Wildfires latest: Pacific Palisades fire is most destructive in Los Angeles history

Fierce wildfires are raging in the Los Angeles area, fueled by powerful Santa Ana winds, sending residents fleeing from burning homes through flames, ferocious winds and towering clouds of smoke. Thousands of firefighters were battling at least three separate blazes on Wednesday, from the Pacific Coast inland to Pasadena. One of the fires was the most destructive in the modern history of the city of LA. Here’s the latest:

The voting window for Academy Awards nominations has been extended

The organization that puts on the Oscars has extended the voting window for Academy Awards nominations and delayed next week’s planned nominations announcement.

Bill Kramer, the CEO of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, shared the postponements to the film academy members in a letter obtained by The Associated Press on Wednesday.

Nominations and the voting window have both been extended by two days. Oscar nominations will now be revealed on Sunday, Jan. 19. Voting closes on Jan. 14.

“We want to offer our deepest condolences to those who have been impacted by the devastating fires across Southern California,” Kramer wrote. “So many of our members and industry colleagues live and work in the Los Angeles area, and we are thinking of you.”

Evacuation orders issued for some densely populated areas of Santa Monica

Evacuation orders and warnings have been issued for some densely populated Santa Monica neighborhoods just north of the city’s famous pier.

City officials say people in the affected zones should leave now, including those in evacuation warning areas who may need additional time to get out. Police were being deployed to help with evacuations, the city wrote on its website.

The city says its Big Blue Bus is offering free transport every hour to evacuation centers.

5 people have died in wildfires in the Los Angeles area, officials say

The death toll from the wildfires burning in the Los Angeles area has risen to five, according to Nicole Nishida, a spokesperson for the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

Officials had reported earlier that two people had died. Officials say they have no other details on the deaths.

Palisades fire destroys Will Rogers’ historic home

The Palisades fire has destroyed the historic ranch house that belonged to Hollywood legend Will Rogers.

California State Parks said in a statement that Rogers’ historic ranch house was among multiple structures destroyed by the devastating fire at both Will Rogers State Historic Park and Topanga State Park. The historic Topanga Ranch Motel, built by William Randolph Hearst in 1929, also burned down.

Rogers’ ranch, built on land he bought in the 1920s, occupied some 359 acres in what is now Pacific Palisades. It included a 31-room ranch house, a stable, golf course and riding trails. His wife donated it to California State Parks in 1944.

Pentagon to send helicopters to help California fight fires

The Pentagon will send 10 Navy helicopters to help fight fires burning in California, said Sabrina Singh, spokesperson for the department.

The order has yet to be finalized, but officials expect it will be an active duty unit with Navy Sea Hawks based in Southern California that can be equipped to carry water.

Singh also said Wednesday that the military is prepared to make four additional modular air firefighting systems available to the California National Guard. Those would likely come from other National Guard units in the country.

Iconic Reel Inn fish market off Pacific Coast Highway burns

The Reel Inn, an iconic Malibu seafood shack and fish market known for its Pacific Coast Highway location and kitschy vibe, has burned.

Owner Teddy Leonard says she and her husband Andy watched it burn on TV Tuesday evening from their home a few miles away. A short time later they began packing up their belongings, evacuating and heading to a short-term rental home in Santa Monica.

On Wednesday, Leonard was hopeful her home may have survived the flames. She said restaurant employees have been texting, hoping to rebuild, but it may be a challenge.

“Part of the charm for our little fish shack was my husband’s, you know, collecting of old surfboards, going back to the 1930s that were hanging in the rafters,” Leonard said.

The Reel Inn opened in 1986, but several other restaurants have operated in the same location since the 1940s.

“My husband and I, we keep looking at each other and going, ‘We have each other. We have these beautiful grandchildren and children and life,'” Leonard said.

Over 1.5 million people in Southern California are without power

More than 1.5 million customers were without power in Southern California on Wednesday afternoon as wildfires tore through several Los Angeles county neighborhoods, according to tracking site PowerOutage.us.

