Wind speeds in southern California are declining, the National Weather Service said Wednesday, though sudden gusts and dry conditions could still help spark new fires.
While speeds will go down throughout Thursday, the winds will “be slow to weaken,” the NWS said. As conditions change, the “potential for rapid fire growth and localized downed trees and power outages will still remain,” the agency said.
Wednesday was expected to be “the last really windy day” of the Santa Ana winds event, but more winds could reach the area by next week, officials said.
Meanwhile, officials urged more than 90,000 residents to be alert and heed any evacuation warnings and orders.
“I urge everyone to stay alert. The combination of low humidity and strong winds has further dried out the brush, increasing the risk of fire,” Los Angeles County Fire Department Chief Anthony Marrone said at a Wednesday press briefing.
The area’s largest blazes, the Palisades and Eaton Fires, are now among the most destructive in Southern California’s history. Significant progress has been made on the fires in the last couple of days, despite tricky weather conditions.
The Palisades Fire has torn across nearly 24,000 acres and is 19 percent contained. The Eaton Fire is 45 percent contained after burning more than 14,000 acres.
Key Points
- LA fires death toll: At least 25 people killed in Palisades and Eaton blazes
- California wind speeds expected to decline on Thursday
- Federal and local law enforcement authorities form task force to combat crimes related to Los Angeles wildfires
- ‘Fabulous’ 95-year-old grandmother with ties to old Hollywood is among California fire victims, family says
Cal Transit maintenance station is ‘severely damaged’ in Palisades Fire
05:31
Julia Musto
#PalisadesFire severely damaged @CaltransDist7's Las Flores Maintenance Station.
— Caltrans District 7 (@CaltransDist7) January 15, 2025
Before the fire, all the trucks were driven out of the yard & prepositioned near the coast, ready for any need. Now our crews are hard at work doing cleanup, repair, traffic control & more https://t.co/DXwKVGcmNE
Rides remain free to take residents to recovery centers
05:00
Julia Musto
Both recovery centers are near Metro Rail - rides remain free:
— Metro Los Angeles (@metrolosangeles) January 15, 2025
UCLA Research Park West, 10850 West Pico Blvd.
Hours: Daily 9am to 8pm
Getting there: .3 mile walk from E Line’s Westwood/Rancho Park Sta. Big Blue Bus Lines 7 & 8 + Culver City Bus Line 3 stop nearby
(more) https://t.co/EFyietWXSu
Brentwood neighborhood is not under the current Do Not Drink notice
04:31
Julia Musto
The Brentwood neighborhood is NOT under the current Do Not Drink notice. We appreciate all of our customers’ patience and understanding as we worked to refine the affected area.
— LADWP (@LADWP) January 15, 2025
For more info: https://t.co/JeuJF6zycX pic.twitter.com/QoUDANoq21
California has taken these executive measures to respond to the Los Angeles wildfires
04:00
Julia Musto
California is taking swift action to support wildfire victims through executive measures, including:
— Governor Newsom (@CAgovernor) January 15, 2025
Prohibiting home insurance cancellations
Accelerating school rebuilding efforts
Mobilizing debris removal teams
Barring predatory speculators from buying up property
SoCal Gas restores natural gas service to hundreds of Malibu customers
03:31
Julia Musto
(1/6) Palisades Fire SoCalGas Update – January 15
— City of Malibu (@CityMalibu) January 15, 2025
SoCalGas crews have restored natural gas service to 601 additional customers in NW Malibu today, bringing the total to 1,279 restored customers. Restoration work continues tomorrow, January 16, beyond Pepperdine University. pic.twitter.com/Fd9Uyp8xwh
Cal Fire has received support from 12 states, Canada, and Mexico
03:02
Julia Musto
CAL FIRE and the entire response team are deeply grateful for the incredible support we've received from our state, federal, international, and tribal partners. Special thanks also go to the Los Angeles community and individuals around the world who have stepped forward to offer… pic.twitter.com/ztRI9FhL5p
— CAL FIRE (@CAL_FIRE) January 15, 2025
More than 200 JPL, Caltech employees are left without homes
02:30
Julia Musto
More than 200 employees at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena and Caltech have reportedly been left homeless due to the Los Angeles Fires, according to FOX Weather.
