Our live coverage of the Los Angeles wildfires has ended for the day. Follow the latest news or read through the posts below.
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New date set for Menendez brothers’ resentencing due to impact of wildfires, LA district attorney says
From CNN's Emma Tucker
The resentencing hearing for Erik and Lyle Menendez, the two brothers who shot and killed their parents in 1989, has been rescheduled to March due to the impact of the Los Angeles County wildfires, according to the county’s District Attorney, Nathan Hochman.
The court hearing, originally scheduled for January 30 and 31, will now take place on March 20 and 21, Hochman said. “The continuance is due to the impact of recent wildfires on the parties’ extensive preparations for the hearings,” he continued.
Hochman’s predecessor, George Gascón, filed a motion in October asking a judge to consider resentencing the brothers following a review that came after defense attorneys said in 2023 they had new evidence pointing to abuse by their father.
But the brothers’ fate is now uncertain, as Hochman has promised to personally review the case from top to bottom, he told CNN in an interview before he took office in December.
He vowed to revisit thousands of pages of confidential prison files and trial transcripts and to interview prosecutors, defense attorneys and family members.
“Whatever decision I end up taking is one I need to be able to defend in court,” Hochman told CNN in November.
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More evacuation areas opened to residents in Los Angeles wildfires
From CNN's Taylor Romine
Cal Fire Captain Jeff Crile, Engineer Michael Gonzales and Firefighter Trent Houser, help Darryl and Christine Montes look through the debris of their home for anything of value in Pasadena on Thursday.
Hans Gutknecht/MediaNews Group/Los Angeles Daily News/Getty Images
More areas previously under evacuation orders were opened to residents near the Eaton and Palisades fires Friday.
A “significant portion” was opened Friday near the Eaton Fire, and more openings are expected tomorrow, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Captain Jabari Williams said. Authorities continue to open “more areas as they can” as approximately 280 personnel are working in the area on active missions, he added.
Some evacuation orders were also downgraded Friday to allow residents in the Palisades Fire area as well. Los Angeles County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath emphasized the need for residents going back to wear an N95 mask as airborne toxins remain in the area.
“This work is extensive, it is complicated, and it is essential to understand this is not returning to normal,” she said. “Utility infrastructure is damaged throughout the fire impacted region, and time is needed to effectively address all of these issues.”
Officials emphasized a 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew remains in effect for evacuation-ordered areas, so even in places where residents are temporarily allowed in, they are being told to pick up any necessary medications or heirlooms and then leave the area. Evacuation orders will not be lifted until the areas are deemed safe for residents to return.
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80-year-old Palisades Fire victim spent his life working to provide for his family, granddaughter says
From CNN's Taylor Galgano
Mark Shterenberg died in his home during the Palisades fire.
Courtesy Tatiana Bedi
Mark Shterenberg, 80, worked hard to provide for his family before dying during the Palisades Fire last week, according to his granddaughter.
Shterenberg, whose family purchased their Pacific Palisades home in 1993, was one of at least 27 wildfire victims, according to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner.
Six years after emigrating from the Soviet Union to Chicago in 1980 with his wife and daughter, the family moved to Los Angeles.
“When they came here, they didn’t have a dollar to their name and didn’t speak a word of English,” said Tatiana Bedi, 29.
He “worked every single day of his life” and saved money “to build a life for his family,” Bedi told CNN.
On January 7, Bedi called and texted Shterenberg about the fires, knowing he wouldn’t want to evacuate. Shterenberg, who was alone in his home, didn’t respond.
Around 9:30 p.m., Shterenberg texted his wife saying their street was still safe.
Two hours later, Shterenberg texted a friend saying the fire was now on their street.
Bedi filed a missing person report the next day. On January 11, she was notified remains were found in the house – right next to Shterenberg’s glasses.
Shterenberg appeared tough on the outside but was the “biggest teddy bear of a person” on the inside, his granddaughter said. His motto was “study math, keep money in the bank and do three good things every day,” she shared.
CNN’s David Williams contributed to this report.
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California governor issues executive order banning evictions for those hosting wildfire victims
From CNN's Taylor Romine
Landlords in Los Angeles County are temporarily banned from evicting tenants for hosting wildfire victims, California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced in an executive order Friday.
The order, which lasts through March 8, doesn’t prohibit landlords from enforcing other terms of a lease, like those relating to criminal activity or property damage, Newsom’s office said in a news release.
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AP: Homes were burning and roads were already jammed when Pacific Palisades evacuation order came
From CNN's Emma Tucker
The first evacuation order for the neighborhoods closest to where the Palisades Fire first started was not issued until about 40 minutes after some of those homes were already burning, according to an Associated Press analysis published Friday.
The Palisades Fire was spreading rapidly in the area by 11:27 a.m. on January 7, and many people were already evacuating by the time they received the order from officials at 12:07 p.m., when traffic was at a gridlock, according to the AP report.
CNN has reached out to the Los Angeles Fire Department, the LA mayor’s office, and the Los Angeles County Office of Emergency Management for comment.
When asked about AP’s analysis during a Friday afternoon news conference, Los Angeles Fire Department Capt. Branden Silverman said: “I don’t have the specifics on exactly what time the first evacuation order came out, but what I can say is when an incident first breaks, it takes some time for us to get our first resources on scene, evaluate the situation and look at maps, determine which areas need to be evacuated.”
Silverman added the evacuation alerts “do take some time to formulate because we have to be very specific about what we’re saying.”
For context: California temporarily took over Los Angeles County’s alert system last week after issues with the system, including a technical glitch that sent an evacuation alert out county-wide rather than to a specific affected area, CNN has reported. While Los Angeles County blamed technical glitches for the erroneous warnings, a CNN analysis found vague language, incomplete details and burdensome instructions also hindered residents from knowing whether they needed to evacuate.
This post has been updated with additional information.
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LA mayor says plans to rebuild will be announced next week as top priority is getting people home
From CNN's Taylor Romine
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, speaks during a press conference on Friday.
KCAL/KCBS
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said she will start announcing a series of executive directives next week to get on the path towards rebuilding after wildfires devastated communities.
It appears the city is turning a corner in its fight against wildfires, she said. While she is concerned about continued Santa Ana winds next week, she said she is hopeful that conditions won’t be as severe as they were when the devastating wildfires broke out.
In addition to executive orders to help rebuild, Bass said the city will also announce an outside investigation next week into the fires and the city’s response.
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Real estate developer and former police commission president Steve Soboroff will lead wildfire rebuilding effort, LA Mayor says
From CNN's Dalia Faheid
Real estate developer and former police commission president Steve Soboroff will lead the city’s wildfire rebuilding effort, serving as chief recovery officer,Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said Friday.
Bass said Soboroff is the right person for the job because he “knows how to lead the most complex city challenges.”
The mayor added she will issue executive directives to harden areas against fires and ensure resilient construction. The rebuilding directives will include changes in building codes, she said.She also said she plans to “expedite” the safe return of evacuees back to their homes.
While “there is no greater priority” than getting evacuees back to their homes, some areas will take longer than others due to hazardous waste, Bass said.
While Santa Ana winds could pick up again early next week, Bass said she is hopeful it will not be anywhere near the severity seen before.
“We will be moving in with an army of builders,” Bass said.
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8 more people charged with California wildfire-related crimes, Los Angeles district attorney says
From CNN's Emma Tucker
Eight additional people have been charged in connection with crimes committed during the Los Angeles County wildfires in various cities, according to LA District Attorney Nathan Hochman.
The charges are for a range of offenses, including felony arson, felony looting during mandatory evacuations and misdemeanor impersonation of a firefighter across the county, in cities such as Santa Monica, Brentwood and Malibu, Hochman said in a news release Friday.
