LA fires update today: Fierce winds threaten firefighters’ progress
LOS ANGELES - Firefighters around Los Angeles were preparing on Tuesday to attack flare-ups or new blazes. Fires have destroyed thousands of homes and killed at least 24 people, the Associated Press reported.
The National Weather Service issued a rare warning that dry winds combined with severely dry conditions created a " particularly dangerous situation," indicating that any new fire could explode in size.
Firefighters work to extinguish the last embers in the hills of Mandeville Canyon after the Palisades Fire burned part of it, on Jan. 13, 2025, in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by VALERIE MACON/AFP via Getty Images)
Search efforts for people reported missing continues
At least two dozen people have been reported missing in the two largest wildfires, and sheriff’s deputies are searching or them. But that number changes often, according to the Associated Press.
Conditions remain dangerous throughout the burned areas and the threat of additional fires is real.
FEMA is assisting people with immediate needs
Roughly 40,000 people applied for assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which has provided over $8 million so far for immediate needs, Robert J. Fenton, Jr., regional administrator for FEMA Region 9, told the Associated Press.
At a news conference Tuesday, Fenton said everyone will need to file insurance claims. FEMA aid is created to help with unmet needs — after insurance claims are paid.
Fenton explained that the maximum amount of aid FEMA can provide is $43,600.
According to the AP, President Joe Biden said the federal government would pay 100% of the firefighting and recovery costs in the first 180 days, but Fenton noted that doesn’t mean FEMA will cover 100% of individual families’ costs.
Officials are helping residents access medications and other help
Anish Mahajan, Chief Deputy Director, Los Angeles County Department of Public Health tells the Associated Press that there is help for residents who need refills on medications they may have left behind or new prescriptions.
Mahajan noted that there is also a program that can provide medication to individuals who are receiving opioid addiction treatment.
The high winds in the Los Angeles area are expected to create air quality problems as ash from the wildfires is picked up in the winds. Mahajan is encouraging residents to wear an N-95 or P-100 protective mask if they have to be outside in an area with poor air quality.
LA fires containment update
- Palisades Fire: 23,713 acres burned, 17% contained
- Eaton Fire: 14,117 acres burned, 35% contained
- Hurst Fire: 799 acres burned, 97% contained
- Auto Fire: 56 acres burned, 0% contained
Fierce winds forecast in Los Angeles area
What we know:
A large part of Southern California around Los Angeles is under an extreme fire danger warning through Wednesday, including densely populated Thousand Oaks, Northridge and Simi Valley. The winds are predicted to pick up starting early Tuesday and continue through midday Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service.
They are not expected to reach hurricane-force like last week, but they could ground firefighting aircraft. LA County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone warned that if winds reach 70 mph, "it’s going to be very difficult to contain that fire."
What they're saying:
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and other officials — who have faced criticism over their initial response to fires that began last week — expressed confidence on Monday that the region was ready to face the new threat with additional firefighters brought in from around the U.S., as well as Canada and Mexico.
"We’re absolutely better prepared," Marrone said when asked what will be different from a week ago, when hurricane-force winds propelled multiple fires across the parched, brush-filled region that hasn’t seen rain in more than eight months.
LA fires bring destruction, deaths
By the numbers:
The fires that began last week north of downtown LA have burned more than 12,000 homes, cars and other structures. Just under 100,000 in Los Angeles County remained under evacuation orders on Tuesday, half the number from last week.
So far, 24 people have been killed, but Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said on Monday that the death toll was likely to rise. At least two dozen were missing.
AccuWeather’s early estimates suggest the fires could be the nation’s costliest ever, topping $250 billion including what’s to come in the next few days. The reconstruction cost for commercial and residential properties inside areas with active fires could be $14.8 billion, according to real estate data tracker CoreLogic.
Cause of LA fires
What we don't know:
Authorities haven’t determined an official cause for any of the fires. Southern California Edison has acknowledged agencies are investigating whether its equipment may have started a smaller blaze.
A lawsuit filed on Monday claims the utility's equipment sparked the much bigger Eaton Fire. Edison did not respond to a request for comment and last week said it had not received any suggestions that its equipment ignited that blaze.
The Source: This story was reported using information from Los Angeles County authorities, the National Weather Service, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, and the Associated Press. It was reported from Cincinnati, and the AP contributed.