Well over half of the roughly 334,000 customers in Ventura County were without power, along with more than 957,000 customers in Los Angeles County.

Power companies often shut off power as a public safety measure when extreme winds, like the ones pummeling Southern California, are forecasted.

Already crowded hospitals now contend with medical emergencies from smoke inhalation

Wildfire smoke is known to cause heart attacks and worsening asthma. Now, patients suffering from those conditions are showing up in emergency rooms at a time when hospitals are already full because of flu season, said Dr. Puneet Gupta, the assistant medical director for the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

“We have a number of hospitals threatened, and if they have to be evacuated, it could become a crisis,” said Gupta, also a spokesperson for the American College of Emergency Physicians.

Many at Pasadena evacuation center were evacuated from assisted living facilities

Several hundred evacuees were at the Pasadena evacuation center by Wednesday afternoon. Many were elderly, sitting wheelchair to wheelchair, and from assisted living facilities.

Donald Fisher, 78, said he was first to be wheeled onto the bus at the Camellia Gardens Care Center to be taken to the shelter around 8 a.m.

“I can stand up but I can’t walk,” Fisher said. “I think that the city of Pasadena did a marvelous job.”

The earlier arrivals were able to snag green cots to sleep on, while others wondered where they would sleep at night when the cots ran out.

The shelter was providing hot meals, as well as food for dogs and cats brought there.

LA Metro suspends fares due to complications from power outages

The LA Metro suspended fares on Wednesday after intermittent power outages made it difficult for riders to purchase and load fare cards.

Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn wrote on the social media site X that Metro rides would be free system-wide for the remainder of the day.

Wind and wildfire damage also forced the closure of some Los Angeles bus lines and created detours for others.

Biden being in LA didn’t affect wildfire fighting efforts, the White House says

White House national security spokesperson John Kirbyy, who held a virtual briefing for reporters, said it was “it was important for the president while he was there to make it clear to the people of Southern California how diligently our government and our administration is going to support their firefighting efforts, but also their recovery efforts.”

President Joe Biden was in the Los Angeles area for an event Tuesday that the White House later postponed because of the fires. He is currently flying back to Washington.

Evacuation centers open for people and animals

Three evacuation centers for people and 12 for animals have been established so far for people fleeing the wildfires burning in the Pacific Palisades, Altadena and other Los Angeles neighborhoods.

But with at least 70,000 people in evacuation zones, some shelter resources are scarce.

When EJ Soto and her family arrived at the Pasadena Convention Center after fleeing their Altadena home early Wednesday morning, the facility had already run out of cots.

“I had one hour of sleep, so it’s been a really, bad, really bad day,” Soto said.

Another evacuation shelter, El Camino Real Charter High School, wrote on its Facebook page that it was accepting donations of food and water for evacuees.

The Pasadena Humane Society wrote on Facebook that it had taken in more than 100 animals overnight and was taking in more, but kennel space was filling up. The organization was directing some evacuees to a partner shelter and is looking for volunteers to foster large dogs for a week or more.

Both the Los Angeles County Emergency Management Office and the American Red Cross are posting updated lists of evacuation sites on their websites.

Biden and Mayor Bass discuss the wildfires

The White House says the president and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass discussed the latest updates by phone as Biden flew back to Washington, D.C., aboard Air Force One.

Preliminary damage and losses are in the billions, AccuWeather says

AccuWeather estimates $52 billion to $57 billion in preliminary damage and economic loss has occurred from the raging Los Angeles area wildfires.

The company said the estimate comes from an advisory that will soon be released.

Oregon is sending strike teams to help battle the fires in California

“We both understand that fire does not recognize map lines, and we are ready to help each other whenever there is a need,” Oregon State Fire Marshal Mariana Ruiz-Temple said in a statement.

“During our historic 2024 wildfire season, California sent us help and in their time of need, we are working as fast as possible to lend them support during this emergency,” she added.

The 12 teams include 240 firefighters and 60 engines.

Their Wednesday mobilization comes after the Oregon agency received a request for assistance late Tuesday evening.

