A storm is finally heading for wildfire-scorched Southern California, potentially bringing enough moisture to curb the poor air quality, clear ash, and make the vegetation less flammable.
Los Angeles could see up to half an inch of rain — the most rainfall from a single storm since April, according to AccuWeather. Dry conditions have plagued the area; the city has only seen 0.16 of an inch of rain since October 1.
“When you throw dry air and Santa Ana winds into the mix, you have prime ingredients for wildfires,” said AccuWeather California expert Ken Clark.
Seven fires are still raging across Southern California, including the deadly Palisades and Eaton fires.
Donald Trump capped off the first week of his second presidency by meeting with Governor Gavin Newsom in Los Angeles Friday to survey the wildfire damage.
Speaking to reporters, the president said that LA looked like it “got hit by a bomb,” and later promised he would stand behind the state “100 percent.”
However, Trump has also proposed conditions for receiving disaster relief aid in the state: changing its water policies and requiring voters to show ID.
Key Points
- As fires continue, ‘flood watch’ begins around Los Angeles in some burn areas
- Here’s how contained the wildfires are
- Trump’s new conditions for disaster relief funds
- Much-needed rain is heading for Los Angeles
How much rain Southern California could see this weekend
17:30
,
Kelly Rissman
A storm is expected to relieve the wildfire-ravaged region this weekend.
Los Angeles and Ventura Counties could see half an inch to an inch of rain from Saturday afternoon through Monday night, according to the National Weather Service.
Even more precipitation — one inch or two inches — could hit the mountains, the agency predicted.
The rain, which could be the most the area has experienced since April, could help the vegetation become less susceptible to catching fire and could improve air quality in the region that has been devastated by massive wildfires since January 7.
How contained are the California wildfires?
16:30
,
Kelly Rissman
The deadly and destructive Palisades and Eaton fires, which started burning weeks ago in LA County, are still raging on but are now mostly contained.
The Hughes fire, the latest blaze to ravage the county, has scorched more than 10,000 acres since it erupted on Wednesday. It’s now 87 percent contained.
Meanwhile, the Border 2 fire that has been making its way through San Diego since Thursday already spans more than 6,500 acres — and it’s barely contained.
Here’s where all of the wildfires stand:
Some Southern California schools could reopen soon, officials say
15:30
,
Kelly Rissman
The Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) said it plans to reopen schools as soon as Monday — but not all parents think it’s the best idea.
In a statement to the Associated Press, the district said its staff “has worked diligently to prepare schools for a return to in-person instruction.” These preparation steps include replacing filters, installing air purifiers, and monitoring the school’s ventilation systems.
But still, some are worried that the schools are reopening in-person education too soon.
The LAUSD “has never experienced a disaster like this in their history,” Kelli Ferrone, a parent to two children at Canyon Charter Elementary School, told the AP. One of her daughters has asthma.
Ferrone continued: “And I do think people are trying really hard, but our school needs a new temporary home with classrooms and teachers teaching in-person. That is the only thing that is going to make people feel comfortable.”
This school falls within the “do not drink water” advisory, meaning water bottles will be provided as the school’s water fountains are turned off.
A much-needed storm is heading for LA
14:47
,
Kelly Rissman
Much-needed rainfall is expected to hit Southern California, an area that has been devastated by wildfires since early January.
LA is expected to see the most rain since April, according to AccuWeather.
“Despite being smack in the middle of the rainy season, brush conditions over Southern California are currently as dry as they ever get in the summer (the dry season),” AccuWeather California Expert Ken Clark said. “So when you throw dry air and Santa Ana winds into the mix, you have prime ingredients for wildfires.”
In L.A., the risk may go from fires to floods
13:30
,
Josh Marcus
As critical fire weather ends in Southern California this week, residents have been warned about continuing threats from a weekend storm that could result in dangerous flash flooding and debris flows in wildfire burn scar areas.
Following a series of devastating and deadly wildfires, forecasters have said the region can expect mountain snow, rain, cooler temperatures, and a “small but non-zero threat of a thunderstorm moving over a burn area.”
