CA - Pacific Palisades - 30,000 People Ordered to Evacuate From L.A. Wildfires #2

[JennieM]

43m ago
Sydney Kamlager-Dove, who represents congressional district 37, just east of Lieu’s district, said earlier: “With Angelenos grieving and LA on fire, Speaker Johnson is threatening to condition aid to CA in our time of need.

“Mr. Speaker, the real leaders are in CA addressing this crisis—not making cowardly partisan attacks. Shame on you, Speaker Johnson. We need relief, not politics.”

1h ago
The devastating wildfires have already become politicized.

Republican Mike Johnson, the newly re-elected speaker of the House, said on Monday “it appears to us that state and local leaders were derelict in their duties”, adding that the aid the state receives should be conditional.

His comments were met with fierce backlash, particularly from those within California.

”It is outrageous for Speaker Johnson to try to condition disaster relief for Californians impacted by the fires,” said US congressman Ted Lieu, who represent’s the state’s 36th district, which includes areas just south of the Palisades fire like Beverly Hills and Santa Monica.

“We shouldn’t leverage the pain & suffering of Americans to try to force through a partisan policy agenda. Mother Nature doesn’t strike based on a person’s politics.”

Death toll rises to 25 amid new Los Angeles warnings and thousands still under evacuation orders – as it happened

Firefighters expect difficult and treacherous day as red flag warning forecasts winds of up to 75mph

www.theguardian.com

 

[JennieM]

1 hr 7 min ago

Speaker Johnson: Wildfire disaster aid for Dem-led California could come with conditions​

From CNN's Sarah Ferris and Manu Raju

Republicans in Congress will consider “culpability” when approving any disaster aid for Democratic-led California, said House Speaker Mike Johnson Tuesday, as deadly wildfires ravage Los Angeles County for a second week.

“We’re all Americans, and the Americans there, that are affected, desperately need and deserve help,” Johnson said during a news conference, but noted “concerns” over how California is governed, at the state and local levels.

“To the extent that there is complicity involved in the scope of the disaster, then we think that’s something that needs to be carefully regarded.”

House Speaker Mike Johnson

Any wildfire aid package should have conditions, the speaker told reporters, including CNN’s Manu Raju, on Monday.

“If Gavin Newsom and local leaders made decisions that made this disaster exponentially worse — which it appears there were — should there be some consequence of that? Should there be some kind of safeguard on the funding?” Johnson told reporters. People in other states should not have to pay for “bad decisions” made in California, Johnson said.

While Johnson did not elaborate on potential conditions, he said Republicans do not intend to leave Americans behind.

“We may need to think carefully about safeguards,” Johnson added, pointing to the conditions on flood insurance included in the Hurricane Katrina aid package for his home state of Louisiana two decades ago.

https://edition.cnn.com/weather/live-news/los-angeles-wildfires-palisades-eaton-california-01-14-25-hnk/index.html

 

[JennieM]

47 min ago

Governor’s executive order aims to help displaced LA students and schools impacted by wildfires​

From CNN’s Andy Rose and Chris Boyette

Firefighters prepare to fight flames from inside Eliot Arts Magnet Middle School auditorium as the school burns during the Eaton Fire in Altadena, California, on January 8.
Josh Edelson/AFP/Getty Images

Allowing students who have been forced to leave their homes due to the raging wildfires in Los Angeles to attend schools outside of their district, and making it easier for schools damaged or destroyed by the fires to use temporary facilities, are among the provisions of an executive order signed Tuesday by California Gov. Gavin Newsom.

“The executive order I signed today will help bring back some sense of normalcy for our youth by eliminating barriers to getting them back learning in school.”
California Governor Gavin Newsom

The order also helps schools avoid minimum school year requirements and directs state government entities to develop a plan for helping students, rebuilding and moving forward.

“We will ensure that our school communities get the resources and flexibility needed to recover, rebuild and continue providing quality educational opportunities for every student,” California Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond said in a news release from the governor’s office.

The order achieves its goals by suspending various state rules, codes and regulations, waiving certain permits and extending funding deadlines.

Newsom declared a state of emergency on January 7 and signed an executive order Sunday suspending some requirements to build under state environmental laws in an effort to help fire victims rebuild faster.

https://edition.cnn.com/weather/live-news/los-angeles-wildfires-palisades-eaton-california-01-14-25-hnk/index.html

 

[JennieM]

2h ago
California governor Gavin Newsom echoed Los Angeles mayor Karen Bass’s calls for expediting the rebuilding of the city.

