Nearly 27,000 Acres Consumed With 0% Containment
The latest figures shared by Cal Fire show that 26,978 acres have been burned by the five fires ravaging the Los Angeles area. All five have 0% containment as of Wednesday afternoon.
Total acres:
Palisades Fire: 15,832 acres
Eaton Fire: 10,600 acres
Hurst Fire: 505 acres
Woodley Fire: 30 acres
Olivas Fire: 11 acres
Planet Fitness Offers Showers, WiFi, Locker Rooms To People Impacted By Wildfires
Gym chain Planet Fitness has opened the doors to its Los Angeles County locations for people impacted by the ongoing wildfires spreading across the city.
According to NBC News, Los Angeles residents can access the locker rooms, showers, WiFi connection and device-charging stations at any location not presently impacted by the fires.
Wildfires Seen Igniting, Burning From Space Over 24 Hours
Satellite video shows a time-lapse of the three wildfires igniting and spreading across Los Angeles over 24 hours.
The video shared by the CIRA Satellite Library shows the Palisades Fire first burning along the California coast on Tuesday night. The Eaton and Hurst fires then ignite to its east and then north.
The video was taken by the Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere at Colorado State University and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
More Than 100 Kids Remain In Juvenile Detention Near LA Fires As Other Residents Flee
Two juvenile detention centers — Camp Vernon Kilpatrick in Malibu, neighboring the Palisades fire, and Barry J. Nidorf Juvenile Hall in Sylmar, by the Hurst fire — had not evacuated their youth despite the rapidly growing fires in the areas.
Los Angeles Times reporter James Quelly reported Wednesday morning that the facilities house a total of 116 minors.
Around noon local time, the Los Angeles County Probation Department, which oversees the two juvenile detention centers, among other facilities, said they hadn’t received orders to evacuate yet.
As of writing, Nidorf is under an evacuation warning while Camp Kilpatrick is just outside of the evacuation warning zone, according to Genasys Protect, which tracks both evacuation warnings and evacuation orders.
“While the air quality is poor, precautions are being taken to protect the youth and staff,” the probation department said in a statement. “We have deployed additional staff to assist with any emergency or possible evacuations.”
Homeowner Battles Blaze In Eaton Fire
Samuel Girma braves the heat of a burning house as he tries to prevent its spread on LaPaz Rd. as the Eaton Fire continues to grow in Altadena on Wednesday. (Credit: Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times/Getty Images)
Animals Evacuated During Eaton Fire
A worker evacuates a horse and a goat from homes during the Eaton Fire in Altadena, California, on Wednesday. (Credit: Jill Connelly/Bloomberg/Getty Images)
Video Shows Abandoned Cars Bulldozed On Sunset Boulevard
A reporter with NBC Los Angeles shared a video of a bulldozer operator shoving luxury vehicles out of the road to make way for emergency responders. An Audi sedan is rammed unceremoniously into a Nissan SUV, which in turn smashes into a BMW convertible.
Sunset Boulevard, the iconic thoroughfare, is reportedly littered with cars left behind by fleeing occupants.
“One driver tells us he had no choice but to leave his car after first responders instructed people to get out and leave immediately,” wrote the reporter, Katherine Picazo.
White House Lists Federal Resources Responding To Fires
The White House has listed some of the federal resources being deployed to help fight the wildfires.
The list includes five U.S. Forest Service air tankers, with more said to be on their way, 10 federal firefighting helicopters, and dozens of fire engines that have been made ready by the U.S. Forest Service.
Ten Navy helicopters with water buckets are also en route from San Diego, and California and Nevada’s National Guards have deployed Modular Air Fire Fighting System units. These are fire retardant systems that can be added to military transport aircraft without structural modification. They can drop 3,000 gallons of fire retardant in less than five seconds, according to the U.S. Air Force’s website.
FEMA has also approved Fire Management Assistance Grants that will reimburse the state for firefighting costs. The Department of Defense has also been directed to provide “additional firefighting personnel and capabilities,” the White House said.
“The President reiterates his call for residents to remain vigilant and heed the warnings of local officials,” the White House said.
Trump Acknowledges Wildfires By … Blaming Gov. Gavin Newsom
In what appears to be his first public statement addressing the multiple, devastating wildfires that have burned more than 1,000 structures in the Los Angeles area, President-elect Donald Trump did nothing but blame California Gov. Gavin Newsom, whom he called “Newscum.”
In a convoluted rant on social media, Trump accused Newsom of mismanaging the state’s water and said that once he’s in office he will “demand” the governor to “allow beautiful, clean, fresh water to FLOW INTO CALIFORNIA!”
