California wildfires live updates: Los Angeles death toll rises to 11 as governor orders water investigation
LA wildfires death toll rises to 11
The death toll from the Los Angeles wildfires has risen to 11, according to the LA county medical examiner’s office.
Five of those deaths were due to the Palisades fire, and the other six resulted from the Eaton fire.
Officials said they expected that number to rise as cadaver dogs go through leveled neighborhoods to assess the devastation to an area larger than San Francisco.
Five of those killed in the Eaton fire have been identified by relatives so far:
Key events
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Closing summary
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Los Angeles fire chief criticizes city officials over water supply
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LA wildfires death toll rises to 11
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Summary of the day so far
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More than 7,000 structures damaged or destroyed by Eaton fire
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California governor orders investigation of LA department of water and power
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US health department declares public health emergency for California
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Brush fire breaks out in Granada Hills, but is under control
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Joe Biden warns death toll likely to rise as he likens fires to ‘war scene’
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LA witnessing ‘mass devastation’, says Kamala Harris
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Summary of the day so far
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California insurance commissioner issues moratorium on cancellations for Palisades and Eaton fire areas
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One person arrested for suspected looting, says LAPD chief
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Curfew order issued for Palisades and Eaton Fire evacuation zones
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More than 150,000 LA County residents remain under evacuation orders
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Palisades fire stands at more than 20,000 acres and is 8% contained
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Kenneth fire has been stopped, says official
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Eaton fire stands at nearly 14,000 acres and is 3% contained
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LA official apologizes for ‘frustrating and scary’ erroneous alerts
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Details emerge about LA wildfire victims
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LA county apologizes after evacuation alerts mistakenly sent to residents
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Summary: latest key updates on LA fires
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As wildfires devastate LA, Republicans point fingers at Democratic California leaders
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Share your experience
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All schools in Los Angeles unified school district closed on Friday
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LA area’s two biggest blazes burn at least 10,000 structures
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20 people arrested since fires broke out, says LA county sheriff
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Curfew planned amid reports of looting, says Los Angeles country sheriff
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Death toll from wildfires rises to 10
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Update on Eaton fire
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Forward progress of the Kenneth fire halted
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Before and after: satellite images of fires show devastation
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Opening summary
Robert Mackey
In his letter to the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power promising an investigation, California governor Gavin Newsom called “reports of the loss of water pressure to some local fire hydrants during the fires and the reported unavailability of water supplies from the Santa Ynez Reservoir” in Pacific Palisades “deeply troubling”.
The news that the Santa Ynez Reservoir had been closed for repairs to its cover, as the Los Angeles Times reported on Friday, “leaving a 117 million gallon water storage complex empty in the heart of the Palisades,” was quickly seized upon by Republicans seeking to blame California’s Democratic leadership for the lack of water to fight the fires.
Officials at the water authority acknowledged that the reservoir being offline contributed to some diminished pressure and dry hydrants in the Palisades, but it remains unclear when it went out of service for the repairs.
But as images of the reservoir, which had a floating cover installed in 2011 to protect drinking water against contamination, were shared online, and memes were launched, there was also widespread confusion, as amateur sleuths appeared to mistake the reservoir’s cover for its floor, and mistakenly concluded that the reservoir had been empty for more than a decade.
In fact, as a satellite image of the nearby Eagle Rock Reservoir available on Google Earth shows, the floating covers routinely found on reservoirs now makes it difficult, or impossible, for the untrained eye to determine whether a reservoir with a cover on it is empty or full.
Closing summary
Thanks for joining our live coverage of the Los Angeles wildfires today. It’s approaching 7pm in Los Angeles, where winds are easing, allowing firefighters to make significant progress containing the fires. But officials warn that the danger is far from over – red flag warnings are expected to go back into effect next week – and the work to identify the dead and rebuild is just beginning.
This blog is now closing, but you can read our full report on the Los Angeles wildfires here. Here are the top headlines from this afternoon and evening:
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There are six wildfires currently raging in Los Angeles county. They include:
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The Palisades fire, at 21,317 acres and 8% containment
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The Eaton fire, at 13,690 acres and 3% containment
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The Kenneth fire, at 1,052 acres and 50% containment
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The Hurst fire, at 771 acres and 37% containment
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The Lidia fire, at 395 acres and 98% containment
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The Archer fire, at 19 acres and 0% containment
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Eleven people have died, and more than 12,000 structures have burned, in the Palisades and Eaton fires – which are likely the third and fourth most destructive fires in California history. Six deaths have been confirmed in the Eaton fire and five in the Palisades. As family members have been alerted to the loss of their loved ones, six of the victims have been publicly identified. Law enforcement officials expect the death toll to rise once weather and fire conditions allow cadaver dogs and detectives into the burn zones.
