LA officials announce repopulation of several communities in southern California The Los Angeles county sheriff’s department has announced the repopulation of communities affected by the Palisades fire, effective at 12.00pm on Thursday 16 January 2025.
These zones will be reopened to residents:
The areas north of Topanga Canyon Boulevard and south of Mulholland Drive.
Encompassing areas north of Old Topanga Canyon Road and south of the Summit to Summit Motorway.
Areas north of Mulholland Highway and south of Stokes Canyon Road.
Sectors north of Red Rock Road and south of Calabasas Peak Motorway.
All other road closures and evacuated areas for the Palisades fire remain in effect.
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Closing summary Thanks for joining our live coverage of the Los Angeles wildfires so far today. It’s 4pm in California and this blog is closing. These are the top headlines we followed this afternoon:
There are four wildfires currently raging in Los Angeles county. They include:
The Palisades fire, at 23,713 acres and 22% containment.
The Eaton fire, at 14,117 acres and 55% containment.
The Hurst fire, at 799 acres and 98% containment.
The Auto fire, at 61 acres and 85% containment.
The Los Angeles county sheriff’s department has announced the repopulation of communities affected by the Palisades fire, effective at 12.00pm on Thursday, 16 January. The department also announced the repopulation of areas impacted by the Eaton Fire effective 3.00 pm on Thursday, 16 January.
Firefighters are still battling the two largest fires, which have killed 25 people and destroyed more than 12,000 structures. At the same time, government officials are starting an epic job that will unfold over years: clearing Altadena, Pacific Palisades and other ravaged communities of toxic ash and debris. That will be followed by the rebuilding of homes, restaurants, schools, boutiques, banks and houses of worship – all while finding financing for the work.
Governor Gavin Newsom issued an executive order today to provide temporary housing for those displaced by the Los Angeles firestorms. “We are expediting the creation of new temporary housing by removing roadblocks and strengthening protections against exploitation,” said Newsom in a statement.
Thirty-eight people are still missing across Palisades and Eaton areas. Sheriff Robert Luna said that 31 people remain missing, 24 in the Eaton area, which represents an increase of four from Wednesday. A total of 47 people have been arrested since the fires started. Luna said officials have arrested 36 people at the Eaton incident and 11 at Palisades.
More than 1,600 State Farm customers in the Palisades neighborhood did not have their fire insurance renewed at the end of 2024, according to California’s insurance office. They represented about 70% of State Farm’s market share in Pacific Palisades, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
The extreme winds behind the disastrous fires in Los Angeles are forecast to calm the rest of the week into the weekend, making it easier for firefighters to further efforts to put out the massive Palisades and Eaton fires that have been ablaze for over a week.
The Los Angeles county sheriff’s department announced the repopulation of communities impacted by the Eaton Fire effective 3.00pm on Thursday, 16 January.
The zones along Canyon Crest Road into The Meadows east of El Prieto Road will be reopened to residents.
Phoebe Weston
Fleeing mountain lions and scorched earth: can wildlife survive California’s wildfires?
Beth Pratt has spent her career protecting Los Angeles’ mountain lions, which roam an area currently engulfed by wildfires. These apex predators, also known as cougars or pumas, share a scrubby landscape with lavish private homes and a dense network of roads. When major fires take out huge areas of open space, their options are limited.
“This is the LA area – these mountain lions can’t move into the Kardashians’ back yard,” says Pratt, California executive director for the National Wildlife Federation. “My heart is very heavy right now,” she says.
This mountain lion prowls above Los Angeles, the Santa Monica Pier and the Pacific Ocean. Photograph: Jason Klassi/Getty Images The chaparral vegetation, which covers about 10% of the state of California, creates one of the most flammable landscapes in the world. It is characterised by grasslands, shrubs and short woody species designed to come back to life after the planet’s most intense wildfires.
In LA, wealthy suburbs sprawl into these habitats, and roads and development block the animals’ ability to flee elsewhere. If they haven’t already died in the flames or from smoke inhalation, they may starve over the coming days and weeks, as the land is transformed from a vibrant ecosystem into scorched earth. “Areas that did provide food, shelter, habitat, are being taken out of commission,” says Pratt.
The impact of the wildfires will “reverberate throughout all life”, she says. Human losses have been devastating, with 88,000 people told to evacuate their homes as the death toll rises to 25, and the effects will also ripple through the non-human world. Worst affected are endangered species with a limited range, and species that can’t flee the flames. Biologists are particularly concerned about threatened red-legged frogs, which were reintroduced into some streams in the Santa Monica mountains in 2014.
The Woolsey fire in 2018 was followed by mudslides which wiped out much of the habitat, and scientists are waiting to see what the damage will be this time. The habitat of California newts has also been severely affected during these latest fires.
Read the full story by the Guardian’s biodiversity reporter Phoebe Weston here:
Lauren Gambino
Los Angeles’ immigrant community is reeling from the deadly fires that tore through homes in Altadena even as they mobilize against the threat of mass deportations under Donald Trump, said Angelica Salas, executive director of the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles.
Salas, who lives in Pasadena, said she knows many friends and family members who have lost homes and businesses. Their grief was compounded by the simultaneous news that Border Patrol agents had conducted surprise raids in Bakersfield, a city about two hours north of Los Angeles, in California’s Central Valley. It was a preview of what many expect – and fear – will occur with regularity when Trump takes office next week.
“In the middle of this whole thing, we were … watching on television on one side the fires and on the other side raids in Bakersfield,” Salas said. “I just really need you to understand the kind of panic that all of this is creating, and this is why I really name this as cruelty and the most lacking of human empathy possible.”