“It was like driving through a video game,” Marcy Harbut, a senior technical writer for the NASA Exoplanet Science Institute at Caltech, told the network. “Turn down the street. Got to turn around. And then all these people in that house, watch out for those flames. And these people are packing up their van. Be careful. Don’t run over people. It was just chaos.”
California wind speeds expected to decline on Thursday
02:29
Katie Hawkinson
Wind speeds in southern California are set to decline Thursday, the National Weather Service said Wednesday afternoon.
While speeds will go down throughout Thursday, winds will still “be slow to weaken,” the NWS said. As conditions change, the “potential for rapid fire growth and localized downed trees and power outages will still remain.”
More than 111,000 people are without power in California as of Wednesday night, according to PowerOutage.us.
The two largest blazes, the Palisades Fire and Eaton Fire, are among the most destructive in Los Angeles history.
The Palisades Fire has torn across nearly 24,000 acres and is 19 percent contained as of Wednesday night. The Eaton Fire is also 45 percent contained after burning more than 14,000 acres.
Parents should clean any toys with ash on them before giving them to their kids, health officials warn
02:00
Julia Musto
Ash from nearby wildfires and burnt structures can cause health issues. Keep kids away from ash and make sure to clean any toys with ash on them before your kids play with them.
— California Department of Public Health (@CAPublicHealth) January 15, 2025
Learn more: https://t.co/dLs5Kf01gq #WildfireSafety pic.twitter.com/c9y3bxqHZI
Cal Fire rescues dehydrated black-and-white cat now named ‘Domino’
01:31
Julia Musto
Compassion in Action
— Erik Scott (@PIOErikScott) January 15, 2025
During #PalisadesFire operations, #CalFire’s Michael Deleo and Oregon Strike Team 12 rescued a black-and-white cat, now named “Domino,” found dehydrated and hungry near an unburned structure. After some food, water, and care, Domino showed a sweet and… pic.twitter.com/oH2GtRqQ3u
In-kind donations are at capacity, Los Angeles Fire Department says. Here’s where to donate
01:00
Julia Musto
#EatonFire #PalisadesFire For those looking to make donations to those affected by the fires, please visit https://t.co/lghOu9Cyhq or scan the QR code below for more information. pic.twitter.com/8aISSh5tGL
— L.A. County Fire Department (@LACoFDPIO) January 15, 2025
SEC warns investors to be cautious regarding wildfire-related investment fraud
00:45
Julia Musto
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission said it’s closely monitoring the impact of the California wildfires on investors and markets and warned people to “be vigilant for California wildfire-related investment frauds.”
The SEC’s divisions “will evaluate the possibility of granting relief from filing deadlines and other regulatory requirements for those affected by the wildfires. Entities and investment professionals affected by the California wildfires are encouraged to contact SEC staff with questions and concerns,” the agency said in a statement.
Anyone who has lost their pets due to the wildfires should call this phone number
00:30
Julia Musto
If you have lost your pets due to the wildfires and are needing assistance to find them, please call the Los Angeles FIRE Evacuation Animal Services Hotline at 213-270-8155 and leave the requested information about your pet and your contact number. https://t.co/GQZNLkzJPS pic.twitter.com/fpMrMWC0vd
— LA Animal Services (@LACityPets) January 15, 2025
Emergency telephone town hall on Palisade Fire scheduled for 7 p.m. PST
Wednesday 15 January 2025 23:31
Julia Musto
TONIGHT at 7 PM: Our Emergency Telephone Town Hall on the #PalisadesFire@CAL_FIRE Deputy Chief Lonny Olson, LA County Supervisor @LindseyPHorvath and @fema Regional Administrator Bob Fenton will provide updates on disaster response
— Congressman Brad Sherman (@BradSherman) January 15, 2025
To join, dial (855) 920-0548 starting at 7 PM pic.twitter.com/WTNcwW5cL3
LA County weather forecast is cooler, less windy
Wednesday 15 January 2025 23:21
Julia Musto