“California is working together with @MayorofLA and local governments across SoCal to rebuild from the unprecedented wildfires,” Newsom said on X. “Days ago, the state cut red tape and cleared barriers to fast-track recovery — and LA’s efforts comprehensively build on our work to help Californians.”

Like Bass, Newsom signed his own executive order on Sunday. According to the governor’s website, this order will:

• Suspend CEQA review and California Coastal Act permitting for reconstruction of properties substantially damaged or destroyed in recent Southern California wildfires.
• Direct state agencies to identify additional permitting requirements, including provisions of the Building Code, that can safely be suspended or streamlined to accelerate rebuilding and make it more affordable.
• Extend protections against price gouging on building materials, storage services, construction, and other essential goods and services to January 7, 2026, in Los Angeles County.
• Commit to working with the Legislature to identify statutory changes that can help expedite rebuilding while enhancing wildfire resilience and safety.

Death toll rises to 25 amid new Los Angeles warnings and thousands still under evacuation orders – as it happened

Firefighters expect difficult and treacherous day as red flag warning forecasts winds of up to 75mph

www.theguardian.com

 

[JennieM]

2h ago
The National Weather Service says for all those under a red flag warning to:

• have at least 2 evacuation routes
• keep a go-kit handy
• follow fire prevention tips and regulations
• keep abreast of official updates and evacuation orders

Death toll rises to 25 amid new Los Angeles warnings and thousands still under evacuation orders – as it happened

Firefighters expect difficult and treacherous day as red flag warning forecasts winds of up to 75mph

www.theguardian.com

 

[al66pine]

Sprinklers on Roof of House. Source of Water? Water Rights in CA?

....
I was interested in the story of the fellow who saved his Pacific Palisade home by installing lawn sprinkler on his roof, and placed strategically around the home aiming at the vulernable eaves and siding. Sounds interesting, but where is everyone going to get water from to water their roofs?

snipped for focus @Herat
Good question. I wondered about that too as it sounds cheap & easy.

In a "typical" house-on-fire situation, meaning ONE home or several, w a MUNICIPAL water system, seems a DIY sprinkler set up like that might work. But when THOUSANDS are burning simultaneously w a high percentage of structures being wet down for hours or days, how long is that feasible?

Water rights in CA?* Do they typically convey w the property there?

Hmmm, if virtually all the homes each have their own WELL normally capable of pumping X gallons per min??? IDK.

Hard to imagine what so many people are experiencing there. So tragic.

____________________________________
From a CA. law firm.

Water Rights Due Diligence | Somach Simmons and Dunn

Water Rights Due Diligence – Is There “Legal” and “Physical” Water Available on the Property You Want to Buy?

somachlaw.com

 

[JennieM]

3h ago
Two disaster recovery centers have opened today in Los Angeles.

One is at UCLA Research Park West and the other is at Pasadena City College – Community Education Center, California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) announced.

“As California has experienced an unprecedented hurricane-force firestorm, Cal OES has led the efforts to respond to and recover from wildfire impacts,” Cal OES said. “Involving nearly every part of state government, the work now turns to recovery where Cal OES, state agency staff, federal and local partners work to help fire survivors get back on the road to recovery following the wildfires that began on January 7, 2025.”

Death toll rises to 25 amid new Los Angeles warnings and thousands still under evacuation orders – as it happened

Firefighters expect difficult and treacherous day as red flag warning forecasts winds of up to 75mph

www.theguardian.com

 

[JennieM]

3h ago
As fires continue to burn across Los Angeles, several utilities have declared their drinking water unsafe until extensive testing can prove otherwise.

A warmer, drier climate means wildfires are getting worse, and encroaching on cities – with devastating impact. Toxic chemicals from those burns can get into damaged drinking water systems, and even filtering or boiling won’t help, experts say.

Last week, Pasadena Water and Power issued a “do not drink” notice to about a third of its customers for the first time since it began distributing water more than a century ago. With at least one burned pump, several damaged storage tanks, and burned homes, they knew there was a chance toxic chemicals had entered their pipes.

‘Assume the worst’: fears rise that LA drinking water could be contaminated
Read more

Death toll rises to 25 amid new Los Angeles warnings and thousands still under evacuation orders – as it happened

Firefighters expect difficult and treacherous day as red flag warning forecasts winds of up to 75mph

www.theguardian.com

 

[JennieM]

4h ago

Over 40,000 applications received by FEMA for California fire aid​

FEMA has received over 40,000 applications from those affected by the California fires, Robert Fenton, the Regional Administrator for FEMA Region 9 said.

FEMA has already provided over $8 million in serious needs assistance, Fenton said.

“I encourage every head of household to apply to FEMA assistance,” he said, adding that not every member of the family has to apply, just the head of the household.