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Fire chief Kristin Crowley criticized city officials over water supply issues and budget cuts that she says hindered her department’s ability to fight the Palisades fire. The water supply has become a focal point, with California governor Gavin Newsom calling for an investigation into the shortage.
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California governor Gavin Newsom has invited president-elect Donald Trump to visit the state and tour the devastation wrought by the Los Angeles wildfires. Trump visited the state six years ago in the wake of the Camp fire, the most destructive fire in California history, which hit the town of Paradise.
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The state of California has issued a one-year moratorium preventing insurance companies from canceling or refusing to renew home policies in zip codes impacted by the Palisades and Eaton fires.
Officials have declared a local health emergency in Los Angeles County “due to the widespread presence of ash and particulate matter in the air throughout the entire region,” according to a public health department press release.
“The fires, coupled with strong winds, have severely degraded air quality by releasing hazardous smoke and particulate matter, posing immediate and long-term risks to public health,” it added.
The Los Angeles wildfires have damaged or destroyed more than 12,000 structures, according to the latest counts. The damage includes more than 5,300 structures burned by the Palisades fire, making it the most destructive fire in Los Angeles history. Farther inland, the Eaton Fire north of Pasadena burned more than 7,000 structures, including homes, apartment or commercial buildings and vehicles. It also substantially damaged five school campuses in Altadena.
Still unclear is the financial impact from the damage, though an estimate from AccuWeather, a private firm that provides weather data, estimated the toll to be about $135 billion to $150 billion. Government officials haven’t given a damage estimate yet.
Los Angeles Dodgers firstbaseman Freddie Freeman and his wife Chelsea have pledged $300,000 to support wildfire relief efforts in the wake of the LA fires. The funds will support the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation, the Pasadena Fire Department and the Salvation Army, CNN reports.
The Lidia fire is now 98% contained, according to the California governor Gavin Newsom, who shared the news on social media on Friday evening.
“Grateful for the work of our firefighters and all those on the frontlines keeping our communities safe,” he wrote.
The fire, which broke out in the Los Angeles county town of Acton, on Wednesday encompasses 395 acres.
Firefighters have made further progress containing the blazes raging across Los Angeles – most recently announcing that the Kenneth fire is 50% contained.
The fire, which broke out in the West Hills area of Los Angeles on Thursday afternoon, quickly ballooned to 1,052 acres, making it the third largest fire in southern California.
The Rose Bowl Half Marathon & 5K have been postponed as a result of the nearby Eaton fire. The annual runs, which were scheduled to take place on 19 January, are held in Pasadena – not far from where the Eaton fire devastated the neighborhood of Altadena.
A sixth of the 11 known victims of the Los Angeles wildfires has been identified. CNN reports that 85-year-old Annette Rossilli died in the Palisades fire, according to the home health company caring for her at the time.
A caregiver offered to help Rossilli evacuate, but she wanted to stay with her pets: a dog, canary, two parrots and a turtle, said Fay Vahdani, president of Luxe Homecare.
Rossilli, who ran a plumbing business in Pacific Palisades, leaves behind a daughter and son.
As the sun sets here in California on the fourth day since deadly wildfires broke out in Los Angeles on Tuesday morning, here is a sense of the devastation left behind.
The state of California has issued a one-year moratorium preventing insurance companies from canceling or refusing to renew home policies in zip codes impacted by the Palisades and Eaton fires. A 2018 state law bans insurers from canceling home insurance coverage after a state of emergency.
California governor Gavin Newsom shared the news in a post on social media Friday, writing, “The folks in these communities have suffered enough. They should not have to deal with the stress of home insurance on top of it all.”
The Eaton fire is not expected to grow significantly over night, officials shared at a community meeting Friday.
“The big difference today from the past several days is we’ve lost the wind influence,” fire behavior analyst Dennis Burns said.
The National Weather Service’s red flag warning for parts of Los Angeles and Ventura counties will expire this evening at 6pm local time as winds are expected to ease.