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Wrongful death lawsuit alleges SoCal Edison's mismanagement of electrical equipment sparked deadly Eaton fire
From CNN's Artemis Moshtaghian
Evelyn McClendon's family filed a wrongful death lawsuit.
Zaire Calvin
One of the first wrongful death lawsuits against electric utility company Southern California Edison has been filed over the Eaton Fire by civil rights attorney Ben Crump. The lawsuit alleges SoCal Edison’s aging electrical equipment and infrastructure failed and sparked a vegetation fire in Eaton Canyon, due to a “disregard of mandated safety practices and foreseeable hazardous risks associated with its infrastructure,” leading to the devastating fires that ripped through Altadena causing the deaths of at least 17 people.
The lawsuit, filed on behalf of fire victim Evelyn McClendon’s family, alleges that SoCal Edison failed to power down its electrical equipment “despite warnings from the National Weather Service 4 days earlier of a ‘Fire Weather Watch’.” Additionally, the power company did not properly inspect and manage its equipment or thevegetation near power lines in the area and did not ensure that “contractors were properly trained in tree inspections and removal.”
Los Angeles County officials say the cause of the Eaton fire is still under investigation.
McClendon was a beloved school bus driver for Pasadena Unified School District whose remains were discovered by family members in the rubble of her home last week.
“It’s not just about my sister, it’s about everyone who’s going to discover that they lost someone because they’re missing or they haven’t seen them,” McClendon’s brother Zaire Calvin said Wednesday. “These are a lot of older people who’ve they’ve already announced that they died, who have been there for generations.”
Another wrongful death lawsuit filed Thursday also alleges Altadena resident Erliene Kelley died due to Southern California Edison’s “ongoing failure to comply with its safety obligations, address its aging infrastructure, and protect the public.”
In a statement to CNN, a Southern California Edison spokesperson said they are reviewing the lawsuits but also noted the cause of the fire continues to be under investigation.
This isn’t the first time SoCal Edison has faced legal trouble over wildfires. The company previously paid millions in settlements for its role in other devastating California fires, including the 2017 Thomas Fire and the 2018 Woolsey Fire.
CNN’s Taylor Romine contributed to this report.
This post has been updated with additional information.
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As LA's deadly wildfires start to settle down, the region is preparing for more fire-fueling winds. Here's what we know
From CNN staff
A California Conservation Corps fire crew gathers during a meeting before beginning their shift at the Rose Bowl Stadium on Friday, in Pasadena, California.
Brandon Bell/Getty Images
Three wildfires are burning in Southern California and the largest infernos — the Palisades and Eaton Fires — have been smoldering parts of Los Angeles County for 10 days straight. But firefighters are making more progress to contain the fires’ borders this week with the help of favorable weather conditions, including calmer winds.
Still, more fire-fueling Santa Ana winds are expected to move through the area early next week, according to the National Weather Service.
More than 170,000 people are still under evacuation notices. Many of those Angelenos are eager to survey the damage in their decimated neighborhoods, but officials say they won’t be able to return to their house for at least another week. Meanwhile, fire experts and arson investigators tell CNN it could take months before they know how the deadly fires started.
Here are the latest developments:
Dozens killed: At least 27 people have died in the fires, according to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner. The complete death toll won’t be clear until it’s safe for investigators to enter neighborhoods, according to authorities.
Winds on the horizon: Southern California could see red flag warnings on Monday and Tuesday as cold temperatures in the Eastern US move dry air and potentially fire-fueling winds to the region, according to the National Weather Service office in Los Angeles.
Minimal fire growth: The Palisades Fire has not grown in five days and remains at 23,713 acres. The Eaton Fire looming over Pasadena has stood at 14,117 acres for nearly a full week. Since reaching its current acreage, the Eaton Fire’s containment shot from only 3% a week ago to its current 65%. The Palisades Fire has improved from 11% containment to 31% this week.