Areas in Los Angeles County will likely see about three-quarters of an inch of rain following months without precipitation, according to KTLA.
More details in our full story.
How Trump’s misinformation is complicating the L.A. fire response
12:30
,
Josh Marcus
While new blazes fanned by whipping Santa Ana winds have sparked across Southern California this week, firefighters have continued to make significant progress on some of the state’s most destructive wildfires that continue to burn.
Trump’s slew of misinformation about the disaster hasn’t helped.
Los Angeles County’s response to the furious fires — which have resulted in the deaths of 28 people and left thousands without homes in some of the area’s most affluent communities — has been put under a microscope since they started more than two weeks ago, following months without rain and hurricane-force winds.
Officials have faced harsh criticism from politicians and residents alike. Newly sworn-in President Donald Trump and Republicans have traded shots at California’s Democratic leadership, insisting that more could have been done to help prevent the tragedy. But, many of the president’s statements about how the Golden State should have prepared and other related logistical elements have been ignorant of the role of climate change and are rooted in inaccuracy and a contentious relationship with Governor Gavin Newsom.
Julia Musto has the story.
Are Gavin Newsom and Trump...getting along?
11:30
,
Josh Marcus
Donald Trump and Gavin Newsom put on a united front on the tarmac of Los Angeles International Airport on Friday, as the president arrived in California for a visit to survey the devastation caused by the wildfires.
Despite previous online acrimony between the men, the California governor smiled as he shook hands with Trump and proceeded to give the First Lady a kiss on the cheek.
The president continued his magnanimous tone during a public discussion at a firehouse.
“We’re going to be with you,” Trump said. “Your governor met us at the plane. We had a good talk, very positive talk. We have to work together to get this really worked out.”
ICYMI: Trump demands California voter ID law for wildfire relief and threatens FEMA upon arrival in North Carolina
09:30
,
Josh Marcus
President Donald Trump on Friday said he would demand that California overhaul its election laws and reverse environmental policies as a condition of any federal funds to help the state recover from wildfires that have devastated the Los Angeles area in recent weeks.
He also claimed that the Federal Emergency Management Agency had mishandled efforts to help North Carolinians recover from Hurricane Helene and suggested that the White House and Republican National Committee would somehow take over the distribution of any relief funds authorized by Congress. Trump took aim at FEMA as he arrived in Asheville, North Carolina, to view hurricane damage, before traveling to California to view the devastation wrought by wildfires.
Speaking to reporters just after he disembarked Air Force One, Trump told reporters that FEMA, which is part of the Department of Homeland Security, “has really let us down,” though it was unclear what exactly he was accusing the agency of having done or not done.
“I don’t know if that’s Biden’s fault or whose fault it is, but we’re going to take over and we’re going to do a good job, and we’re going to assign [Republican National Committee chair Michael Whatley] who’s fantastic, frankly, and the governor and everybody else that’s going to work,” he said. “We’re going to supply the money, the supply, a lot of the money. Maybe you have to chip in something. You chip in a little something like maybe 25 percent or whatever, but we’re going to get it done as quickly as we can. And we want to take care of the people of North Carolina.”
Andrew Feinberg reports.
RECAP: Trump’s L.A. fire tour in pictures
08:30
,
Josh Marcus
Trump, Bass promise expedited process to rebuild in California
07:30
,
Josh Marcus
Donald Trump hammered California officials to speed up permitting, home access, and rebuilding rules in the aftermath of the L.A. fires, and promised to do the same at the federal level.
“We’re gunna just about essentially waive all federal permits,” Trump said.
Trump added that he’d spoken with homeowners who are ready to rebuild beginning today.
“There are a lot in a position right now, they’d like to start tonight,” he continued. “They’ll clean their site. They’ll do everything.”
Trump also claimed he’d override any delays from the California Coastal Commission regulatory process, saying, “I’m not going to let them get away with their antics.”
Community members in attendance said they’d been told by the federal U.S. Army Corps of Engineers it would take 18 months to begin rebuilding, which Trump balked at.