Los Angeles fire chief criticizes city officials over water supply
City officials failed the Los Angeles fire department, fire chief Kristin Crowley told Fox 11 Los Angeles in an interview Friday.
“When a firefighter comes up to a hydrant, we expect there’s going to be water,” she said. “We don’t control the water supply.”
Early on Wednesday morning, as firefighters were battling the Palisades fire, hydrants ran dry – raising questions about the state of the city’s water resources.
“We’re fighting a wildfire with urban water systems, and that is really challenging,” said Janisse Quiñones, chief engineer and CEO of the Los Angeles department of water and power. “Four times the normal demand was seen for 15 hours straight, which lowered our water pressure.”
Urban water systems are not designed to fight wildfires, Mark Pestrella, director of the Los Angeles county department of public works, said Wednesday. “That’s why air support is so critical to the firefight. And unfortunately, wind and air visibility have prevented that support.”
But on Friday Crowley confirmed to Fox 11 Los Angeles that the city had drained the Santa Ynez Reservoir near the Palisades fire for repairs without alerting her department.
During the interview, the reporter asked Crowley whether the city failed the fire department – after hedging, she said yes, noting cuts to the department’s budget.
“My message is the fire department needs to be properly funded,” she said. “It’s not.” On July 1, 2024, Los Angeles cut the fire department’s budget by $17m.
The Palisades and Eaton fires are likely the third and fourth most destructive fires in California history, CalFire shared in a social media post Friday.
The Palisades fire, which currently encompasses 21,317 acres, has killed at least five and destroyed more than 5,000 structures.
The Eaton fire, which currently encompasses 13,690 acres, has killed at least six and destroyed another 5,000 or more structures.
The Palisades fire is currently about 8% contained, and the Eaton fire is 3% contained.
The IRS is offering relief to individuals and businesses affected by the California wildfires, including extending the 2024 filing deadline to October 15, 2025.
“The IRS automatically provides filing and penalty relief to any taxpayer with an IRS address of record located in the disaster area. These taxpayers do not need to contact the agency to get this relief,” the agency wrote in a press release.
Mexico is sending a team of firefighters to support California’s battle against the wildfires raging in Los Angeles.
“We are going to send a support team to Los Angeles,” Mexican president Claudia Sheinbaum said Friday morning. The “solidarity team” would consist of firefighters from the country’s forestry department and military.
“We are going to provide support,” she added. “Not only because the people and government of Mexico have always been generous, but also because there are many Mexicans in this area of the United States.”
California governor Gavin Newsom confirmed the news in a social media post Friday afternoon: “Firefighters from Mexico are en route to the #EatonFire — joining more than 10,000 personnel already on the ground. California is deeply grateful for President @ClaudiaShein’s support as we work to suppress the Los Angeles wildfires.”
The Walt Disney Company pledged $15m to initial and immediate response and rebuilding efforts after the Los Angeles wildfires in a press release on Friday. The funds will be directed towards groups like the American Red Cross, the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation and the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank.
“Walt Disney came to Los Angeles with little more than his limitless imagination,” CEO Bob Iger said. “As this tragedy continues to unfold, The Walt Disney Company is committed to supporting our community and our employees as we all work together to recover and rebuild from this unbelievable devastation.”
LA wildfires death toll rises to 11
The death toll from the Los Angeles wildfires has risen to 11, according to the LA county medical examiner’s office.
Five of those deaths were due to the Palisades fire, and the other six resulted from the Eaton fire.
Officials said they expected that number to rise as cadaver dogs go through leveled neighborhoods to assess the devastation to an area larger than San Francisco.
Five of those killed in the Eaton fire have been identified by relatives so far:
California governor Gavin Newsom has invited president-elect Donald Trump to visit the state and tour the devastation wrought by the Los Angeles wildfires. In a post on social media, Newsom shared a copy of the letter addressed to Trump:
“It was just six years ago that we toured the devastation of the Camp Fire in the town of Paradise, the deadliest wildfire in California’s history,” Newsom wrote. “Now, California is again facing one of the most destructive fires in our history.”
“As you prepare to assume the presidency once more, I invite you to come to California again – to meet with the Americans affected by these fires, see the devastation firsthand, and join me and others in thanking the heroic firefighters and first responders who are putting their lives on the line.”
Here’s Trump’s visit in 2018:
