Firefighters are from the fierce winds that have fueled , killing 10 people, obliterating whole neighborhoods and setting the nation鈥檚 second-largest city on edge.
On Thursday afternoon, in the San Fernando Valley. It moved into neighboring Ventura County, but a large and aggressive response by firefighters stopped the flames from spreading.
The fires have burned more than 10,000 homes and other structures since Tuesday, when they first began popping up around a densely populated, 25-mile (40-kilometer) expanse north of downtown Los Angeles. has been identified yet for the largest fires.
Here's the latest:
Red flag warning set to expire
Los Angeles Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said the current will expire at 6 p.m. Pacific on Friday but a new warning is expected to be issued Monday, when windy conditions in the Los Angeles area are forecast to return.
Lakers鈥� head coach confirms his family lost their home in the Palisades fire
Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick became emotional when he spoke about the fire鈥檚 impact for the first time on Friday after practice with the Lakers, who are currently scheduled to return to action Saturday against San Antonio.
鈥淚鈥檓 not sure I鈥檝e wept or wailed like that in several years,鈥� Redick said.
Redick said the rented home in Pacific Palisades burned down Tuesday while the Lakers were on the road in Dallas. Redick鈥檚 wife, Chelsea, and their two sons were safely away from the neighborhood.
Firefighters from Mexico will help fight the Eaton Fire, Newsom says
鈥淐alifornia is deeply grateful for President @ClaudiaShein鈥檚 support as we work to suppress the Los Angeles wildfires,鈥� he wrote on Friday in a post on the social platform X. 鈥淥ur partnership and shared commitment to helping communities in need is greatly valued.鈥�
Newsom orders investigation of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power
Gov. Gavin Newsom ordered the investigation over the loss of water pressure as firefighters struggled to contain multiple, fierce fires that burned down neighborhoods across the Los Angeles area.
鈥淲e need answers to how that happened,鈥� Newsom said in a statement, calling ongoing reports of the lack of water 鈥渄eeply troubling.鈥�
A public update on the Eaton Fire is expected Friday afternoon
Los Angeles County officials will hold a news conference at 1 p.m. Pacific Time to provide an update on the Eaton Fire in the Pasadena area.
County Supervisor Kathryn Barger will be joined by fire and law enforcement officials.
Other ways to help those affected by the wildfires
Several organizations are also helping support animals and pet owners impacted by the Los Angeles wildfires, including:
1. : The animal rescue had taken in over 300 animals due to evacuations as of Wednesday night, including some with burns and injuries. Its officers are also on the ground finding animals that need help. It is accepting monetary as well as .
Other organizations are focused on long-term recovery efforts, including:
2. : The 110-year-old Los Angeles-based foundation鈥檚 Wildfire Recovery Fund addresses long-term recovery needs like temporary housing, rebuilding homes, mental health and medical care. It also provides updated equipment to firefighters and helps rebuild emergency communications systems. It is and helps company-match employees鈥� gifts as well.
3. and : Both organizations will help people who lost homes with debris removal once cleanup begins, among other work related to rebuilding. Team Rubicon is currently helping local agencies with tasks like clearing roads and Samaritan鈥檚 Purse has deployed 20 chaplains from the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team to provide spiritual support.
Archer Fire evacuation order downgraded
The Los Angeles Fire Department has downgraded the evacuation order for a fire in the Granada Hills area to an evacuation warning.
The department puts the Archer Fire at 31 acres (13 hectares).
Los Angeles fires leave congregants without worship spaces
Flames were already attacking the campus of Pasadena Jewish Temple and Center when the cantor, Ruth Berman Harris, and three companions rushed in to rescue its sacred Torah scrolls.
Physically, that鈥檚 now all that is left of the 80-year-old synagogue, destroyed by that also destroyed a mosque, a Catholic parish and a half-dozen Protestant churches. Many members of these congregations were among the thousands of Angelenos who lost their homes this week. As the threat of new fires persisted, clergy were left with the huge challenges of offering comfort and pondering paths toward rebuilding and recovery.
鈥淭here鈥檚 absolutely nothing except for a few walls and the empty space,鈥� said the Pasadena Jewish Center鈥檚 executive director, Melissa Levy.
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How to help people you know who are affected by the fires
Friends and family who lost property may need cash, temporary housing, or emotional support.
But it鈥檚 important to reach out delicately and to not have expectations for how or whether they will respond, said Dr. Adrienne Heinz, a clinical research psychologist at the Department of Veterans Affairs National Center for PTSD.
Here are some tips she has:
It can be helpful to check in. An example: 鈥淚鈥檓 so sorry for what has happened to your community. There aren鈥檛 really words to describe how sad this is. Can I send your family a meal tonight? I鈥檓 here for you and will keep checking in. No pressure to respond.鈥�
Offer concrete ways of helping like lodging, gift cards, meals, child care.
Give them grace. They may not be able to respond for various reasons.
Refrain from phrases that minimize or invalidate their experience, like 鈥淎t least you鈥檙e alive,鈥� or 鈥淓verything happens for a reason.鈥� Just because someone didn鈥檛 lose their home, doesn鈥檛 mean they aren鈥檛 hurting.
Officials expect to downgrade new evacuation order soon
Margaret Stewart, a spokeswoman with the Los Angeles Fire Department, said firefighters on the ground and in the air were able to tackle the Archer Fire quickly and that the evacuation order is expected to be downgraded soon.
鈥淲e still have some winds and that鈥檚 why we have not yet lifted the evacuation order,鈥� Stewart told KTLA.
The brush fire sparked in the Granada Hills area.
New evacuation order issued
The Los Angeles Fire Department issued an evacuation order on Friday due to a brush fire in the Granada Hills area.
The area is just west of the Hurst Fire.
How to help firefighters and other first responders
Firefighters have spent the past few days battling major fires across the Los Angeles area with fierce winds hampering their efforts. Here are a couple of organizations that are working to support firefighters, first responders, and their families.
: California Professional Firefighters founded the nonprofit in 1987 to support families of fallen firefighters, firefighters and communities impacted by fires. The foundation is supporting both firefighters responding to the Los Angeles fires as well as people affected.
: The nonprofit service provides real-time updates on wildfire activity, evacuations, shelters and more via its free app, which more than 1.4 million people downloaded in the 48 hours since the fires began. The organization relies on and a team of 200 volunteers, gathering and vetting information from radio scanners and official sources, to do its work.
The Biden administration is working with Trump鈥檚 team on the fires
鈥淭hey know every single thing we鈥檙e doing about this response,鈥� President Joe Biden said on Friday.
However, Biden took a shot at President-elect Donald Trump, who he referred to as 鈥渟omeone from the other team,鈥� by mocking his call to sweep the forest floors to reduce fire dangers.
鈥淐鈥檓on man,鈥� he said.
Biden said it would be a better idea to bury electricity transmission wires, which would be 鈥渁 hell of a lot safer鈥� but would cost 鈥渁 hell of a lot of money鈥� to do.
Biden says looting during the wildfires is a problem
鈥淭here鈥檚 clear evidence that there鈥檚 looting,鈥� he said at the briefing.
Biden said that鈥檚 why they鈥檝e deployed police and National Guard to improve security in the areas affected by the wildfires.
Biden defends LA mayor over criticism about water supplies
鈥淚 know you鈥檙e getting a bad rap regarding fire hydrants that aren鈥檛 working,鈥� he said to Mayor Karen Bass during the briefing on Friday. 鈥淕ive me a break.鈥�
Biden pegged the problem to utilities cutting power because they鈥檙e worried about sparking more fires, which has hampered the ability to pump water.
鈥淭his is complicated stuff, and you鈥檙e going to have a lot of demagogues out there trying to take advantage of it.鈥�
Bass appeared virtually at the briefing alongside California Gov. Gavin Newsom.
Newsom: 鈥榃e鈥檝e got to deal with this misinformation鈥� around handling of the fires
During the Oval Office briefing, California Gov. Gavin Newsom said he expects firefighters to 鈥渕ake a lot of progress鈥� on Friday.
Local leaders have faced sharp criticism for their handling of the fires, some of it coming from right-wing sources.
Newsom said, 鈥淲e鈥檝e got to deal with this misinformation.鈥�
鈥淧eople want to divide this country and we鈥檙e going to have to address this as well,鈥� he added.
Biden and Harris convene for wildfire briefing
President Joe Biden hosted a briefing on the wildfires in the Oval Office on Friday. Vice President Kamala Harris was also there, and California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass appeared virtually.
Biden described the fires as the 鈥渨orst in California history鈥� and 鈥渨e still got a long way to go.鈥�
Although progress has been made, the winds that have fanned the flames could remain a threat for days.
Harris said people responding to the fires are showing 鈥渢he best of the American spirit.鈥�
鈥淭here are moments where we should find optimism in the heroism of people, who are taking in strangers, taking in friends,鈥� she said.