“I’m sure you can get it down, to I would say, note even 18 days,” Trump continued. “Mayor they are ready to start.”
At one point, audience members began shouting at L.A. Mayor Karen Bass, saying they hadn’t been allowed back onto their streets or to see their homes.
“We’re going to do everything we can, slashing regulation, so recovery can get underway,” Bass said. “We’re bringing our city departments together so people don’t get caught in a loop of going from one room to the next.”
Otay Lakes County Park closed due to Border 2 fire
06:30
,
Josh Marcus
CLOSURE: Our Otay Lakes County Park is currently closed due to the Border 2 fire and may be closed through the weekend. For more info about closures, please visit: https://t.co/btjYODUKom
— SanDiegoCounty (@SanDiegoCounty) January 24, 2025
For more information about the Border 2 fire, please visit: https://t.co/Ftzg72X4C5 pic.twitter.com/X4Y4snKTWn
Trump says executive order will ‘open up the pumps and valves’ for California water supply
05:30
,
Josh Marcus
Donald Trump is claiming his executive orders will open essentially unlimited water supplies to Southern California, arguing such actions would’ve helped Los Angeles fight the recent round of devastating fires.
Trump: "I'm signing an executive order to open up the pumps and valves in the north. We want to get that water pouring down here as quickly as possible ... you're talking about unlimited water coming up from the Pacific Northwest, even coming from parts of Canada." pic.twitter.com/4tn5K8RaXt
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) January 25, 2025
However, it wasn’t a lack of reservoir water that made pumps run dry in L.A., but issues with its water distribution system, according to experts.
VIDEO: How L.A. firefighters turned the tide on the Hughes Fire
04:30
,
Josh Marcus
#HughesFire pic.twitter.com/vXmFjuDFVt
— L.A. County Fire Department (@LACoFDPIO) January 24, 2025
As fires continue, ‘flood watch’ begins around Los Angeles in some burn areas
03:30
,
Josh Marcus
FLOOD WATCH is in effect for 4pm Sun to 4pm Mon. Here are the key details. While damaging debris flows are not the most likely outcome, there is still a lot of uncertainty with this storm. The threat is high enough to prepare for the worst-case scenario. #PalisadesFire #EatonFire pic.twitter.com/bbBGMJX90Y
— NWS Los Angeles (@NWSLosAngeles) January 25, 2025
San Diego County resident recalls spotting Border 2 fire on Thursday: ‘We thought everything was going to be OK'
02:30
,
Josh Marcus
Roy Carmichael, a 66-year-old who lives at the Pio Pico Campground in an RV, recalled spotting the Border 2 fire on Thursday night.
“We thought everything was going to be OK,” he told The San Diego Union-Tribune. “But the wind direction changed.”
He fled the area at around 2 a.m. on Friday and was one of dozens parked at the Regal Edwards Rancho San Diego movie theater. The theater is one of three places for people who have been displaced.
Workers hope to prevent mudslides in Pacific Palisades
02:00
,
Josh Marcus
Trump shocked by fire damage
01:20
,
Josh Marcus
Donald Trump is not normally a man at a loss for words, but the president appeared shocked on Friday by the extent of damage caused by the Palisades Fire in Los Angeles.
“It’s unbelievable,” Trump said as he walked by news cameras on a neighborhood tour. “It’s really not believable.”
Congressman presses Trump to avoid conditions for wildfire aid
01:11
,
Josh Marcus
California officials walked a fine line on Friday as they welcomed Donald Trump, thanking the president for visiting wildfire damage while pushing him to avoid politicizing disaster aid.
Rep. Brad Sherman argued that while he disagrees with other states’ policies on issues like guns and abortion, he would never try to hold back disaster aid from them.
“I’m hoping that we can get these funds and that we don’t punish individuals for the policies of their state,” Sheman said. “You can disagree with them. I think you’ve got some ideas. I look forward to us listening.”
Sherman also called on Trump to avoid putting tariffs on the building materials L.A. will desperately need as it rebuilds neighborhoods like the Palisades.