While winds have peaked and will continue to lower into this evening, dry conditions and locally gusty winds will linger into Thursday -especially in some mountains. Red Flag Warnings expire at 6pm today for most areas, except those windiest mountains which go thru Thu 3pm #cawx pic.twitter.com/EQG7g7TKLm
— NWS Los Angeles (@NWSLosAngeles) January 15, 2025
Good news: We are expecting a much-needed break from the fire weather concerns to close this week. Bad News: Next week is a concern. While confident that we will NOT see a repeat of last week, dangerous fire weather conditions are expected. #cawx #PalisadesFire #EatonFire pic.twitter.com/zhXmHUWtgp
— NWS Los Angeles (@NWSLosAngeles) January 15, 2025
Keep a jacket handy. Temperatures will be 5-10 degrees below normal for the rest of the week, with Friday the coldest. #cawx pic.twitter.com/720euSBSJS
— NWS Los Angeles (@NWSLosAngeles) January 15, 2025
Cal Fire makes history with first-ever 24-hour helibase
Wednesday 15 January 2025 23:00
Julia Musto
#Aviation goes 24/7
— CAL FIRE (@CAL_FIRE) January 15, 2025
While CAL FIRE helicopters now regularly fly night firefighting missions, we’re making history with our first-ever 24-hour helibase. State-of-the-art #CALFIRE, federal and local aircraft are working around the clock to protect our communities and build… pic.twitter.com/HovZGrrCsk
Little Mountain Fire crops up in San Bernardino
Wednesday 15 January 2025 22:43
Julia Musto
This is the #LittleMountainFire burning here in San Bernardino off the NB #215fwy and Little Mountain Dr. It’s wind driven and now about 5acres with no homes threatened. The latest @knxnews pic.twitter.com/VpOwQcQi3o
— Brian Douglas (@BrianDouglasKNX) January 15, 2025
Nearly 17,000 personnel are working on California wildfires
Wednesday 15 January 2025 22:31
Julia Musto
We're marshaling resources from across government, out-of-state neighbors, and international partners to fight the LA wildfires and recover.
— Governor Newsom (@CAgovernor) January 15, 2025
TODAY —
16,815+ Personnel
2,535+ @TheCalGuard Members
1,480+ Fire Engines
84+ Aircraft
220+ Water Tenders
210+ Dozers pic.twitter.com/6PXDu62tZl
Dozens of Los Angeles residents — some armed — are defying evacuation orders to protect their homes in ‘Wild West’
Wednesday 15 January 2025 22:21
Julia Musto
Damage from LA County wildfires is surveyed as search and rescue operations continue
Wednesday 15 January 2025 22:20
Julia Musto
Long lines reported at post office after homes burned in Eaton Fire
Wednesday 15 January 2025 22:02
Julia Musto
Altadena residents who lost their homes in the Eaton Fire are reporteldy facing long lines at the post office while trying to get their mail.
While the city’s post office burned down, the mail has been rerouted to Pasadena, according to ABC 7.
Altadena Resident Beverly Stewart called it a “major inconvenience.”
Malibu schools to remain closed through next week
Wednesday 15 January 2025 21:55
Julia Musto
#PalisadesFire Update: All Malibu schools in the Santa Monica-Malibu USD will remain closed for the rest of the week. The City will share updates about next week when available.
— City of Malibu (@CityMalibu) January 15, 2025
Thank you for your understanding. Stay updated at https://t.co/2E1IO55DkY. pic.twitter.com/nBjiJrwMf1
LA tourist attractions are reopening in a rare glimpse of normality after wildfire devastation
Wednesday 15 January 2025 21:48
Julia Musto
Search and rescue crews inspect the area of the Palisades Fire
Wednesday 15 January 2025 21:46
Julia Musto
Jim Jordan backs idea Trump should move 2028 Olympics from LA to red-run town
Wednesday 15 January 2025 21:32
Julia Musto
‘Fabulous’ 95-year-old grandmother with ties to old Hollywood is among California fire victims, family says
Wednesday 15 January 2025 21:01
Julia Musto
Dalyce Curry, also known as “Momma Dee,” is remembered by her family as “fabulous.”
”My grandmother still wore her big hair, glasses, nails, you know, painted makeup,” her granddaughter and namesake Dalyce Kelley told The Associated Press in an interview published on Wednesday. “You know, she was just fabulous, period.”
The 95-year-old, who was an extra in a scene with Diana Ross in Lady Sings the Blues, died last week at her Altadena home as the Eaton Fire burned through the community.