Several reptiles die after Eaton Canyon Nature Center burns down
鈥淭he nature center is gone ... the wildflowers, the shrubs are gone,鈥� said Richard Smart, Superintendent of the Eaton Canyon Natural Area in Pasadena, in an interview on Thursday.
He said that only a few exterior walls of the Eaton Canyon Nature Center were left standing after wildfires tore through the area. The nature center burned down before, in 1993, and did not reopen until 1997.
鈥淭he park is such a touchstone for people in the community, and so to lose that is just 鈥� devastating is not even the right word. It feels indescribable,鈥� he said.
Staffers were unable to reach the center in time to evacuate the animals. Around 15 reptiles died.
Two desert tortoises survived because they were hibernating for the winter at a volunteer鈥檚 home.
The park has over 150 volunteers, many of whom have lost their homes.
Here is where containment of the fires currently stands
Palisades: 8%
Eaton: 3%
Kenneth: 35%
Hurst: 37%
Lidia: 75%
The causes of the fires are still under investigation.
鈥榃e鈥檙e getting Los Angeles prepared,鈥� Bass says of next week鈥檚 forecast
A reporter pointed out there is a forecast for strong winds to return to the LA area next week and people may deactivate the alerts because of the frustration with all the false alarms.
鈥淲e know that we鈥檙e going to have a possible increase in the force of the winds at the beginning of next week and we鈥檙e getting Los Angeles prepared, doing everything we can to save lives, that is our number one job to protect people鈥檚 homes, to protect people鈥檚 businesses and to prepare to rebuild Los Angeles in a much better way,鈥� she said.
Bass focuses on recovery and uniting Angelenos
When questioned about the false alerts that have been going on Mayor Karen Bass said officials are working to figure out why that is happening and turned to a message of uniting Angelenos.
鈥淚鈥檓 going to spend every moment that I can making sure that I鈥檓 in as many areas as possible, meeting and talking to residents to see what is needed in the recovery,鈥� Bass said.
鈥淲e鈥檙e moving at recovery mode at the same time, meaning, we want the city rebuilt. We want to see Los Angeles come together,鈥� she added.
鈥楲ooting is a despicable crime鈥�
Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan Hochman said he would prosecute anyone looting, those flying drones in the wildfire zones, and those breaking the curfew 鈥渢o the full extent of the law.鈥�
鈥淟ooting is a despicable crime,鈥� he said. 鈥淔or the people who have already been arrested, please know this is not going to end well.鈥�
Curfew to resume Friday night
Los Angeles Sheriff Robert Luna said a curfew on all mandatory evacuation zones will start again at 6 p.m. Friday for houses left standing.
Officials imposed a curfew overnight after arresting several people looting in the burned areas.
鈥淵ou can鈥檛 not be in these affected areas. If you are, you are subject to arrest,鈥� he said.
Some evacuation orders and warnings have been lifted
Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristin Crowley said all evacuation orders and warnings in LA County for the Kenneth Fire have been lifted.
Overall evacuation orders have dipped to 153,000 from more than 180,000.
Damaged super scooper will be back in the air next week, county fire chief says
Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Perrone said the super scooper that was damaged by a drone should be back in the air by Monday.
鈥淔lying a drone in the fire traffic area is not only dangerous but it鈥檚 illegal,鈥� he said, adding that those who fly them over the wildfire area will be prosecuted.
Mayor Bass: 鈥楾o all Angelenos, we鈥檙e fighting hard for each of you鈥�
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said officials are working around the clock and that firefighters have extinguished fires in Pacoima, Hollywood, Studio City and other places.
鈥淭o all Angelenos, we鈥檙e fighting hard for each of you,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 believe there is anything Angelenos can鈥檛 do if we stand together,鈥� she added.
Officials apologize for erroneous emergency messages
鈥淭here is an extreme amount of frustration, anger, fear with regards to the erroneous messages that have been sent out through the wireless emergency Alert System across L.A County. I can鈥檛 express enough how sorry I am for this experience,鈥� L.A. County Office of Emergency Management Director Kevin McGowan said at a news conference on Friday.
McGowan said the alerts are not being sent by a person and his office is trying to find the root cause.
How to help people displaced by the wildfires
Several organizations are working to support people, families and households affected by the wildfires in the Los Angeles area.