Trump claims he’ll support California ‘100 percent’ after L.A. fires
00:57
,
Josh Marcus
Donald Trump has abruptly shifted his tone on California after touring wildfire damage, saying during a press conference on Friday, “The federal government is standing behind you 100 percent.”
It’s a far cry from Trump’s previous statements, which frequently railed against the state and its leadership over the fires, threatening to withold future disaster aid.
“We’re going to be with you,” Trump added. “Your governor met us at the plane. We had a good talk, very positive talk. We have to work together to get this really worked out.”
Of course, there were still a few Trump-y flourishes, from a riff about how “beautiful” and physically fit the firefighters were, as well as a few brags about his election results in the state.
Nonetheless, Trump was unexpectedly somber, perhaps as a result of the devastation he’s seen.
“I don’t think you can really realize how rough this is, how devastating it is until you really see it,” Trump added.
“It’s incredible,” Trump continued. “It’s really an incineration. Even some of the chimneys came down.”
Will Trump and Newsom bury the hatchet and cooperate over L.A. fires?
00:39
,
Josh Marcus
Donald Trump and Gavin Newsom put on a united front on the tarmac of Los Angeles International Airport on Friday, as the president arrived in California for a visit to survey the devastation caused by the wildfires.
Despite previous online acrimony between the men, the California governor smiled as he shook hands with Trump and proceeded to give the First Lady a kiss on the cheek.
In short remarks to the press at LAX, the president thanked Newsom for meeting him off the plane and promised to do everything he could to get the problems “permanently fixed.”
“I appreciate the governor coming out… we’ll be talking a lot and we want to get it fixed,” he said.
Mike Bedigan has the story.
Trump tours Pacific Palisades neighborhood devastated by fires
00:33
,
Graeme Massie
After weeks of insults, Trump is all smiles with LAFD
00:31
,
Josh Marcus
Donald Trump has spent weeks ripping Los Angeles and California’s response to the devastating wildfires, while suggesting he might cut off future emergency aid to the state unless they agreed to unrelated policy goals like a new voter ID law.
However, when Trump toured wildfire damage in Los Angeles on Friday, he exchanged warm banter with a group of gathered L.A. firefighters.
He elicited chuckles from the LAFD as he held a fire helmet, calling it a “heavy sucker” but suggesting this group of “all strong men” didn’t have a problem with such gear.
“Welcome back, sir, we missed you,” one firefighter told the president.
As Trump wrapped up his tour, he could be heard saying, “We won’t let you down, fellas.”
Despite the warm reception, it’s still unclear what future wildfire aid to the state will look like.
‘We need your help,’ L.A. resident tells Trump during fire tour
00:13
,
Josh Marcus
A Los Angeles resident told Donald Trump on Friday that the communities impacted by the Palisades fire are still in desperate need of assistance.
“We need your help,” a man told the president.
“This is a community that has a lot of resources,” he continued. “It’s also a very multi-generational community.”
“A lot of people, we’ve been kind of abandoned and feel let down by local leadership,” the man went on. “The fire department’s been amazing. They need more resources. In order for us to build back, we need better infrastructure. We need to make sure this will never happen again.”
Newsom’s press office blasts ‘absolutely absurd claims’ about firefighter staffing in LA
00:00
,
Julia Musto
Absolutely absurd claims from a pizzagate peddler.
— Governor Newsom Press Office (@GovPressOffice) January 24, 2025
California transitioned a small, inadequately trained volunteer reserve component into a huge professional, highly trained, firefighting force.
Since @CAGovernor Newsom took office, @TheCalGuard has nearly TRIPLED its… https://t.co/ilAXbL03lv
Pasadena firefighter recalls responding to Eaton fire: ‘This is not like anything we’ve ever seen before'
Friday 24 January 2025 23:45
,
Julia Musto
Throughout his career at @PasadenaFD, Sean Katt has responded to many fires across the US, but the #EatonFire was unlike anything he'd ever seen before.