In 2018, after the Camp Fire in Northern California killed 85 people, destroyed 18,000 structures, and burned 95% of the town of Paradise in the deadliest wildfire in state history, then-President Trump denied climate change could be drying out America’s forests, leading to bigger, more damaging fires.
Instead, Trump proposed “raking” the forest floors. Trump said Finnish President Sauli Niinistö gave him the advice, but Niinistö said he didn’t recall ever doing so.
Local Officials Brief Biden On Fires
“What we saw here in the last 24 hours is unprecedented. I’ve never seen anything like this,” Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell told President Joe Biden at a briefing with local officials in Santa Monica. Police officers are on hand to help with the evacuation efforts.
“It’s astounding what’s happening,” Biden said. He said that his son Hunter Biden had received a notification that his house had “probably burned to the ground."
“The good news is I’m a great-grandfather,” he added. His granddaughter Naomi Biden was scheduled for a C-section earlier in the day.
Mayor Karen Bass Heads Back To LA From Ghana
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass is reportedly heading back to the fire-ridden city from Accra, Ghana, according to KNX News’ Craig Fiegener.
The Hill reported that Bass attended the inauguration of Ghana’s President John Mahama and met with their country’s first female vice president, Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang.
Bass Deputy Chief of Staff Celine Cordero confirmed to reporters Wednesday morning that Bass is on her way back to the city, adding that she has been “actively engaged 100% of the time the entire last 24 hours throughout this unfortunate event and crisis,” according to KTLA.
Still, critics — including billionaire Elon Musk, prominent real estate developer Rick Caruso and numerous social media users — have called Bass out for not being in Los Angeles as fires take over the region and her constituents flee.
Bass declared a state of emergency Tuesday night.
Altadena Community Church In Flames
Fire explodes out of a window of the Altadena Community Church on Wednesday in the downtown Altadena section of the area near Pasadena, California. (Credit: Chris Pizzello/Associated Press)
Video Shows Stunning Pacific Palisades Destruction
A stunning video taken along the streets of Los Angeles’ affluent Pacific Palisades neighborhood captures some of the inferno’s horrific aftermath, including crumbled, hollowed-out buildings, twisted metal, and blowing black and white ash.
The video was posted on X by CBS News reporter Jonathan Vigliotti on Wednesday while touring the area.
“This is what’s left of the Pacific Palisades. The mall survived. Most everything else is gone. Homes, apartment complexes… businesses,” he wrote.
Spot Fires Seen In Brentwood
Spot fires along a hillside burn the Brentwood section of Los Angeles on Wednesday. (Credit: Richard Vogel/Associated Press)
Gavin Newsom Cancels Trip To D.C. For Jimmy Carter's Funeral
California Gov. Gavin Newsom has canceled his trip to Washington, D.C., where he was set to attend former President Jimmy Carter's funeral, Newsom's office announced Wednesday.
Newsom and his office wrote on social media that California has deployed more than 1,400 firefighters and the state has accepted Fire Management Assistance Grants from FEMA.
The Eaton Fire Engulfs A Home
Flames from the wind-driven Eaton fire engulf a house in Altadena, California, on Wednesday. (Credit: Robyn Beck/AFP/Getty Images)
Getty Villa Museum In Pacific Palisades Is Safe Amid Wildfires
The Getty Villa Museum in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood remains safe amid the wildfires, according to a post on X from the museum's official account on Wednesday.
"While vegetation on the property has burned, Getty structures have been unaffected, and thankfully, both staff and collections are safe," the post reads.
Biden Is In LA For Birth Of Great-Grandchild As Flames Engulf The County
President Joe Biden is reportedly in Los Angeles on Wednesday expecting to become a great-grandfather. His and first lady Jill Biden's granddaughter Naomi Biden is scheduled for a C-section, according to USA Today.
“I'm about to be a great-grandfather, Jesus God,” the president told the outlet during a Sunday interview.
RFK Jr. Says His House Had To Be Evacuated
Robert Kennedy Jr. told CBS News' Emily Hung that his home in Brentwood, California, had to be evacuated as a result of the Palisades Fire.
"Yeah, we've been evacuated," he said. "I'm hoping — I'm hoping it's still standing."
A Burned Statue Remains In Pacific Palisades
A statue and other structures are burned as the Palisades Fire ravages a neighborhood amid high winds in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles on Wednesday.
San Francisco Sending Fire Team To Los Angeles To Help With Personnel Shortage
The San Francisco Fire Department will dispatch five engines and a chief's vehicle to Los Angeles to assist with firefighting efforts there as part of a mutual aid deployment. The 22-person staff will help with structure protection, per the SFFD.
Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone told reporters the department doesn’t have enough personnel to handle all of the concurrent fires there.
"We're doing the very best we can," he said, "but we don’t have enough fire personnel in L.A. County between all of the departments to handle this."