With reporting from The Associated Press
NBA reschedules games postponed by California wildfires, Atlanta winter storm
Wednesday 15 January 2025 20:53
Julia Musto
The NBA has rescheduled two games that had been postponed due to the catastrophic wildfires in Southern California and a winter storm that hit Atlanta.
The league said Wednesday that the Los Angeles Lakers’ home game against the Charlotte Hornets will take place on February 19.
The Hornets’ visit to the Los Angeles Clippers, originally set for January 11, will now be on March 16. And the Hawks’ home game against Houston, Texas, is scheduled for January 28.
With reporting from The Associated Press
More than 122,000 California customers are left without power amid windy conditions
Wednesday 15 January 2025 20:49
Julia Musto
More than 122,000 California customers were left without power Wednesday afternood amid windy weather conditions, according to tracker PowerOutage.US.
Officials had warned outages could spike. Under 90,000 customers were reported to be affected earlier in the day.
Videos show Cal Fire crew creating fuel break on Eaton Fire
Wednesday 15 January 2025 20:45
Julia Musto
AEU's crews creating a fuel break below homes on the #EatonFire. Watch as they cut/clear vegetation to reduce fire risk/protect the community.
— CAL FIRE AEU (@CALFIREAEU) January 15, 2025
Video 1: Creating the fuel break.
Video 2: A close-up look at the completed fuel break – a critical defense line in wildfire prevention. pic.twitter.com/DcAdwdbeOm
5,000 structures have been damaged or destroyed in the Palisades Fire
Wednesday 15 January 2025 20:40
Julia Musto
PALISADES FIRE UPDATE - 1/15, 12 p.m.
— City of Malibu (@CityMalibu) January 15, 2025
23,713 acres, 19% containment, 5,000 structures damaged/destroyed. 1,280 structures confirmed destroyed in total effected area (Palisades and Malibu). These are approximate numbers, subject to change.
More: https://t.co/8Ey2YYCL16 pic.twitter.com/4BPG7EVCUi
Eaton and Palisades Fire destruction impacts important places for communities, photos show
Wednesday 15 January 2025 20:40
Julia Musto
While 8 new fires have broken out in the last day, all have been extinguished
Wednesday 15 January 2025 20:23
Julia Musto
NEW: As fire weather continues in Southern California, 8 new fires broke out in the last 24 hours in the red flag warning area.
— Governor Newsom Press Office (@GovPressOffice) January 15, 2025
However, thanks to @CAGovernor Newsom's prepositioning of additional assets and continued firefighting efforts, ALL were extinguished.
That includes…
LA sports teams - many who have billion-dollar valuations - donate a paltry $8 million to fire victims
Wednesday 15 January 2025 20:16
Julia Musto
City asks people not to bring donations to Disaster Recovery Centers
Wednesday 15 January 2025 19:59
Julia Musto
Please do not bring donations to our Disaster Recovery Centers. Instead, visit https://t.co/1VcBnh8OAn for ways to donate.
— UnifiedLA (@UnifiedLA) January 15, 2025
Federal and local law enforcement authorities form task force to combat crimes related to Los Angeles wildfires
Wednesday 15 January 2025 19:55
Julia Musto
Federal and local law enforcement officials form task force to combat crimes related to Los Angeles-area wildfires https://t.co/Dx896bm5Wo
— US Attorney L.A. (@USAO_LosAngeles) January 15, 2025
Energy Secretary nominee Chris Wright says climate change is real - but stands by comments on wildfire hype
Wednesday 15 January 2025 19:52
Julia Musto
Chris Wright, President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to be Secretary of Energy, doubled down on past comments about wildfire “hype” at his confirmation hearing in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday.
California Democratic Sen. Alex Padilla had asked the Liberty Energy CEO if he stood by prior remarks on social media claiming that the hype over wildfires is just hype to justify more impoverishment from bad government policies.
“Given the devastation that we’re currently experiencing in Los Angeles, do you still believe that wildfires are just hype?” the senator asked.
.@SenAlexPadilla reads past social media posts from the nominee and asks about climate change and Southern California wildfires: "Do you think it's just hype or not?"
— CSPAN (@cspan) January 15, 2025
Energy Secretary Nominee Chris Wright: "Climate is a real and global phenomenon...I stand by my past comments." pic.twitter.com/sSoD066j3S
“Climate change is a real and global phenomenon,” Wright replied, noting that he was watching the fires with “great sorrow and fear.”
