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

[SouthAussie]

One of my friends and his wife are in Glendale- as of the last I spoke to him they didn't have any type of evacuation going on but it wasn't at all certain if it would stay that way. I hate being on the opposite coast and not being able to do anything to help them- or anyone affected, for that matter.

There is an article here about ways people can help. It doesn't have to be money (but it can be) - sending food, snacks & water can help ... if people have the means to do that.

Eg:
The Los Angeles Regional Food Bank is accepting food donations ....
The Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation has called for donations to its wildfire emergency fund. The proceeds will go toward equipping firefighters with tools and supplies to contain the infernos.
The California Fire Foundation .... The group's wildfire and disaster relief fund directly supports victims of blazes and other disasters throughout the state
The Anderson Munger Family YMCA in Los Angeles is seeking donations of food, snacks, water and essential and emergency supplies. The Y said on Instagram it is accepting deliveries at its Koreatown location.

How to help victims of California wildfires affecting Los Angeles County

Nonprofit groups are working to distribute essential supplies to those impacted by the fires across the Los Angeles area.

www.cbsnews.com

 

[iamshadow21]

Family assistance centres are opening to help people trying to find loved ones affected by the fires.

https://www.nbcnews.com/weather/wildfires/live-blog/california-wildfires-live-updates-rcna187099/rcrd67531?canonicalCard=true

 

[cujenn81]

L.A. firefighters make progress, but grim task of finding the dead just beginning — Los Angeles Times

In addition to better weather, the fight has been aided by a stream of firefighting help from far and wide and the ability to use water-dropping aircraft.

apple.news

L.A. County Dist. Atty. Nathan Hochman said authorities are focused on five crimes related to the fires: arson, curfew violations, looting, illegal drone usage and scams. For anyone who commits these crimes, Hochman said, "You will be arrested, you will be prosecuted and you will be punished to the full extent of the law."

 

[iamshadow21]

There are now 939 incarcerated firefighters including 110 support staff fighting the fires.

Live: LA fires leave at least 10 dead and thousands of homes destroyed

Five wildfires ravaging the Los Angeles area have killed at least 10 people and continue to burn as dry desert winds fan the flames.

www.abc.net.au

 

[PrairieWind]

"..... fighting wildfires is “a whole different beast” that requires special training, as opposed to putting out blazes in buildings, which is typical fare for the FDNY."

"California Gov. Gavin Newsom accepted help from Mexico...... while extra firefighters from Colorado, New Mexico and Utah flocked to the state to help Thursday."

(from your link)

There are no fires in buildings? The FDNY help could assist with those issues and provide relief to the LA firefighters or relieve them of those responsibilities.

 

[iamshadow21]

Firefighter Captain Robert Hawkins speaks on his experiences over the last few days.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/video/national/lafd-firefighter-havent-seen-anything-like-this/2025/01/09/323f1626-5b6f-40f5-b230-86f971989ca3_video.html

All the big trees around him where he's speaking look like gum trees to me. Mature ones, twenty or more years old.

MOO

 

[cujenn81]

Here's a list of free and discounted resources for victims of Los Angeles-area fires — Los Angeles Times

Companies, businesses and nonprofits that are offering free supplies, resources and services to victims of the Los Angeles-area fires.

apple.news

 

[cujenn81]

Private firefighters protected a Hollywood talent manager’s home. Why are some people so mad? — San Francisco Chronicle

LOS ANGELES — Adam Leber was nodding off in his Hollywood Hills mansion late Wednesday night when his housekeeper jolted him awake with an urgent message: There’s a fire at the door.

apple.news

But not everyone is a fan of private firefighters, particularly those that contract directly with homeowners outside of insurance, like the company Leber hired. Critics contend that when wealthy individuals hire their own firefighters, they compete with public teams for precious resources like water, and could potentially interfere with those teams’ efforts by, for example, blocking or crowding narrow access points.

Moreover, they say, private firefighters widen the already-vast chasm between rich and poor, safeguarding the interests of the former at the expense of the latter.

 

[SouthAussie]

There are no fires in buildings? The FDNY help could assist with those issues and provide relief to the LA firefighters or relieve them of those responsibilities.

Perhaps this article explains, from Rochester NY firefighters. I think they would know better.


There is an outpouring of support for the firefighters of California battling these wildfires.

There is a bond of brotherhood and sisterhood that runs deep in the firefighter world and right now they all have the backs of those on the front lines in Los Angeles.

“They're working so hard under such stressful conditions,” said veteran firefighter and captain in the Brighton Fire Department Steve Benson.

Captain Benson says it’s not the type of fire that New York state firefighters train for.

“The difference between what they deal with out there and what we deal with here is it's a whole different game. It's a whole different animal. My heart goes out to them and to the families that are dealing with such a tragedy. It's definitely a scary, scary situation,” said Payne.