NHL postpones the Los Angeles Kings’ home game against the Calgary Flames

The Kings and Flames were set to play at the Kings’ downtown arena. The NBA’s Los Angeles Lakers are scheduled to host the Charlotte Hornets in the same arena on Thursday night.

“Our hearts are with our entire Los Angeles community,” the Kings said in a statement. “We appreciate the hard working first responders who are diligently working to contain the fire and protect our community. We appreciate the league’s support in keeping our fans, staff, and players safe.”

The NFL is also paying close attention to the potential impact of the fires on the two playoff-bound Los Angeles teams’ preparations and the Rams’ wild-card postseason game against the Minnesota Vikings scheduled for Monday night at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood.

The Rams and the Los Angeles Chargers both train in areas not threatened by fires, but both teams are monitoring the air quality and its potential impact on their preparations.

Critics Choice Awards postponed until Jan. 26

The awards were set to take place on Sunday at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, only miles from the Pacific Palisades neighborhood where fire was raging.

“This unfolding tragedy has already had a profound impact on our community. All our thoughts and prayers are with those battling the devastating fires and with all who have been affected,” said Critics Choice Association CEO Joey Berlin.

The awards will be broadcast live on E! and hosted by Chelsea Handler.

Biden heads back to Washington

After his briefing in Santa Monica, President Joe Biden flew on Marine One to Los Angeles International Airport for his flight back to Washington.

Reporters who accompanied Biden could see smoke from the windows of their Osprey aircraft.

The ride was bumpy as winds continued to be a challenge in the area.

Pacific Palisades fire is more destructive than 2008’s Sayre Fire

With an estimated 1,000 structures destroyed and the flames still growing on Wednesday, it is far more destructive than the second-most destructive, according to statistics kept by the Wildfire Alliance, a partnership between the city’s fire department and MySafe:LA.

Structures refers to homes and other buildings.

The last most destructive fire was the Sayre Fire in November 2008 that destroyed 604 structures in Sylmar, the northernmost suburb of the city.

Before that, a 1961 Bel Air fire stood for nearly half a century as the most destructive fire in the city’s history. It burned nearly 500 houses in the hillside enclave, including the homes of actor Burt Lancaster, Zsa Zsa Gabor and other celebrities.

Los Angeles firefighting aircraft resume flights

Aircraft had been grounded due to extreme winds, dramatically hampering the firefight.

Los Angeles City Fire Capt. Jacob Raabe said aircraft resumed dropping fire retardant and water on the Palisades Fire at around 7 a.m. Wednesday.

Biden attends briefing on California wildfires

“It’s going to take time,” President Joe Biden warned when talking about the recovery from the wildfires during a briefing at a Santa Monica fire station on Wednesday.

Newsom, who stood next to Biden, thanked him for his support.

“It’s impossible for me to express the level of appreciation,” he said.

Kristin Crowley, the Los Angeles fire chief, said her team knew there was a “significant threat” from the Pacific Palisades fire as soon as it started because of the “high, high, high winds.”

Crowley said she’d never seen anything like the wind conditions in her 25 years of experience.

The Eaton Fire could become historic

The Eaton Fire stands to become the largest wildfire to burn in California during the month of January in the past 41 years.

The fire, which ignited on Tuesday north of Pasadena, has now burned more than 16.5 square miles (42.9 square kilometers), according to state fire personnel.

Federal data shows just six wildfires have burned more than 2 square miles (5.18 square kilometers) in the month of January in California since 1984.

The largest was the Viejas Fire, which burned 17.1 square miles (44.3 square kilometers) in 2001 in the mountains east of San Diego.

More recently, the Colby Fire burned just over 3 square miles (8.2 square kilometers) near Glendora, California, in 2014.

Since 2014, wildfires of any size in January have been uncommon, with the exception of 2021 and this year, according to Cal Fire data.

The Altadena Golf Course has been destroyed

Johnny Eusebio, general manager of the Altadena Golf Course, said the course was lost to the fire.

A video posted on social media shows smoldering buildings surrounded by debris and flames and a tattered flag flapping in the wind.