Fire scene analysis: ATF investigators are working to identify how the largest of the Los Angeles wildfires – the Palisades Fire – began and what fueled its spread. A team of fire experts, explosive specialists and chemists are scouring a location in Pacific Palisades where the fire may have started, officials tell CNN. The ATF is using K-9s trained to sniff out the presence of chemical accelerants. Investigators are also interviewing witnesses to the first hours of the fire, including first responders who initially battled the blaze.
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District attorney and insurance commissioner announce initiative to combat insurance fraud
From CNN's Zoe Sottile
Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan Hochman and Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara have announced a new “rapid response effort” to fight insurance fraud in the wake of the Southern California wildfires.
The effort will focus on “raising awareness, prosecuting fraud, and equipping survivors with tools to navigate recovery safely,” according to the release.
Penalties for fraud can include fines and jail or prison time, the release states.
The FBI previously warned about scammers looking to exploit “mass casualty events and disasters” in a public service announcement on Thursday.
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Visualizing the size of the Los Angeles area wildfires
From CNN's Byron Manley, Matt Stiles and Renée Rigdon
But how big would they be where you live? To put the sizes of the wildfires in perspective, CNN plotted the two major active fires on top of other US cities.
For example, the largest of the fires — in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles — would cover large swaths of other cities.
Use this interactive map to view the two largest Los Angeles County fires in other areas of the country.
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ATF analyzing scene where Palisades Fire may have started, officials tell CNN
From CNN's Josh Campbell
ATF team leader Chris Forkner, right, speaks with CNN's Josh Cambell outside a mobile command center.
CNN
Investigators from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, US Forest Service and the Los Angeles Fire Department are scouring a location in Pacific Palisades where last week’s deadly fire may have started, officials tell CNN.
The ATF’s National Response Team is part of a team of “fire investigators, certified explosives specialists, bomb technicians, chemists, forensic electrical engineers, fire protection engineers, intelligence specialists, and investigators that respond within 24 hours to an event nationwide,” to assist local authorities, said Chris Forkner, an ATF team leader, in an exclusive interview with CNN.
The agency is trying to identify how the fire began and what fueled its spread, Forkner said. The ATF is using K-9s specially trained to sniff for the presence of chemical accelerants, which could indicate the fire was a criminal act.
Investigators are also interviewing witnesses to the first hours of the fire, including first responders who initially battled the blaze.
“First witnesses and first-in fire companies are always critical,” Forkner said, noting information gleaned from the interviews could help investigators identify the specific origin of the fire as they work to determine its cause.
Forkner said investigators do feel public pressure to help get the community answers to what caused the fire, but authorities will not rush to a conclusion.
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Bedridden Altadena resident among 27 killed in wildfires, Los Angeles County officials say
From CNN's Sarah Dewberry and Cheri Mossburg
A bedridden Altadena resident who was previously reported missing has been identified as one of the victims of the deadly wildfires in Southern California, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office.
Carolyn Burns
Los Angeles County Sheriff's Office
Carolyn Burns, 56, died on January 10, at her home from smoke inhalation and “thermal injuries,” a report from the medical examiner’s office shows.
Burns was previously reported missing, according to a missing person’s notice from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department released on Thursday.
“Carolyn is bedridden and her family is concerned for her well-being and asking for the public’s help,” the notice said.
At least 27 people have died in the fires, according to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner. Ten of those deaths appear to be related to the Palisades Fire while the other 17 deaths have been attributed to the Eaton Fire, the most recent tally from the medical examiner’s office shows.
The complete death toll won’t be clear until it’s safe for investigators to enter neighborhoods where there are downed power lines, gas leaks and other hazards, according to authorities.
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Largest LA wildfires have not grown in five days
From CNN's Andy Rose
Beachfront homes destroyed in the Palisades Fire are seen on Wednesday.
Mario Tama/Getty Images
The Palisades Fire has left a devastating mark on Los Angeles, but it’s been five days since that mark has grown.
The largest of the LA wildfires remains at 23,713 acres, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Prevention. It was first reported at that size on January 12 at 11:13 am.