Rochester-area firefighters support their those battling fires in California

There is an outpouring of support for the firefighters of California battling these wildfires.

spectrumlocalnews.com

 

[JennieM]

Governor calls for water supply investigation - here's the latest​

IMAGE SOURCE, REUTERS

As we approach mid-afternoon in LA, here's a quick roundup on the wildfires that continue to rage across the city

• California Governor Gavin Newsom has called for an independent investigation into water shortages for firefighters as they battled the wildfires
• A curfew will take effect from 6pm to 6am local time in the Pacific Palisades and Eaton Fire areas, with more than 200 officers on patrol following reports of looting at uninhabited and damaged properties
• LA officials have apologised after mistakenly sending a second emergency alert to residents' phones, but warned people not to disable alerts
• Five major fires continue to burn across the city - and range from being 75% contained to just 3%, as shown in this graphic
• At least 10 people have so far been killed in the fires - while President Joe Biden is warning that the death toll is "likely" to increase
• It's estimated over 10,000 homes and other structures have been destroyed, as the BBC sees rows of homes turned to rubble in Altadena

More evacuation orders issued as largest LA wildfire bears down on new area

Many people in the wealthy neighbourhood of Brentwood have been told to leave, as the Palisades Fire spreads east.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[JennieM]

How contained are the wildfires?​

Firefighters are still battling five wildfires that have caused extensive damage across Los Angeles and Ventura counties. Here's the latest on each fire's containment status:

• Palisades Fire: The largest of the five wildfires is currently 8% contained after burning down over 20,000 acres
• Eaton Fire: The wildfire burned 13,956 acres so far, with 3% of it contained
• Lidia Fire: The fire is 75% contained after damaging 395 acres
• Hurst Fire: The fire has burned through 771 acres and is 37% contained
• Kenneth Fire: Progress of the latest wildfire to break out was stopped at 1,000 acres and it is 35% contained

More evacuation orders issued as largest LA wildfire bears down on new area

Many people in the wealthy neighbourhood of Brentwood have been told to leave, as the Palisades Fire spreads east.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[slowpoke]

I hardly think it is a problem. If the firefighters, the police, and the state's leader didn't know how to do their jobs while a mayor is away on official business (before the fires started) that would be a problem. She returned as quickly as possible, on a military plane.

Now is not the time for these people to be taking political potshots.

imo

Another thing that the Mayor was criticized for was that she approved a budget cut for the LA Fire Dept. I saw this explanation that disputes that, and actually says it was increased:

Was the LAFD budget cut? The budget increased, but debate rages over cuts to some positions

Critics on social media have alleged that Mayor Karen Bass cut the city fire department’s budget by $23 million this year.

www.dailybreeze.com

 

[iamshadow21]

 

[JennieM]

No ‘water system in the world’ could have handled the LA fires. How the region could have minimized the damage​

Could this level of devastation somehow have been minimized, or is this simply the new normal in an era of climate-related calamities?

A CNN review of government reports and interviews with more than a dozen experts suggests the ultimate answer is a mix of both.

[…] humans could have taken some steps to potentially lessen the impact of Mother Nature’s wrath. Inconsistent vegetation management, aging infrastructure and homes, and a lack of planning likely contributed to fires that have so far scorched more than 55 square miles, destroyed thousands of structures and left at least 10 people dead.

https://edition.cnn.com/2025/01/10/us/california-la-fires-emergency-prep-invs/index.html

 

[SouthAussie]

How contained are the wildfires?​

Firefighters are still battling five wildfires that have caused extensive damage across Los Angeles and Ventura counties. Here's the latest on each fire's containment status:

• Palisades Fire: The largest of the five wildfires is currently 8% contained after burning down over 20,000 acres
• Eaton Fire: The wildfire burned 13,956 acres so far, with 3% of it contained
• Lidia Fire: The fire is 75% contained after damaging 395 acres
• Hurst Fire: The fire has burned through 771 acres and is 37% contained
• Kenneth Fire: Progress of the latest wildfire to break out was stopped at 1,000 acres and it is 35% contained

More evacuation orders issued as largest LA wildfire bears down on new area

Many people in the wealthy neighbourhood of Brentwood have been told to leave, as the Palisades Fire spreads east.

www.bbc.co.uk

Slowly, slowly, they are getting on top of the infernos. Each percentage is a milestone. Good job, firefighters!

 

[iamshadow21]

Even those whose houses aren't just ashes are in limbo. It could take a month before retiree Phillip Cohen knows the fate of his scorched but still standing home.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2025/01/10/los-angeles-fires-updates-california-palisades-eaton/#link-CA2L2Q5ISBFKRHLOSLEWWG7TTM

 

[iamshadow21]

https://www.npr.org/2025/01/10/nx-s1-5254122/inmate-firefighters-california-wildfires

A great article about incarcerated firefighters went up today. In particular, they make the point that I did that the injuries they suffer and the risk of injury are far higher than nonincarcerated firefighters fighting the same fires.

 

[Curious Me]

Insurance commissioner issues moratorium on home policy cancellations in fire zones

Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara has issued a one-year moratorium on home policy non-renewals and cancellations in the Pacific Palisades and the San Gabriel Valley's Eaton fire zones.

www.yahoo.com

California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara has issued a moratorium that bars insurers from canceling or non-renewing home policies in the Pacific Palisades and the San Gabriel Valley's Eaton fire zones.

The moratorium, issued Thursday, protects homeowners living within the perimeter of the fire and in adjoining ZIP codes from losing their policies for one year, starting from when Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency on Wednesday.​

 

[airportwoman]

Animal shelters are very full, they're putting a call out for foster placements.

Los Angeles death toll rises to 11 as governor orders water investigation – as it happened

Officials say five people killed in Palisades fire and six in Eaton fire, while LA fire chief criticizes city officials over hydrants than ran dry

www.theguardian.com

One of my Facebook friends knows someone (sounds like it's probably a cousin) in the region who has a horse trailer, and he said he'd be willing to transport up to 10 horses at a time. That's a really nice thing to offer.

 

[airportwoman]

https://www.npr.org/2025/01/10/nx-s1-5254122/inmate-firefighters-california-wildfires

A great article about incarcerated firefighters went up today. In particular, they make the point that I did that the injuries they suffer and the risk of injury are far higher than nonincarcerated firefighters fighting the same fires.

They would not be as extensively trained, or as physically fit, as professional FFs, whether city or forest.