California fires live: five people killed and landmarks threatened as wildfires rage across Los Angeles | Los Angeles
California fires: what we know so far …
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Firefighters in California are battling at least five major wildfires which have killed at least five people, destroyed nearly 1,900 structures, and which are threatening famous landmarks
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CAL fire lists five active fires which between them have burnt nearly 28,000 acres of land. Of the five, the Hurst fire and the Lidia fire have been partially contained
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The fires have put 130,000 people under evacuation orders and ravaged communities from the Pacific Coast to inland Pasadena. The Sunset fire was burning near the Hollywood Bowl and about a mile (1.6km) from the Hollywood Walk of Fame
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Hundreds of incarcerated firefighters are helping battle the destructive blazes. The California department of corrections and rehabilitation (CDCR) said on Wednesday that it had deployed 395 imprisoned firefighters across 29 crews
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In Pasadena, fire chief Chad Augustin said the city’s water system was stretched and was further hampered by power outages, but even without those issues, firefighters would not have been able to stop the fire due to the intense winds fanning the flames
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Billy Crystal, Paris Hilton and Eugene Levy are among celebrities who have lost their homes
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The disaster began on Tuesday afternoon, when a powerful windstorm fanned the flames of a fire in the scenic Pacific Palisades neighborhood, quickly forcing thousands to flee
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Satellite images showed the scale of the destruction from the Pacific Palisades fire, which burned more than 15,000 acres and left the coastline along the famous Malibu neighbourhood scorched black and buildings along the water burned to the ground
Key events
The Los Angeles department of water and power has issued a notice warning residents of the Pacific Palisades that they should only be using boiled tap water or bottled water for drinking, due to low water pressure and potential contamination of the supply. A similar notice has been issued in Pasadena.
The Palisades fire is the largest of the five major fires burning in California, covering 17,234 acres (70km sq). In its latest bulletin, CAL Fire said that 300 buildings had been destroyed, and a further 13,306 were at risk. It said:
Extreme fire behavior, including short and long-range spotting, continues to challenge firefighting efforts for the Palisades Fire. Winds gusts up to 60mph are expected to continue through Thursday.
Tony Espinoza, who fled Pasadena on Wednesday, told CNN affiliate KSNV that he fled the fire with 13 other family members, but they only packed for three days. He said:
We had to evacuate. We left in a hurry. We only had a few hours to pack. My neighbors were still in their houses. We couldn’t breathe anymore. We packed our bags only for about three days. Because we all have jobs to go to. We have rent to pay. Bills are still due.
Another evacuee, Patrice Winter, who fled Topanga Canyon, told the Los Angeles Times:
It’s like Armageddon. That’s all I can say. What they’re showing on the news is really real; they’re not sensationalizing any of this. It’s what I saw with my own eyes. It rocks your world.
The Los Angeles Times reports that authorities in Santa Monica have issued a curfew order, that will apply from sunset to sunrise in areas where the mandatory evacuation order is in place.
Archie Bland
My colleague Archie Bland has spoken to Gabrielle Canon, extreme weather correspondent for Guardian US, about the wildfires for today’s First Edition newsletter. He writes:
Wildfires are common in California – but rarely in densely populated metropolitan areas like these. And they have become significantly more dangerous in recent years because of the climate crisis.
Gabrielle Canon spent yesterday reporting near Pacific Palisades, where even people who have lived through many previous fires were stunned by the gravity of the situation. You can read her dispatch here. “It’s utter devastation here,” she said. “The iconic stretch of the Pacific Coast highway between Santa Monica and Malibu is unrecognisable.”
“People aren’t strangers to the risks,” she added. “But this fire is just laying siege to these communities, and we’re seeing major structural loss in places we haven’t for a very long time. This is going to be a catastrophic event.”
Gabrielle spoke to firefighters who said that in the Pacific Palisades area, about four out of five houses they had seen had been destroyed, even though many residents have invested in protecting their homes to meet insurance requirements.
“A lot of it came down to luck but construction also played a big part,” she said. “The firefighters saw a lot of properties where vegetation management hadn’t been done and that helped the fire spread.”
You can read more of their conversation here: Thursday briefing – What’s behind the growing danger and destruction of California’s wildfires
California fires: what we know so far …
-
Firefighters in California are battling at least five major wildfires which have killed at least five people, destroyed nearly 1,900 structures, and which are threatening famous landmarks
-
CAL fire lists five active fires which between them have burnt nearly 28,000 acres of land. Of the five, the Hurst fire and the Lidia fire have been partially contained
-
The fires have put 130,000 people under evacuation orders and ravaged communities from the Pacific Coast to inland Pasadena. The Sunset fire was burning near the Hollywood Bowl and about a mile (1.6km) from the Hollywood Walk of Fame
-
Hundreds of incarcerated firefighters are helping battle the destructive blazes. The California department of corrections and rehabilitation (CDCR) said on Wednesday that it had deployed 395 imprisoned firefighters across 29 crews
-
In Pasadena, fire chief Chad Augustin said the city’s water system was stretched and was further hampered by power outages, but even without those issues, firefighters would not have been able to stop the fire due to the intense winds fanning the flames
-
Billy Crystal, Paris Hilton and Eugene Levy are among celebrities who have lost their homes
-
The disaster began on Tuesday afternoon, when a powerful windstorm fanned the flames of a fire in the scenic Pacific Palisades neighborhood, quickly forcing thousands to flee
-
Satellite images showed the scale of the destruction from the Pacific Palisades fire, which burned more than 15,000 acres and left the coastline along the famous Malibu neighbourhood scorched black and buildings along the water burned to the ground
AFP reports that new fires appeared to be spotting as embers were thrown up to 2.5 miles (four kilometres) including one that razed a large property late on Wednesday in the densely populated Studio City area.