The areas other massive wildfire has remained stable even longer. The Eaton Fire looming over Pasadena has stood at 14,117 acres for nearly a full week, after reaching that size January 10 at 7:23 pm.
More favorable weather conditions – including winds that were not as intense as forecast this week – allowed firefighters to wall-in a larger area of the fires’ borders.
Since reaching its current acreage, containment of the Eaton Fire shot from only 3% a week ago to its current 65%. The Palisades Fire has improved from 11% containment to 31% this week.
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MLB superstar Shohei Ohtani is the latest celeb donating money for LA wildfire victims
From CNN’s Yumi Asada and Jill Martin
Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers is seen at bat in June.
Ronald Martinez/Getty Images
Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani is the latest celebrity donating money for disaster relief as wildfires continue to burn in Southern California.
“I would like to thank all the firefighters who continue to fight for us in the fires in LA,” the post reads. “I sincerely hope for a speedy recovery.”
The Los Angeles Dodgers are also working with other pro sports teams to support victims, according to the post.
Meanwhile, a number of celebrities who call the Los Angeles area home are giving back to the fire-ravaged region. Jamie Lee Curtis, Beyoncé, Paris Hilton and Leonardo DiCaprio have donated between $100,000 and$2.5 million each to fire relief and rebuilding efforts.
Taylor Swift donated to fire relief organizations in California without disclosing how much, she announced on social media this week. “If you feel compelled or able to donate, please do,” the singer and songwriter said in an Instagram Story post.
CNN’s Emma Tucker and Dalia Faheid contributed to this report.
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Pam Shriver's tennis grand slam trophies stolen during wildfire evacuation
From CNN's Jill Martin
Pam Shriver looks on during a match at Wimbledon in July 2024 in London.
Clive Brunskill/Getty Images
Tennis Hall of Famer Pam Shriver, one of the greatest doubles players in history, said Thursday that a car she was using to temporarily store “most” of her grand slam trophies was stolen.
Shriver was staying in a hotel in Marina Del Rey after she evacuated her Brentwood home because of the Los Angeles-area wildfires.
“My son & I are at a police station reporting our car was stolen from the hotel parking lot we evacuated to when fires started,” Shriver said in a post on X on Thursday. “This was the car that had most of my major trophies being stored until we could safely move back home.”
Shriver told ESPN, where she is employed as an on-air commentator, that her vehicle went missing from the Marina Del Rey DoubleTree, where her family was staying after evacuating because of the Pacific Palisades fire.
"Are we really united?" California rep asks amid GOP calls for conditions on wildfire relief
From CNN's Amanda Musa and Liam Reilly
CNN
Conditional disaster aid for wildfire victims in Democratic-led California would set a “terrible precedent” for future natural disasters, said US Rep. Laura Friedman, a Democrat whose district includes areas under mandatory evacuations near the Eaton Fire.
Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson on Monday joined the budding chorus of prominent right-wing media personalities calling for conditional relief, telling CNN he, too, thought “there should probably be conditions on that aid.”
“We don’t do this to our neighbors in need,” Friedman told CNN on Friday. “When people in Los Angeles want to bring a donation over to a victim, they’re not asking them what their political party is.”
Conservative lawmakers moving forward with conditional aid based on politics would call into question how united the United States really is, Friedman added.
Some Republicans have called the prospect of conditional relief “unacceptable,” Friedman said.
Republican calls for California wildfire relief to have “strings attached” are by no means a novel idea. When wildfires surged across the state in 2018, then-President Trump reportedly withheld disaster relief funds given the state’s Democratic lean. However, Trump reversed course after he was informed that he had a larger voter base in the impacted county than in some states, a former official said.
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The rest of the US isn't immune to the kind of errant fire alerts that have flustered Angelenos
From CNN's Holly Yan
Myriad problems have plagued Los Angeles County’s alert system as wildfires keep torching America’s most populous county. While officials sort out the debacles, the state has temporarily taken over emergency warnings for the county of 10 million people.