Among those are:
: The crowdfunding platform鈥檚 nonprofit arm uses its Wildfire Recovery Fund to give emergency grants to verified people and families fundraising for themselves or others, as well as small businesses and nonprofits.
: In partnership with Bethenny Frankel鈥檚 bstrong disaster relief fund, GEM will distribute cash cards to evacuated residents to help with immediate needs like accommodation, gas and food. The organizations are accepting .
: The food bank is supporting a network of more than 600 partner agencies to make sure impacted households are fed. It鈥檚 accepting , , and . If your household needs assistance, you can .
How to help children affected by the wildfires
this week have killed at least 10 people, destroyed thousands of structures and forced 180,000 to flee their homes 鈥� including children.
Here are a couple of organizations accepting support specifically for kids and families:
: The Los Angeles-based organization runs trauma-informed pop-up day camps for children displaced or out of school due to natural disasters. It鈥檚 in the process of setting up multiple sites to help families impacted by the Palisades and Eaton fires. It is accepting as well as to staff the camps.
Impacted families can also find out how to sign up for a camp .
: Informed by its experience helping kids and families after the 2018 Woolsey fire, the organization is offering free counseling, case management and resource referrals for area families. It鈥檚 collecting donations to provide emergency grants and, when its facilities can safely reopen, it will create an emergency relief distribution center.
Those looking for help can fill out intake forms in and .
Drone collision grounds firefighting plane
A firefighting plane had to be grounded Thursday after it was struck by a drone flown by a civilian, the Los Angeles County Fire Department said. Nobody was injured.
It鈥檚 a federal crime to fly a drone during firefighting.
Some journalists covering the fires have lost their homes to them
NBC News reporter Jacob Soboroff didn鈥檛 know what to expect when he turned his SUV onto the Pacific Palisades street where he grew up.
What he found on Wednesday were smoldering ruins where his childhood home had stood. Only the remnants of a chimney and brick wall remained. It was among the countless number of buildings destroyed by the wildfires in the , where Soboroff is one of many journalists covering the story 鈥� and living it.
His own tale, told across several NBC News platforms Wednesday and Thursday, broke the so-called 鈥渇ourth wall鈥� and gave viewers an intimate experience of what the tragedy felt like.
鈻� Read more on how the wildfires have
National Guard troops on the ground in Altadena
National Guard troops were patrolling the streets of Altadena before dawn on Friday after being called in to help protect property in the fire evacuation zone.
Troops in camouflage were posted at intersections in the city hard-hit by the Eaton Fire near Jeeps, Humvees and other military vehicles.
At least 20 arrests have been made for looting and other thefts in areas where the fire raged.
Los Angeles County officials say they plan to put an overnight curfew in place that would make it easier to make arrests.
Australia 鈥榮tands ready to provide support鈥� to help battle Los Angeles blazes
鈥淲e haven鈥檛 had any requests for further support. But Australia always stands ready to provide support to our friends in times of need,鈥� Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese Albanese told Australian Broadcasting Corp. in the west coast city of Perth on Friday.
鈥淥ne of the issues that we have, of course, is we do need to be cognizant of the fact that this is our fire season as well,鈥� he added.
The California fires come at the peak of .
Earth records its hottest year ever in 2024
Earth recorded its hottest year ever in 2024, with such a big jump that the planet temporarily passed a major , several weather monitoring agencies announced on Friday.
Last year鈥檚 global average temperature easily passed 2023鈥檚 and kept pushing even higher. It surpassed the long-term warming limit of ) since the late 1800s that was called for by the 2015 Paris climate pact, according to the European Commission鈥檚 Copernicus Climate Service, the United Kingdom鈥檚 Meteorology Office and Japan鈥檚 weather agency.
The European team calculated 1.6 degrees Celsius (2.89 degrees Fahrenheit) of warming. Japan found 1.57 degrees Celsius (2.83 degrees Fahrenheit) and the British 1.53 degrees Celsius (2.75 degrees Fahrenheit) in releases of data coordinated to early Friday morning European time.
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What ignited the deadly California wildfires? Investigators consider an array of possibilities
Investigators are considering an array of possible ignition sources for the that have and destroyed in the Los Angeles area.
While lightning is the most common source of fires in the U.S., according to the National Fire Protection Association, investigators were able to rule that out quickly. There were no reports of lightning in the Palisades area or the terrain around the Eaton fire, which started in east Los Angeles County and has also destroyed hundreds of homes.
The next two most common causes: fires intentionally set, and those sparked by utility lines.
鈻� Read more about what
The Associated Press