For renters, where there are multiple renters for a property, you can each apply individually, he said.

Death toll rises to 25 amid new Los Angeles warnings and thousands still under evacuation orders – as it happened

Firefighters expect difficult and treacherous day as red flag warning forecasts winds of up to 75mph

www.theguardian.com

 

[JennieM]

4h ago

Official urges mask use as high winds expected to blow ash from Palisades fire​

Anish Mahajan, the chief deputy director of the Los Angeles County health department, said that a wind blown dust advisory has been issued due to the strong winds expected on Tuesday.

“High winds may disperse the ashes from the Palisades eaten and other fire burn scars” Mahajan said. “Wind blown ash from burn structures may contain higher air toxic levels if you see the ash, take precautions to reduce your exposure.”

Mahajan urged people to wear N95 or P100 masks if they are in an area affected by ash.

LA fires live: officials warn winds still ‘tremendous threat’ as nearly 90,000 people remain under evacuation orders

Firefighters expect a difficult and treacherous day amid dangerous winds as Red Flag weather warning is in place with winds of up to 70mph forecast

www.theguardian.com

 

[Herat]

Sprinklers on Roof of House. Source of Water? Water Rights in CA?

snipped for focus @Herat
Good question. I wondered about that too as it sounds cheap & easy.

In a "typical" house-on-fire situation, meaning ONE home or several, w a MUNICIPAL water system, seems a DIY sprinkler set up like that might work. But when THOUSANDS are burning simultaneously w a high percentage of structures being wet down for hours or days, how long is that feasible?

Water rights in CA?* Do they typically convey w the property there?

Hmmm, if virtually all the homes each have their own WELL normally capable of pumping X gallons per min??? IDK.

Hard to imagine what so many people are experiencing there. So tragic.

____________________________________
From a CA. law firm.

Water Rights Due Diligence | Somach Simmons and Dunn

Water Rights Due Diligence – Is There “Legal” and “Physical” Water Available on the Property You Want to Buy?

somachlaw.com

It was pointed out to me how futile this actually is as a fire-fighting mechanism when the close-by adjacent homes are on fire at 500F+ and the vegetation is shedding huge embers.

If it were widely used in a dense concentration of homes or condos, it would also severely decrease the water pressure and the water reserves the fire dept needs in hydrants.

 

[JennieM]

3m ago
In Santa Monica, the evacuation warning remains unchanged north of San Vicente Boulevard and winds are expected to continue through Wednesday.

Residents may voluntarily return to this area but remain prepared with gathered essentials and be ready to leave the area if conditions worsen, according to the city’s warning.

Santa Monica restaurants and businesses “are open and here for you,” reads a post on X. “We encourage support to our local businesses if you can.”

Death toll rises to 25 amid new Los Angeles warnings and thousands still under evacuation orders – as it happened

Firefighters expect difficult and treacherous day as red flag warning forecasts winds of up to 75mph

www.theguardian.com

 

[JennieM]

8 min ago

Palisades fire appears to have started within 300 yards of previous fire on New Years Day​

From CNN's Gianluca Mezzofiore, Paul P. Murphy, Avery Schmitz and Curt Devine
The Pacific Palisades fire started close to the location of another blaze that Los Angeles firefighters battled about six days earlier, according to satellite images reviewed by CNN.

The proximity of the two fires has led to questions as to whether winds could have rekindled smoldering debris from the New Year’s Day fire to trigger the Palisades Fire that began January 7.

The area where the Palisades Fire started appears to be less than 300 yards from the center of a burn scar left by the New Year’s fire, according to CNN analysis of satellite imagery from the European Space Agency captured on January 7 and ALERTCalifornia video captured by a UC San Diego wildfire camera in the area.

The Palisades Fire’s smoke plume overlaps with the previous burn scar, according to CNN’s analysis of the imagery.

LA County dispatch recordings also shed light on the proximity of the fires’ origins. As the Palisades Fire began to spread on January 7, one firefighter said over the dispatch radio, “The foot of the fire started real close to where the last fire was on New Year’s Eve.”

The Los Angeles Fire Department issued a series of alerts on January 1 about a brush fire in the Pacific Palisades. The department reported before 5 a.m. that the fire had been contained.

The San Francisco Chronicle and Washington Post previously reported the similar locations of the fires and the theory that rekindling could have hypothetically sparked the Palisades Fire.

Luca Carmignani, assistant professor at San Diego State University who has studied wildfires, told CNN that “smoldering fuels” leftover from wildfires – such as embers inside of wood – can go undetected and burn for days or even weeks and then rekindle when wind picks up.