“I stand by my past comments,” he added.
In a video posted on YouTube in 2023, Wright said: “There is no climate crisis, and we’re not in the midst of an energy transition either.”
‘The Hills’ stars Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt on losing their home: ‘It’s a place that you love'
Wednesday 15 January 2025 19:31
Julia Musto
"The Hills" stars Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt talk about losing their home in the California wildfires: “It's a place that you love, that you live, that's a refuge from the world … and to have that be gone, it's a really difficult concept to continue to deal with.” pic.twitter.com/uF0fCEc2mQ
— Good Morning America (@GMA) January 15, 2025
Air quality could be worse than sensors indicate, health official warns
Wednesday 15 January 2025 19:28
Julia Musto
The air quality index for much of Los Angeles County shows good to moderate air quality on Wednesday.
But, officials have warned that measurements could be deceiving.
“Wind-blown ash particles may be too large to be picked up by our regular instruments and will not influence the AQI measures that we pointed folks to look at for air quality,” Dr. Nichole Quick, chief medical adviser for the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, told reporters at a morning news briefing.
Actor Danny Trejo calls out Kim Kardashian over using wildfires to promote incarcerated firefighter pay raise
Wednesday 15 January 2025 19:17
Julia Musto
“Kim, worry about the people who lost everything. You’ve still got everything,” actor Danny Trejo told TMZ on Wednesday.
#DannyTrejo is calling out his celebrity peers, including #KimKardashian: he tells them to stop using the #LosAngeles wildfires to push their causes, as the sole focus should be on helping victims.
— TMZ (@TMZ) January 15, 2025
Read the full #exclusive https://t.co/tVb5E0m2vX pic.twitter.com/F8yZu8venD
A retro blue VW van miraculously survives deadly Los Angeles fire
Wednesday 15 January 2025 19:12
Julia Musto
Newsom once again calls on Trump to support Californians
Wednesday 15 January 2025 19:04
Julia Musto
.@realDonaldTrump has an opportunity to have the backs of thousands of Americans. I hope he takes it. pic.twitter.com/tYYMj9olts
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) January 15, 2025
YouTube and Google are contributing $15 million to organizations providing immediate relief in Los Angeles
Wednesday 15 January 2025 18:58
Julia Musto
Google and YouTube announced Wednesday that they would contribute $15 million to organizations providing immediate relief during the Los Angeles wildfires.
“Los Angeles is the heart of entertainment and storytelling and has an impact on culture all over the world. It’s also where many YouTube creators, artists, partners and our employees call home. Like so many, we’ve been heartbroken by the devastation from the wildfires and want to do our part to support the community as it rebuilds,” YouTube said in a statement.
Watershed Emergency Response Team activated to identify post-fire risks
Wednesday 15 January 2025 18:48
Julia Musto
WERT Team Activated ️
— CAL FIRE Chief (@CALFIRE_CHIEF) January 14, 2025
In response to the recent wildfires in the Los Angeles area and the potential for future rain, a Watershed Emergency Response Team (WERT) has been activated. This specialized team assesses wildfire-impacted areas to identify potential post-fire risks,… pic.twitter.com/tOF9gGo2r5
Forecasters say Los Angeles County on ‘back end’ of this stretch of Santa Ana winds
Wednesday 15 January 2025 18:37
Julia Musto
Los Angeles County is “definitely on the back end” of its recent stretch of Santa Ana winds, according to forecasters.
Winds are expected to continue into Thursday morning, the National Weather Service said.
Temperatures are warming up into the 70s for coasts and valleys and there are still some wind gusts of 50mph or more across western Los Angeles and eastern Ventura Counties, as well as the Santa Monica and San Gabriel Mountains.
“May see a 5-10 mph wind increase through the morning hours as is typical with offshore conditions, but weakening again in the afternoon and evening,” the agency’s Los Angeles office wrote in an update.
Officials put up guidance for safe wildfire debris clean up
Wednesday 15 January 2025 18:30
Julia Musto
In areas impacted by the #EatonFire, the County is putting up informative signs with guidance from @lapublichealth for safe debris clean up with tips on what to wear and what to do inside and outside. Thanks to
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