Premiere of Pamela Anderson’s ‘The Last Showgirl’ canceled due to the wildfires

The film was originally scheduled to premiere at the Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, but the event was called off as the severe conditions continued impacting parts of the city.

Anderson, best known for her role in “Baywatch,” stars in “The Last Showgirl,” where she portrays an aging Las Vegas showgirl. She earned a Golden Globe nomination for her performance in the film, which is still set to debut in theaters nationwide on Friday.

Excess water demand caused fire hydrants to run dry

For roughly 15 hours, water systems faced four times more than normal demand, lowering water pressure and causing some fire hydrants to run dry, according to officials from the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power.

Demand was so high that it wasn’t enough to fill the three, one-million-gallon (3,785,411-liter) tanks that help maintain pressure for the hydrants in the hills of Palisades.

One tank ran out late Tuesday afternoon, another in the evening, and the third early Wednesday morning.

LADWP is sending in about 20 mobile water tankers to the area to help with suppression, in addition to refilling water trucks at some pressurized hydrants in the area, according to chief engineer Janisse Quiñones.

It takes about 30 minutes to refill about 4,000 gallons (15,142 liters) of water.

Correction: This post has been updated to reflect that the statement came from officials with the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, not the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works.

County officials urge residents to conserve water for firefighters

Municipal water systems are not designed to fight wildfires, said Mark Pestrella, director of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works.

“That’s why air support is so critical to the firefight. And unfortunately, wind and air visibility have prevented that support,” Pestrella said. County and city reservoirs are ready to be used to fight fires from the air once it becomes safe to fly, he said.

Officials are urging residents across the region to conserve water so there’s enough for firefighters to use.

“We’re fighting a wildfire with urban water systems, and that is really challenging,” chief engineer Janisse Quiñones said.

Trump blames Gov. Newsom for the wildfires

The president-elect, in a post Wednesday on Truth Social, his social media network, used a derisive nickname for Newsom and renewed old criticisms against the governor for resisting a plan to send more water to the state’s agricultural Central Valley because of concerns it would imperil endangered species.

Trump has sided with farmers over environmentalists in a long-running dispute over California’s scarce water resources, but it’s not clear how his plan could have mitigated the firestorm in the Los Angeles area.

“He wanted to protect an essentially worthless fish called a smelt, by giving it less water (it didn’t work!), but didn’t care about the people of California,” Trump said in his post Wednesday. “Now the ultimate price is being paid.”

His comments came after some fire hydrants across Los Angeles County ran out of water amid the overnight firefight.

Officials from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works said that was due to an overwhelming demand on the municipal water system not designed to fight wildfire.

Santa Anita racetrack safe from Eaton fire so far

Santa Anita Park in Arcadia has canceled training today and is continuing to monitor air quality.

The horse racing track’s fire marshal, in coordination with local authorities, says there is no direct threat to the track, which is currently outside the voluntary evacuation zone.

The 90-year-old racetrack is located just south of the Eaton fire.

Embers and smoke are being pushed into the San Gabriel Mountains and away from Santa Anita.

Track management is offering to pay to relocate horses if trainers want to move them because of poor air quality. Racing is currently scheduled for Friday through Sunday.

Getty Villa spared in Palisades fire so far

The Getty Villa, a campus devoted to the art and culture of ancient Greece and Rome, says its structures and collection remain safe from the Palisades fire.

The institution, which is located in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, provided an update on Wednesday morning. J. Paul Getty Trust President and CEO Katherine E. Fleming says the center will remain closed.

The Getty Center, a hilltop museum about 10 miles (16 kilometers) east, is out of the fire zone but will be closed until at least Sunday to help alleviate traffic in the area.

The Palisades fire is one of several burning in the Los Angeles area, with officials saying more than 1,000 structures have burned and two people have been killed.

Universal Studios Hollywood, an amusement park near the Hollywood Hills, said it would be closed Wednesday.

