LOS ANGELES, California, January 14, 2025 (ENS) – Firefighters have made some progress against several of the major wildfires that have destroyed parts of Los Angeles, after blazing for a week, causing thousands of terrified residents to evacuate their homes moments ahead of the leaping flames.
As of January 14, the wildfires have killed at least 24 people, forced nearly 180,000 others to evacuate, and destroyed or damaged more than 12,401 structures. Most of the destruction was caused by the two largest fires – the Palisades Fire in Pacific Palisades and the Eaton Fire in Altadena.
The Eaton Fire, which is devouring parts of the Angeles National Forest, Altadena and Pasadena, exploded from around 2,000 acres to 10,600 acres by the morning of January 8, officials said.
Firefighters working to slow the spread and protect critical infrastructure under extreme conditions, still lost multiple structures, homes and businesses that were damaged or destroyed – and the wind-driven fires continue. The combination of low humidity, dry fuels, and shifting winds has heightened the potential for spot fires and rapid expansion.
K-9 crews are searching the burned out blocks and the death toll could rise even higher.
Causes of death have not been determined, L.A. County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said at a January 8 evening news conference. The agency has requested K-9s specializing in human-remains detection would be assigned to the fire situation to ensure no one is unaccounted for, Marrone said.
The fast-moving fire broke out the night of January 7 in the hills above Altadena near Eaton Canyon, resulting in mandatory evacuations in parts of Pasadena, eastern Glendale, all of La Cañada Flintridge and northern Monrovia.
Gusts of hurricane-strength winds spread the fires: not only the flames of the Eaton fire, but also the Palisades fire in the upscale Pacific Palisades neighborhood, the Hurst fire in the Sylmar area, and the several smaller fires.
The Sunset Fire broke out Wednesday evening amongst the mansions perched on the Hollywood Hills, triggering another round of mandatory evacuations.
The Hurst Fire erupted in the Sylmar neighborhood of Los Angeles on the night of January 7 and quickly consumed hundreds of acres, forcing evacuations, Cal Fire said.
The Palisades fire started around 10:30 on the morning of January 7 near homes in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood. Extreme winds accelerated the fire, prompting mandatory evacuations that jammed neighborhood roads as residents fled the flames destroying their homes
Since its discovery a week ago, the Eaton Fire has burned 14,117 acres. A fire crew of 3,235 has been working on site and, as of this morning, they had managed to contain 35 percent of the fire. Investigations into the fire’s cause are ongoing.
Damage estimates from remote sensing technologies indicate over 7,000 structures may have been damaged or destroyed in the Eaton Fire.
An unprecedented fourth “particularly dangerous situation” fire weather warning took effect this morning and is expected to last through Wednesday, January 15. Expecting heightened Santa Ana winds of up to 70 miles per hour, the National Weather Service is using this designation as an extreme red flag warning, when very hazardous fire weather conditions are expected.
President Joe Biden offered immediate federal help, saying, “My team and I are in touch with state and local officials, and I have offered any federal assistance that is needed to help suppress the terrible Pacific Palisades fire,” Biden said.
“FEMA approved a Fire Management Assistance Grant to support areas that are impacted and help reimburse the state of California for the immediate firefighting costs. My Administration will do everything it can to support the response,” he promised.
On January 13, President Biden made additional disaster assistance available to the State of California by authorizing an increase in the level of Federal funding for emergency work undertaken in the state as a result of wildfires and straight-line winds beginning on January 7, 2025, and continuing.
Under the President’s new order, Federal funds for debris removal and emergency protective measures, including direct Federal assistance have been increased to 100 percent of the total eligible costs for a period of 180 days of the State’s choosing within the first 270 days from the start of the incident period.
There is a little more good news amongst the flames. Trees and brush on the grounds of the famous Getty Villa Museum on the Pacific Coast Highway were burning as of the evening of January 7, but the museum says the Villa and its collection of 44,000 Greek, Roman, and Etruscan antiquities has so far been spared.
All schools will be closed Wednesday in the Pasadena Unified School District because of the fire. Several other school districts including Alhambra, Glendale, Burbank, San Marino and South Pasadena are also closing.
The Hurst fire erupted Tuesday, January 7, burning more than 500 acres by about 2 a.m. and threatening areas of Sylmar, a leafy suburban neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley.
Survivors in need of help should go to DisasterAssistance.gov or call 1-800-621-3362. “We can’t help you if we don’t know you need the help, so call,” President Biden said.
“And I want to be clear,” the President said. “This is not the only aid that survivors can request from FEMA. More programs are going to be available through the disaster declaration, but this is assistance that survivors can get now and get it fast.”
Featured image: The Eaton Fire devours a Los Angeles neighborhood, causing two deaths. January 7, 2025 (Photo by Andrew Kachan via Threads)