The fiascos — with evacuation notices sent late or to residents not imminently threatened by fire — highlight vulnerabilities not just in Southern California but nationwide.
Still, the mishaps in Los Angeles County illustrate the need for clear, consistent guidance on best practices for emergency alerts, an expert told CNN.
How the Los Angeles Rams became a beacon of light for their fire-ravaged home city
From CNN's Kyle Feldscher
Los Angeles Rams fans show their support for the Los Angeles Fire Department before Monday's NFC Wild Card game between the Rams and the Minnesota Vikings in Glendale, Arizona.
Brooke Sutton/Getty Images
In sports-mad Los Angeles, the Rams are embracing their role as the city’s beacon of light in a dark time as wildfires ravage Southern California.
“All you guys did – you represented exactly what we wanted to be about, men. A city that’s f**king going through a lot of different stuff that can look to you guys and say, ‘I’m proud of that group,’” head coach Sean McVay told the team in the locker room after a stirring win over the Minnesota Vikings on Monday in the wild-card round of the playoffs.
Off the field, it’s hard to imagine a team playing through a more difficult circumstance. Players and coaches, including McVay, have had to evacuate their homes.
One of the fires began only miles from the organization’s practice facility in Woodland Hills, California. In the interest of safety, the NFL moved the team’s game against the Vikings from SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, to State Farm Stadium outside Phoenix.
Before kickoff, LA’s mascot, Rampage, along with the Arizona Cardinals flag crew, ran onto the field with “LA Together” flags. A moment of silent reflection for wildfire victims was held before the National Anthem being played.
It was important for the league to support the city of Los Angeles, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said on Monday.
“One of the things we wanted to do by playing this game tonight is send that message to the people back in Los Angeles that the NFL, this community, every community in this nation and around the world are there to support them, rooting for them and is going to be part of bringing LA back,” Goodell said in an ESPN interview before the contest.
ATF promises to "look under every stone" for the cause of the Palisades Fire
From CNN's Andy Rose
Members of a CalFire crew mop up hotspots from the burn scar of the Palisades Fire near Mulholland Drive in Los Angeles on Wednesday.
David Swanson/Reuters
The search for the cause of the Palisades Fire – the largest of the devastating wildfires burning this month in Southern California – will take time and careful investigation, the director of the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, or ATF, said Friday.
“There’s still an ongoing casualty event,” ATF Director Steven Dettelbach told CNN’s John Berman.
Coincidentally, today is Dettelbach’s last day on the job. His resignation as ATF director takes effect Saturday as part of the transition of government agency leadership to the incoming Trump administration. The president-elect has not yet named a nominee to replace him.
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Isolated landslides are possible on properties affected by wildfires
From CNN's Andy Rose
The wildfires have not only scorched the earth, destroyed property and left behind hazardous debris but also destabilized the land along many slopes in Pacific Palisades.
Residents living on sloped properties should watch closely for instability when they return, Pastrella said.
“If you have slopes behind your homes or if you’re located on top of a slope, these slopes have become fragile,” he said. “The soil that is supporting your home has become fragile and damaged, if you will, due to the events that we’ve had, wind included.”
Some water supply lines damaged beyond immediate repair by the fires have been shut off to prevent more property damage, Pestrella said.
“We wanted to maintain a water pressure in the system and not lose it to properties but also in anticipation that it could grease the wheel of landslides,” he said.
This house survived the Palisades Fire only to be taken out by a massive mudslide:
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California home survives fires only to be ripped in half by mudslide days later
Snapshot of destruction: Photos show what the Los Angeles wildfires have burned
From CNN staff
As firefighters make significant progress in containing the deadly Los Angeles County wildfires, thousands upon thousands of people are still under evacuation notices. Evacuees are anxious to return home, but for many, neighborhoods are devastated.