Air quality in the Los Angeles area is at a hazardous level

The air quality index for most of the Los Angeles metropolitan area Wednesday morning was well over 300, which is considered hazardous to the general public, according to AirNow.gov.

At that level, people are advised to stay indoors and reduce activity levels.

Fire hydrants in Palisades turn to a trickle

“We pushed the system to the extreme,” said Janisse Quiñones, 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.”

The utility was pushing water from its source into the system, but demand was so high that it wasn’t enough to fill three, 1-million-gallon tanks that help maintain pressure for the hydrants in the hills of Palisades.

One tank ran out at 4:45 p.m. on Tuesday, one at 8:30 p.m. and the third at 3 a.m. on Wednesday.

Officials are urging residents across the region to conserve water so there’s enough for firefighters to use.

“We’re fighting a wildfire with urban water systems, and that is really challenging,” Quiñones said.

NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory is closed

Only essential workers will be allowed in, according to an emergency notice from NASA.

The fire is “very close to the lab,” but there’s been no fire damage yet, the center’s director, Laurie Leshin, wrote in a post on the social platform X.

However, there has been some wind damage, wrote Leshin.

She added that hundreds of NASA employees at the lab have had to evacuate from their homes.

The research lab near Pasadena, California, is known for building and sending robotic spacecraft to Mars and the outer solar system.

Biden to be briefed by fire crews in Santa Monica

The president had planned to travel from Los Angeles to Riverside County by plane on Tuesday to announce the creation of two new national monuments.

His trip was announced on Jan. 3 and he was already in the state when the fires broke out.

White House officials canceled the air traffic restrictions necessary for his travel and noted that he stayed put in his hotel Tuesday in order to minimize his impact on first responders and law enforcement.

He will head to Washington, D.C., later in the day.

GoFundMe has centralized all fundraisers related to the wildfires

The crowdfunding site also has a California Wildfire Relief Fund that will be distributed to people seeking help through GoFundMe fundraisers and nonprofits providing relief, the company said.

Pasadena synagogue caught fire, executive director says

Melissa Levy, the executive director of Pasadena Jewish Temple and Center, said staff evacuated on Tuesday night and the synagogue’s Torah scrolls were taken to the home of a community member.

Levy said it appears the synagogue caught fire and buildings have burned.

“We are still assessing the situation and right now our primary focus is on our community members and their safety as many of them have also lost their homes,” Levy said in an email.

Caltech closes its Pasadena campus

Classes were canceled on Wednesday due to the fires and strong winds, the university said on its website.

Thousands are told to leave

Officials have said about 30,000 residents are under evacuation orders. And more than 13,000 structures are under threat.

The evacuation orders affect areas including the Pacific Palisades neighborhood near the sea, areas north of Pasadena and part of the San Fernando Valley.

Other areas are under evacuation warnings that say people who need additional time to evacuate should get moving.

Over 1,000 structures destroyed by wildfires, 2 dead

Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said two people were killed and many others hurt in the fires, which have destroyed more than 1,000 structures.

Vice President Harris’ home in Los Angeles is affected

A spokesman for Vice President Kamala Harris says her neighborhood in Los Angeles was put under an evacuation order Tuesday night.

Ernesto Apreza said in a Wednesday post on the social platform X that no one was in the house at the time.

The sounds and scene on the ground

The smoke is thick and gray, and the headlights of vehicles in badly hit areas are glowing well after sunrise. There is the crackling of the flames and the rustling of palm trees in the strong wind, and the exclamations of emergency responders.

One firefighter stands on top of a truck and watches a home burn. There is a bin for recycling sitting outside the blazing home, abandoned.

Litter blows by. Every stray piece could become another flame.

Thousands of Southern California Edison customers face power shut-offs

Southern California Edison shut off power to nearly 120,000 customers in six Southern California counties over safety concerns due to high winds and the risk of wildfires.

Another 440,000 customers could face similar shutoffs depending on weather conditions, the utility said Wednesday on its website.

Much of Pasadena is under evacuation orders, fire chief says

Pasadena Fire Chief Chad Augustin said much of the city of Pasadena is under evacuation orders as his department waits for winds to die down so he can get aircraft up to start dousing the flames from overhead.

