LA fires live updates: Southern California gets break from fire-fanning winds but warnings persist
The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday
Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US
Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US
Wind speeds in southern California are declining, the National Weather Service said Wednesday, though sudden gusts and dry conditions could still help spark new fires.
While speeds will go down throughout Thursday, the winds will โbe slow to weaken,โ the NWS said. As conditions change, the โpotential for rapid fire growth and localized downed trees and power outages will still remain,โ the agency said.
Wednesday was expected to be โthe last really windy dayโ of the Santa Ana winds event, but more winds could reach the area by next week, officials said.
Meanwhile, officials urged more than 90,000 residents to be alert and heed any evacuation warnings and orders.
โI urge everyone to stay alert. The combination of low humidity and strong winds has further dried out the brush, increasing the risk of fire,โ Los Angeles County Fire Department Chief Anthony Marrone said at a Wednesday press briefing.
The areaโs largest blazes, the Palisades and Eaton Fires, are now among the most destructive in Southern Californiaโs history. Significant progress has been made on the fires in the last couple of days, despite tricky weather conditions.
The Palisades Fire has torn across nearly 24,000 acres and is 19 percent contained. The Eaton Fire is 45 percent contained after burning more than 14,000 acres.
Los Angeles launches new reporting system to help report illegal price gouging and fraud
Julia Musto16 January 2025 06:00
Cal Transit maintenance station is โseverely damagedโ in Palisades Fire
Julia Musto16 January 2025 05:31
Brentwood neighborhood is not under the current Do Not Drink notice
Julia Musto16 January 2025 04:31
California has taken these executive measures to respond to the Los Angeles wildfires
Julia Musto16 January 2025 04:00
SoCal Gas restores natural gas service to hundreds of Malibu customers
Julia Musto16 January 2025 03:31
More than 200 JPL, Caltech employees are left without homes
More than 200 employees at NASAโs Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena and Caltech have reportedly been left homeless due to the Los Angeles Fires, according to FOX Weather.
โIt was like driving through a video game,โ Marcy Harbut, a senior technical writer for the NASA Exoplanet Science Institute at Caltech, told the network. โTurn down the street. Got to turn around. And then all these people in that house, watch out for those flames. And these people are packing up their van. Be careful. Donโt run over people. It was just chaos.โ
Julia Musto16 January 2025 02:30
California wind speeds expected to decline on Thursday
Wind speeds in southern California are set to decline Thursday, the National Weather Service said Wednesday afternoon.
While speeds will go down throughout Thursday, winds will still โbe slow to weaken,โ the NWS said. As conditions change, the โpotential for rapid fire growth and localized downed trees and power outages will still remain.โ
More than 111,000 people are without power in California as of Wednesday night, according to PowerOutage.us.
The two largest blazes, the Palisades Fire and Eaton Fire, are among the most destructive in Los Angeles history.
The Palisades Fire has torn across nearly 24,000 acres and is 19 percent contained as of Wednesday night. The Eaton Fire is also 45 percent contained after burning more than 14,000 acres.
Katie Hawkinson16 January 2025 02:29