“In terms of possibility, certainly that could have happened,” said Carmignani, though he cautioned against drawing any definitive conclusions apart from a thorough investigation.

Officials have said the cause of the fire remains under investigation. Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristin Crowley said at a news conference Sunday that authorities “do not have any information that there’s any connections” between the two fires in the Palisades but she added that “every single detail” would be examined.

https://edition.cnn.com/weather/live-news/los-angeles-wildfires-palisades-eaton-california-01-14-25-hnk/index.html

 

[JennieM]

3 hr 10 min ago

Videos appear to show moment Eaton Fire may have started​

From CNN's Sara Smart
Videos captured by nearby residents appear to show the moment the Eaton Fire began on Tuesday evening.

Pedro Rojas recorded video from the backyard of his Pasadena home around 6:24 p.m. on January 7 and told CNN that he and his family were evacuated within the next 20 minutes.

“It was a quiet night,” Rojas recalled. “After I was alerted by a neighbor about some flames in the back, I went to the backyard, took the video listening to the cracking of the fire, but never in my mind I thought it was going to grow that much to destroy the city.”

Rojas’ video shows flames at the base of an electrical transmission tower at 6:24 p.m. and by 6:41 p.m., he says he and his family evacuated.

Officials have not yet determined the cause of the ongoing fires, but they are investigating an electrical transmission tower in Eaton Canyon as the possible origin site of the Eaton Fire, according to the Los Angeles Times.

See the moment captured on video here:

Video at link

https://edition.cnn.com/weather/live-news/los-angeles-wildfires-palisades-eaton-california-01-14-25-hnk/index.html

 

[JennieM]

1h ago

The day so far​

About 88,000 people in Los Angeles county were under evacuation orders on Tuesday, with another 84,800 under evacuation warnings due to wildfires.

Here’s where the fires stand:

• Palisades fire: More than 23,700 acres burned, 17% contained.
• Eaton fire: 14,117 acres burned, 35% contained.
• Hurst fire: 799 acres burned, nearly fully contained at 97%.
• Auto fire: Fully contained; no evacuation orders remain in effect.

Southern California residents are bracing for new wildfire warnings and power outages as strong, fire-fueling winds sweep through the region. Some areas could see winds approaching hurricane force on Tuesday, peaking in the morning, easing briefly, and strengthening again later in the day.

Fire crews have been reinforced to tackle flare-ups or new fires. A week after the wildfires began, the flames have destroyed thousands of homes and killed at least 24 people.

Death toll rises to 25 amid new Los Angeles warnings and thousands still under evacuation orders – as it happened

Firefighters expect difficult and treacherous day as red flag warning forecasts winds of up to 75mph

www.theguardian.com

 

[arielilane]

@BrianEntin

Update from Mandeville Canyon with firefighters on the Palisade fire — not seeing crazy wind right now.Looking good relatively speaking.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1879262172922155147

 

[JennieM]

1m ago
A new virtual map by Los Angeles County helps wildfire survivors check the status of their property and see whether their house is still standing.

The map, available on the county’s website, features photos and a color-coded key indicating the level of damage to homes affected by the Eaton Fire, according to the county’s Board of Supervisors Chair Kathryn Barger.

These are the map’s color codes: black for no damage, green for 1–9% affected, yellow for 10–25% affected, orange for 26–50% affected, and red for more than 50% destroyed.

Death toll rises to 25 amid new Los Angeles warnings and thousands still under evacuation orders – as it happened

Firefighters expect difficult and treacherous day as red flag warning forecasts winds of up to 75mph

www.theguardian.com

 

[DS2021]

Auto fire: Fully contained; no evacuation orders remain in effect

Auto fire is 25 percent contained.

Incidents | CAL FIRE

www.fire.ca.gov

 

[JennieM]

Auto fire is 25 percent contained.

https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents[/

less than 1 min ago

Auto Fire in Ventura County 25% contained with no additional growth​

From CNN's Taylor Romine
The Auto Fire in Ventura County is now 25% contained and remains at 56 acres after the fire broke out last night, according to a California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection incident page.

There are no active flames within the perimeter and firefighters continue to build a containment line, Ventura County Fire Department spokesperson Scott Dettorre told CNN.

https://edition.cnn.com/weather/liv...ornia-01-14-25-hnk/index.html?t=1736893565720

 

[slowpoke]

The so-called PDS (particularly dangerous situations) forecasted by the NWS is delayed, but still coming.

Prior, they said: Tue 4am to Wed noon

Now they say: Wed 3am to Wed 3pm

https://ktla.com/news/local-news/arrival-delayed-for-l-a-ventura-counties-particularly-dangerous-situations/