What to know about the California wildfires
- Firefighters continue efforts to gain control of almost 40,000 acres of ongoing wildfires, which have killed at least 27 people and destroyed more than 12,300 structures. See maps of the fire areas and evacuation zones.
- Some people have been allowed to return to evacuation zones, but tens of thousands more are waiting to find out what may be left of their homes.
- The causes of the fires remain unknown, but investigators are focusing on a specific scorched slope to discover the origins of the largest blaze, the Palisades Fire. The Palisades Fire is 31% contained, and the Eaton Fire is 65% contained.
- Attention has already turned to the vast cleanup and restoration effort, with California Gov. Gavin Newsom promising a Marshall Plan-style rebuilding effort that could cost tens of billions of dollars.
- Dangerous fire conditions are expected to return next week, the National Weather Service warned, while concerns are rising over the risk of mudslides on charred hillsides.
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‘Are u OK?’: Angelenos share their text exchanges amid wildfire devastation
A photo of flames on the horizon, taken outside a Pasadena home.
A frantic “Are u OK?” Instagram message from a concerned friend who’s watching the news from out of state.
A “This is so scary” refrain, sent from one friend to another across town.
As wildfires have erupted across Los Angeles in the last week and a half, phones have been buzzing nonstop with frantic messages — including the above — between loved ones, friends and acquaintances.
14-year-old’s Altadena Girls effort leads to outpouring of support for wildfire victims
One 14-year-old girl's effort to help those dealing with loss in the wake of the California wildfires led to an outpouring of support that no one could have imagined.
Avery Colvert launched Altadena Girls on Instagram and put out the call for clothes, makeup, skincare and shoes. The donations poured in.
"These girls don't have anything, and I want them to feel confident in themselves again," she said.
Marli Petrini, an Altadena resident, said she got new pants and a "super soft" jacket.
"One jacket means the absolute world when you have zero jackets,” she said.
The effort has also inspired a counterpart, Altadena Boys.
Billie Eilish, Lady Gaga, Rod Stewart among artists to play at FireAid benefit concert
Billie Eilish, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Joni Mitchell are among a star-studded set of musicians performing at a benefit concert this month for wildfire recovery and relief, organizers announced Thursday.
“FireAid” will be held Jan. 30 at the Intuit Dome and Kia Forum in Inglewood in the Los Angeles area, featuring a number of artists with California ties.
Tickets will go on sale at noon Wednesday through Ticketmaster, AEG announced. The money will go to both short-term and long-term relief, it said.
Newsom extends protections against rental price gouging amid wildfires
California Gov. Gavin Newsom is extending protections against price-gouging on rental housing. Los Angeles Times political writer Seema Mehta joins Chris Jansing to explain more on what this means for people looking for housing in the wake of the deadly wildfires.
Several people charged with alleged crimes including arson, looting during wildfires
Nine people have been charged, mostly with arson, in connection with separate alleged crimes during the Los Angeles-area wildfires, prosecutors said today.
The charges including felony arson, felony looting, and misdemeanor impersonating a firefighter, according to a statement from Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman.
“To anyone who believes they can use this disaster as a cover for criminal activity, let this be your warning: you will be caught, and you will be held accountable,” Hochman said.
Six of the people charged with arson separately lit various items on fire, including a Christmas tree and a couch, prosecutors said.
In another case, a man lit trash on fire next to train tracks within an evacuation zone in Compton, prosecutors said.
In a separate case, a man was stopped on Jan. 10 while driving in an evacuation zone. Officers found .357 ammunition and an AR15 magazine, along with a drone, walkie talkies, burglary tools, gloves, and a window punch tool, prosecutors said.
That man is charged with unlawful possession of ammunition, prohibited by a prior conviction; possession of a firearm by a felon and possession of burglar’s tools, prosecutors said.
And another man is accused of wearing a yellow firefighter jacket and having a first responders’ radio in a mandatory evacuation area in Malibu. He is charged with receiving stolen property, impersonating a firefighter and unlawful use of a badge, prosecutors said.
Texas sends emergency management personnel to California
Texas emergency management officials said today that a team from their division was sent to California to help with wildfire recovery.
Texas Division of Emergency Management said in a statement the personell would help with care and sheltering, navigating federal assistance, and managing volunteers.
They will join dozens of other Texans deployed by Gov. Greg Abbott to help California fight and recover from those blazes in Los Angeles County. The department said more than 135 firefighters from Texas have been assigned to the fires since they started last week.
The deployments are part of a mutual-aid agreement among states known as the Emergency Management Assistance Compact, the Texas division said. They're made in coordination with federal officials and their response.
John Legend sings to incarcerated firefighters
Musician John Legend, who said on social media he has returned home with his family after evacuating amid the L.A. County fires, sang to incarcerated firefighters in Pasadena today.
The former coach on NBC's "The Voice" visited with inmate firefighters assigned to clear brush, cut fire lines, and save homes amid the Eaton Fire in neighboring Altadena.
At times incarcerated firefighters can compose nearly 1 in 3 firefighters during major fires like the ones that erupted in L.A. County last week, officials have said.
The incarcerated firefighters, who make as much as about $10 a day and can use the experience to reduce their sentences, have been on the front lines of the L.A. blazes since they started Jan. 7.
Legend had lunch with the crews, sang "Ordinary People," to them, and autographed hats. He did not want to be interviewed.
Legend and wife Chrissy Teigen — the model and TV personality who is mother to the couple's four children — have shared on social media news from their evacuation and return to an intact home amid the fires.
Gov. Newsom prohibits evictions for adding roommates displaced by fires
Gov. Gavin Newsom is banning evictions for tenants who add roommates displaced by the fires.
The governor's office said in a statement that Newsom issued an executive order that prohibits using the unlawful detainer process, essentially eviction, to kick out tenants who, outside a lease's terms, add roommates displaced by the fires.
The order will remain in effect through March 8, the office said.
The statement suggested legislators are working on legal updates that would include a similar, more permanent ban covering fire victims and their hosts.
Officials estimate 12,300 structures, including homes, have been destroyed in the wind-driven blazes in Southern California.
Los Angeles sports teams organize donation drive for fire victims
A major relief center has been set up at Dodger Stadium for families displaced by the California wildfires. Diapers, essential hygiene supplies and other items are being provided.
L.A. mayor announces Steve Soboroff 'chief recovery officer'
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass announced that developer and philanthropist Steve Soboroff will serve as the city's "chief recovery officer" as she updated Angelenos on the status of fire recovery.
He is the father of NBC News correspondent Jacob Soboroff.
Steve Soboroff today vowed to rebuild the mostly fire-destroyed community of Pacific Palisades, saying critics can get on board or get out of the way.
"There’s a bus to yes," said Soboroff, a former Los Angeles Police Commission leader and board member. "If people want to help out, they can get on it."
Bass said Soboroff is the right person to help Los Angeles recover and move forward as its role as host of the 2028 Summer Olympics looms.
"No one is better equipped to create our rebuilding plan," she said, crediting the 76-year-old with helping to develop sports venue Staples Center, now Crypto.com Arena, and the Playa Vista community.
