Los Angeles Lakers and Charlotte Hornets and a women’s college basketball game featuring Pepperdine University and the University of Portland.
Los Angeles International Airport, located about 19 miles south of the Pacific Palisades, has not experienced significant flight cancellations, according to FlightAware.
Trump and one of his key advisers, Elon Musk, have been critical of the local government’s response to the fire since they broke out. In a Jan. 9 post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Musk claimed “the immense loss of homes in LA is primarily due to” bad governance leading to a shortage of water and “nonsensical overregulation that prevented creating fire breaks and doing brush clearing.” Trump has also taken aim at Bass and Newsom, saying on Truth Social Jan. 9 “nobody has ever seen such failed numbers before!” (referring to the Palisades Fire’s zero containment at the time) and blamed it on “gross incompetence” by Newsom and Bass.
Residents in these areas are urged to stay alert and be prepared for possible evacuations. It is important to have an emergency plan in place and to monitor weather updates closely.
Remember to stay away from flooded areas, avoid driving through water-covered roads, and follow any evacuation orders issued by officials. Safety is the top priority during these challenging times.
Let’s all stay vigilant and look out for one another as we navigate through this potential natural disaster. Stay safe, everyone.
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