For some impacted by the Palisades and Eaton Fires, a return home is months away, according to Los Angeles County officials.
These photos show some of the destruction left behind by the fires, the precious possessions lost and the mental toll taken on countless Angelenos.
Los Angeles Department of Water and Power employees stand Thursday outside a house unscathed by the Palisades Fire, then split in half by a landslide in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles.
Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images
The devastation in Malibu caused by the Palisades Fire is seen Thursday.
Jae C. Hong/AP
Christine Montes holds a necklace that survived the Eaton Fire as she inspects the remains of her home Thursday in Pasadena.
Hans Gutknecht/MediaNews Group/Los Angeles Daily News via Getty Images
Robert Weber leans against a pew as he attends a community meeting about the Palisades Fire on Thursday at the Sinai Temple in Los Angeles.
Joel Angel Juarez/Reuters
The remains of homes in Malibu destroyed by the Palisades Fire are seen Thursday.
Jae C. Hong/AP
Firefighters inspect a destroyed house Thursday in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood.
Wildfires can contaminate drinking water systems, analysis finds
Analysis by Andrew J. Whelton, environmental engineer
As evacuation orders are lifted, safe drinking water should be top of mind for residents who can return to their homes.
But many people don’t realize the extent to which their community drinking water systems can be damaged by fire, how their water is affected and what they can do about it.
Water systems are not designed to fight wildfires. When water is depleted, the system is vulnerable to chemical contamination.
UCLA will end its wildfire emergency status Friday evening, and students will be back in classrooms next week, the university announced.
UCLA has not reported any damage from the wildfires, but its main campus in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles is near the Palisades Fire that has burned more than 23,000 acres.
In-person classes will resume Tuesday, UCLA said. Classes already were scheduled to be off Monday in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
“Should conditions shift, we will revisit our plans. We are not letting our guard down,” the university said.
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Altadena residents return to homes in ruins
From CNN's Elizabeth Wolfe
Crystal Dedeaux walks up the driveway of her childhood home for the first time since she and her mother evacuated the fire. She says, "I'm just flabbergasted."
Just four days later, much of the Altadena community resembles a war zone. Armored vehicles and National Guard personnel block the entrances to still-smoldering neighborhoods, some pioneered decades ago by Black residents redlined out of areas nearby. Charred carcasses of cars flank the sidewalks, their rims melted into pools of silver.
Most homes are in ruins, though some – by some apparent miracle – stand unscathed amid miles of devastation.
Some residents have managed to get back, even as others across Southern California’s evacuation zones may not be allowed to return for weeks, or longer. Each fled in a chaotic scramble last week as the winds and embers picked up. They all now wonder if the Altadena they knew can be restored.
Heidi Luest stands in the middle of her property and looks out over the ruins of her workshop and studio, where she had stores of mock-up props for Lady Gaga and Katy Perry. “It feels like we're in a war zone," she says, "and we can't fight it because it's Mother Nature."
David Butow/Redux for CNN
Authorities estimate the Eaton Fire has damaged or destroyed more than 7,000 homes and businesses, along with schools. The Altadena cemetery is also partially scorched.
The Los Angeles wildfires are still burning 10 days later. Here's what to know
From CNN staff
Los Angeles Fire Fighters and Sacramento Fire Fighters Urban Search & Rescue team inspect a burnt house in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood on Thursday.
Apu Gomes/Getty Images
While there are significant signs of progress in containing the Los Angeles blazes, forecasters and officials are warning residents to prepare for another round of dangerous winds early next week.
The fires have killed at least 27 people — authorities recently announced the death of a 69-year-old grandfather who earlier had been reported missing during the Palisades fire in Malibu.
Hazardous conditions: The wildfires have caused debris, ash, and dangerous air and water quality levels. Officials have advised residents to check with their water utility company that their drinking tap water is safe. The fires have also destabilized the land along many slopes in Pacific Palisades, making isolated landslides possible.