— Governor Newsom (@CAgovernor) January 24, 2025
Wind gusts exceeding 100 miles per hour made the fire's behavior unpredictable and chaotic. pic.twitter.com/AOocOa0G7p
In pictures: Newsom meets the Trumps at LAX
Friday 24 January 2025 23:30
,
Mike Bedigan
Trump and Newsom put on united front on LAX tarmac
Friday 24 January 2025 23:20
,
Mike Bedigan
President Trump and Governor Newsom put on a united front as they spoke to reporters at LAX, despite public disputes between them previously.
In short remarks to the press, Trump remarked that Los Angeles looked “like you got hit by a bomb.”
"It means a great deal a lot to all of us... we’re gonna need your support... you were there for us in Covid, I don’t forget that," Newsom replied.
Trump responded: "We’re gonna get it done. You’ve lost a tremendous number of lives and a lot of real estate. We’ll get it permanently fixed so it won’t happen again."
Trump lands in Los Angeles and is met by Gavin Newsom
Friday 24 January 2025 23:14
,
Mike Bedigan
Touch down!
President Trump has arrived in Los Angeles and has disembarked from Air Force One at LAX.
He was met on the tarmac by California Governor Gavin Newsom, who smiled when he met him. The men appeared friendly, despite previous acrimony between them.
Trump patted Newsom on the back and the governor gave the First Lady a kiss on the cheek.
San Diego sheriff temporarily suspends all visits to county jails in the Otay Mesa area
Friday 24 January 2025 23:00
,
Julia Musto
Out of an abundance of caution, @SDSheriff is temporarily suspending all visits to county jails in the Otay Mesa area.
— San Diego Sheriff (@SDSheriff) January 24, 2025
Due to the #Border2Fire, the following Sheriff's facilities will be affected:
▪️George Bailey Detention Facility
▪️Rock Mountain Detention Facility
▪️East Mesa… pic.twitter.com/QFGFR4jVmZ
In pictures: Members of the National Guard in place ahead of Trump’s arrival
Friday 24 January 2025 22:50
,
Mike Bedigan
Forecasters preview weekend rain
Friday 24 January 2025 22:40
,
Mike Bedigan
Wanting to know our thoughts on what kind of rain and snow we'll be seeing this weekend into early next week? Take a look at our latest video update to find out #CAwx #changeintheweather pic.twitter.com/tFJOKVJQTw
— NWS San Diego (@NWSSanDiego) January 24, 2025
Partial repopulation announced for Palisades residents
Friday 24 January 2025 22:30
,
Julia Musto
Los Angeles County fire officials announced partial repopulation in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, California.
“Law Enforcement will only conduct resident escorts between 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. for Zone LOS-0767-I and previously repopulated areas. Please arrive no later than 4:30 p.m.,” the fire department said.
Newsom makes pledge on wildfire aid: ‘This money is not going to be held up by bureaucracy’
Friday 24 January 2025 22:10
,
Julia Musto
This money is not going to be held up by bureaucracy.
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) January 24, 2025
As of this morning, we have already moved over $100 million to help communities rebuild and recover. We will continue to get aid to those impacted as fast as possible. https://t.co/ftwMNFi5Xm
Chula Vista closes parks, library, and pool due to poor air quality from Border 2 fire
Friday 24 January 2025 21:52
,
Julia Musto
Due to poor air quality in the surrounding areas the following City facilities are CLOSED today, Friday, January 24, 2025.
— City of Chula Vista (@thinkchulavista) January 24, 2025
▶️ Parks and recreation centers that are east of the 805.
▶️ Parkway Pool and Loma Verde Pool
▶️ Otay Ranch Library pic.twitter.com/cWoi9jcmmo
The Red Cross supports Border 2 fire evacuees
Friday 24 January 2025 21:43
,
Julia Musto
Our volunteers are supporting those impacted by the #Border2Fire at:
— American Red Cross Southern California Region (@SoCal_RedCross)
A shelter at Cuyamaca College Gymnasium (900 Rancho San Diego Pkwy, El Cajon).
A Temporary Evacuation Point at Southwestern College (900 Otay Lakes Rd, Chula Vista).
➡️ More info: https://t.co/25I7pAO2Ao pic.twitter.com/QpCs2RvKl6