Adam Vangerpen of Los Angeles County Fire Department said crews were fighting to stop this new fire from spreading.
“It’s a four-storey home… we did just have the winds pick up again, so we are seeing some ember casting,” he said.
“Our hope is to hit it hard and make sure that we’re trying to keep it out of the brush right now, because with the winds picking up there in the hills, that is a concern of ours.”
Victim died trying to protect his home, sister says
One of the five people killed in fires tearing across Los Angeles died trying to protect his home from the flames, his sister said on Wednesday, describing the moment she had to leave him behind.
Victor Shaw ignored firefighters’ pleas to flee as fire began tearing through the Altadena area, Shari Shaw told local broadcaster KTLA.
The 66-year-old, who lived with his sister and had serious health issues, told her he wanted to stay behind and fight the flames as she made the heartbreaking decision to leave their family home.
“I had to get out because the embers were so big and flying like a firestorm,” she said. “I looked behind me, and the house was starting to go up in flames, and I had to leave.”
Al Tanner, a friend of Shaw’s, later found his body in the driveway of the burned property.
“It looked like he was trying to save the home that his parents had had for almost 55 years,” he told KTLA.
California’s fires – in pictures
From a windstorm of embers obscuring the ocean, to the smouldering remains of houses – dramatic pictures continue to emerge from Los Angeles tonight, where multiple wildfires continue to rage, and a new blaze has broken out in the Hollywood Hills.
Check out the series here.
Nearly 400 incarcerated firefighters deployed to battle fires
The California wildfires have become so destructive that hundreds of incarcerated firefighters have been deployed to help battle the blazes that are rapidly spreading across southern California as a powerful windstorm devastates the region.
The California department of corrections and rehabilitation (CDCR) said on Wednesday that it had deployed 395 imprisoned firefighters across 29 crews, while the county fights multiple out-of-control blazes fueled by extreme winds and dry conditions.
“The work of our incarcerated firefighters and staff is an essential part of this effort, and their commitment to protecting lives and property during these emergencies cannot be overstated,” said CDCR secretary Jeff Macomber.
Before and after the California fires – in pictures
A series of new satellite images show the scale of destruction from the Pacific Palisades and Eaton fires. By Wednesday evening, six fires were burning from the Pacific Coast inland to Pasadena, most of them uncontrolled.
See here for the revealing before and after images.
A hind wind warning remains in place for parts of greater Los Angeles, including the Malibu coast and the Santa Monica Mountains, according to the National Weather Service, which means dangerous fire conditions will likely persist overnight.
Winds of up to 40 mph could impact affected areas, with gusts of up to 60mph forecast.
Red flag warnings, which indicate higher fire risk and include a combination of warm temperatures, low humidity and strong winds, are likely to remain in effect across parts of Southern California through to Friday.
Governor of California, Gavin Newsom, has taken to X to say that over 7,500 firefighters are currently on the ground, fighting the five blazes in and around Los Angeles.
He asked southern California residents to “please remain vigilant tonight. Listen to local officials and be ready to evacuate if you’re near impacted areas.”
In another post, he listed the resources currently being put to work, including 1,162 fire engines, 23 water tenders, 6 air tankers, 31 helicopters and 53 bulldozers.
You can also read Gabrielle Canon’s latest from on the ground in Los Angeles at the link below:
A host of celebrities have lost their homes in the fires, including Billy Crystal, Cary Elwes and Eugene Levy.
Crystal in particular said he was “heartbroken” after losing his family home of 46 years in the fires that have so far destroyed 1,100 buildings.
You can read more on the celebrity homes lost here:
Sunset fire expands
The Sunset fire in Hollywood Hills has expanded, now stretching out to over 50 acres, according to the Cal Fire’s latest update.
Around 2 hours ago, it was 20 acres, so the fire is expanding quickly.
The blaze is burning southward, heading toward Hollywood Boulevard. In an update posted to X, the LA County Sheriffs said the most intense fire activity was on the “southwestern side”, and that helicopters were “actively engaged.”
They said the perimeter is holding firm on the eastern side, “thanks to a fire road and ground crews in place.”
An evacuation centre for those impacted has been established at the Pan Pacific Recreational Center.
LAPD deployed to alleviate evacuation traffic
Los Angeles mayor Karen Bass has taken to X to announce that the Los Angeles Police Department has been enlisted to provide support in the efforts to deal with the Sunset Fire in Hollywood Hills.
Police will be helping people evacuate, direct traffic, close roads near the fire and expand street access for firefighters, the mayor said:
We are deploying LAPD officers to respond to Hollywood to help alleviate evacuation traffic. We are working urgently to close roads, redirect traffic and expand access for LAFD vehicles to respond to the growing fire.
One of the fires currently burning, the Lidia fire in Acton, has now grown to 348 acres, in a major expansion of the blaze.
Only a couple of hours ago, the fire was only 50 acres, and was around 30% contained. According to the Angeles National Forest, the fire is currently 40% contained.
Acton is just north of the forest, close to the Antelope Valley, with a large area south and west of the town under evacuation orders from Wednesday evening.