Until that happens, it’s going to be difficult to get the blaze there under control, Augustin told KABC-TV, the ABC affiliate.

Fire departments from across California were sending in firefighters as crews in the Los Angeles area were stretched to their limit, he said.

He said there had been no loss of life and thanked public safety officers for “pulling people out from burning buildings” overnight.

Wildfires lead to several school closures in the Los Angeles area

Pasadena, where the Eaton fire is burning, and neighboring Glendale canceled classes Wednesday.

Los Angeles Unified School District also closed several elementary schools in the evacuation area of the fire burning in Pacific Palisades.

Palisades Charter High School, which burned in the fire, was not back in session yet.

Eaton fire grows to over 3 square miles

Fire crews assigned to the Eaton fire burning in Pasadena are working to keep the blaze north of the 210 Freeway, east of Angeles Crest Highway, west of Santa Anita Avenue and south of Mount Wilson, according to an incident action plan developed for Wednesday operations.

The fire rapidly grew to more than 3.13 square miles (8.11 square kilometers) overnight amid dangerous fire weather conditions caused by strong winds and low levels of relative humidity.

Power outages affecting thousands in Los Angeles County

More than 180,000 customers were without power in southern California, with the vast majority of them in Los Angeles County, according to PowerOutage.us, which tracks outages nationwide.

Statewide, over 320,000 customers were without power on Wednesday morning.

A full incident management team has been activated to combat the wildfires

It’s only the third time in 30 years that has happened in January, said David Acuña, a battalion chief for Cal Fire. Such a team, of officials from various agencies, is only assembled during major, complex events.

“This is a rare event” to have incidents like this in January, Acuña said, adding that wildfires are so common during other months that fire officials no longer talk about “fire seasons.”

“We now talk about ‘fire years,'” said Acuña. “We had wildfires pop up in December and now we have these in early January.”

Where are the fires currently burning?

Palisades fire: West of Los Angeles, by the sea. It has burned about 4.5 square miles (11.6 square kilometers).

Eaton fire: Altadena area, north of Pasadena. It has burned about 1.6 square miles (4 square kilometers).

Hurst fire: In the San Fernando Valley. It has burned about 500 acres (202 hectares).

Woodley fire: In the San Fernando Valley. It has burned about 75 acres (30 hectares).

All four fires are currently at 0% containment.

Celebrities among those fleeing the Los Angeles fires

Wildfires that ripped through the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles forced many Hollywood stars, including Mark Hamill, Mandy Moore and James Woods, to evacuate their homes.

California firefighters are battling wind-whipped wildfires that are tearing across the area, destroying homes and straining resources as the fires burned uncontained early Wednesday.

The Pacific Palisades neighborhood is a hillside area along the coast dotted with celebrity residences and memorialized by the Beach Boys in their 1960s hit “Surfin’ USA.”

Flames jumped the famous Sunset Boulevard and burned parts of the Palisades Charter High School, which has been featured in many Hollywood productions including the 1976 horror movie “Carrie,” the 2003 remake of “Freaky Friday” and the TV series “Teen Wolf.”

Daybreak sheds light on the destruction

As the sun rose Wednesday the devastation was stunning with morning news crews showing home after home engulfed in flames, some collapsing live on camera.

Roads were strewn with power lines, some flickering with fire.

Voices from the flames

The sun is rising behind a wall of smoke in the Pacific Palisades that looks as black as night. Here’s what witnesses have been saying.

“We looked across and the fire had jumped from one side of the road to the other side of the road,” Kelsey Trainor said. “People were getting out of the cars with their dogs and babies and bags, they were crying and screaming.”

“As soon as I opened my door, it was like right there,” Sheriece Wallace said. “The first thing I did was look at the trees to see where the wind was blowing. Because it hit me. It blew me back.”

“It is crazy, it’s everywhere, in all the nooks and crannies of the Palisades. One home’s safe, the other one’s up in flames,” Will Adams said.