Housing needs: California Gov. Gavin Newsom is working to address immediate housing needs for wildfire victims. On Thursday, he suspended rules that would prevent mobile homes, manufactured homes and RVs from being used on private property outside of mobile home parks while rebuilding is taking place.
Warning system errors: Botched emergency warnings going to the cell phones of residentsin Los Angeles County caused confusion early in the wildfire disaster and also exposed weaknesses in the system used across the country.
Price gouging: Price-gouging laws designed to protect tenants in crisis aren’t stopping some Los Angeles landlords. Real estate agents tell CNN they are already seeing prices of rental units climb hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars a month.
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Weather system bringing cold to East could bring more Santa Ana Winds to Southern California next week
From CNN's Robert Shackelford
The weather pattern that will bring the coldest temperatures of the year to the Eastern US will also prevent rainfall and potentially bring another Santa Ana Wind event to Southern California next week.
The National Weather Service in Los Angeles warns of a 60% chance of red flag warnings being issued on Monday and an 80% chance of red flag warnings being issued on Tuesday.
The greatest chance remains that these winds will be between 30-50 mph, and while these gusts are lower than previous events, dry air and the rapidly increasing drought could cause any new fires to quickly spread out of control.
This upcoming weather pattern will prevent rainfall across Southern California, which has seen almost no rainfall since the start of October. Los Angeles has only seen 0.03 inches of rainfall since October 1, a far cry from the more than 5 inches they should receive in that time period.
Los Angeles has also seen no rainfall in January, which is usually the city’s second wettest month after February. The Climate Prediction Center’s February outlook isn’t giving promising news for Southern California, only calling for normal amounts of rainfall for the month. The city needs significant rounds of rainfall to climb out of this rainfall deficit.
With the series of Santa Ana winds further drying out Southern California and a lack of rainfall ongoing for the region, drought across the region has increased significantly. With the latest drought numbers released today, nearly all of Southern California is in severe drought, or a level 2 of 4.
Los Angeles County is now 90% in severe drought when just two weeks ago when last week nearly 60% of the county was in severe drought. Just two weeks ago, no severe drought was reported in the county.
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How to understand the containment numbers you see for each LA fire
From CNN's Eric Levenson
By now, readers following the news out of Los Angeles are accustomed to seeing the containment percentage for each major wildfire tick steadily upward as firefighters make progress.
But what exactly does “containment” mean?
The National Wildfire Coordinating Group offers a short summary of the term:
The key phrase there is “control line,” or some kind of barrier around the fire, generally by removing vegetation and fuel. Firefighters construct a control line by digging out trenches or intentionally burning away vegetation, known as a “burn out,” according to the Western Fire Chiefs Association.
A “firebreak” is a term for a natural or constructed barrier, such as a wide highway or the ocean, that can also function as a control line.
In sum, the goal of containment is not to put out the fire, but to stop it from growing.
Importantly, containment does not mean the fire is extinguished, and even a fire that is 100% contained can continue burning. For example, the Mendocino Complex Fire began July 27, 2018, and was 100% contained on September 18. Yet hot spots within that boundary smoldered for several more months until it was fully extinguished on January 4, 2019.
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FBI warns of scammers as Los Angeles wildfires draw donations
From CNN's Amanda Musa and Josh Campbell
People impacted by the ongoing wildfires in Los Angeles County should keep an eye out for scammers looking to exploit “mass casualty events and disasters,” the FBI said in a public service announcement on Thursday.
Fraudsters often ask for fake charitable donations online and in-person, and are known to impersonate celebrities, influencers or government officials on social media, the announcement noted. Artificial intelligence is also sometimes used in the cases, according to the FBI.
“Scammers may pose as disaster relief agencies to collect personal information, conduct charitable fraud schemes, or commit fraud against disaster assistance programs,” the FBI said.
In 2024, the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center received more than 4,500 complaints reporting approximately $96 million in losses to fraudulent charities, crowdfunding accounts and disaster relief campaigns, the agency said.