Undocumented immigrants who lost their homes in the fire do not qualify for federal assistance, she said. Advocates are working to secure local and state support for these residents, many of whom have lived in the community for decades.
“Fires do not know immigration status,” she said.
Salas said that Department of Homeland Security policy states that immigration officials will not carry out enforcement activities in areas experiencing a natural disaster or emergency event. Trump’s allies have signaled that liberal states – and particularly big cities with large immigration populations such as Los Angeles – could be early targets of their mass deportation plans.
Salas said the community has shown enormous resilience and are prepared to stand up to the incoming administration.
“Of course our community has been severely impacted. They, of course, are fearful,” she said. “But what I see is I see immigrants across my city helping neighbors, standing with each other, cleaning up debris, opening their doors to neighbors that lost their homes. That’s the immigrant community I know, and that’s the immigrant community that is willing to stand up for each other and against this president.”
LA residents who lost their homes say fossil fuel industry should be held responsible Dharna Noor
In a press conference on Thursday, residents affected by the ongoing deadly Los Angeles wildfires lamented losing their homes and communities.
The oil and gas industry, which is the leading contributor to the climate crisis, should be held responsible for the disaster, they said.
Danielle Havanas, whose home burned to the ground amid the Palisades fire last week, spoke about her experience.
“It is hard to properly express how much was lost,” she said. “How do you communicate the value of your deceased mom’s journal from 1981 when she was pregnant with you?”
Sam James, a native of the Altadena neighborhood, which was ravaged by this month’s Eaton fire, said big oil should be forced to pay “reparations to the affected communities”.
“Their reckless pollution and disregard for the environmental impact have directly contributed to climate change and the intensification of natural disasters like these wildfires,” she said.
Research shows that climate crisis creates the conditions for worse and more frequent wildfires. And mountains of evidence indicate that big oil knew for decades that their products fuel the climate crisis, yet continued to peddle them to the public anyway and sow doubt about global warming.
In recent years, cities and states – including California – have filed a slew of lawsuits aiming to hold the sector accountable for this alleged disinformation campaign. Vermont and New York also recently passed “climate superfund” bills, which will require oil majors to help fund climate action.
California lawmakers will introduce a similar bill in the coming days, said Clara Vondrich, senior policy counsel at the consumer advocacy non-profit Public Citizen, which convened Thursday’s call.
Taylor Swift announced she has donated to 10 organizations helping families devastated by the wildfires in Los Angeles, and encouraged her fans to do the same.
In an Instagram story shared on Thursday afternoon, the singer wrote: “The fires in California have devastated so many families, and it’s been heartbreaking to see these stories unfold. So much suffering, loss, and destruction.
“As so many people face some of the most challenging times of their lives, there are also incredible organizations and groups coming together to help these communities rebuild. These are the organizations I’ve donated to. If you feel compelled or able to donate, please do,” Swift added.
The 35-year-old said she has supported 211 LA, California Community Foundation Fund, Direct Relief, Greater Los Angeles Education Foundation, Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles, Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation, Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, Los Angeles Unified School District Education Foundation Emergency Relief Fund, MusiCares, and Pasadena Educational Foundation and Eaton Fire Response Fund.
Dani Anguiano
My colleague Dani Anguiano brings us this dispatch from her visit to the Pasadena Humane Society on Thursday:
The inside of the Pasadena Humane Society feels like some version of Noah’s ark. More than a week since the Eaton fire broke out, the non-profit is housing 500 animals, including dogs, cats, rabbits and reptiles. They are in kennels and dedicated cat rooms, but also in offices that have been repurposed in response to one of the worst wildfires in California history.
For a time there was a giant tortoise and even a pony, whose owner walked it at least seven miles from burning Altadena to the doors of the humane society where it stayed overnight.
The facility serves as an emergency boarding center for disasters in the region and has taken on a crucial role as wildfires besieged the nearby community of Altadena, housing pets whose owners have been displaced and working to rescue those still in the fire zone. It has suspended all of its normal operations, including adoptions and puppy training classes, in order to respond to the disaster.
At least 200 animals have been reunited with their families, said Kevin McManus, a spokesperson for the humane society, over the sound of many barking dogs. The facility will house all displaced animals for as long as their owners need, he said.
The non-profit has been aided by huge community support in the form of donations and volunteers. People have brought so much food, litter and animal supplies that the humane society has had to find warehouse space and use several Uhaul trucks to store it all.
“It’s been so uplifting. It gave everyone who worked here a huge boost.”
LA officials announce repopulation of several communities in southern California The Los Angeles county sheriff’s department has announced the repopulation of communities affected by the Palisades fire, effective at 12.00pm on Thursday 16 January 2025.
These zones will be reopened to residents:
The areas north of Topanga Canyon Boulevard and south of Mulholland Drive.
Encompassing areas north of Old Topanga Canyon Road and south of the Summit to Summit Motorway.
Areas north of Mulholland Highway and south of Stokes Canyon Road.
Sectors north of Red Rock Road and south of Calabasas Peak Motorway.
All other road closures and evacuated areas for the Palisades fire remain in effect.
Here are some pictures coming in from the wires as the wildfires continue to burn around Los Angeles:
The site where a house was burnt down by the Palisades Fire is cordoned off with police tape, in Malibu, California, U.S., January 16, 2025. (REUTERS/Mike Blake) A drone view shows a site where beachfront houses were burnt down by the Palisades Fire, in Malibu, California, U.S., January 16, 2025. (REUTERS/Mike Blake) A house unscathed by the Palisades fire is seen split in half by a landslide in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, on January 16, 2025. (Photo by Frederic J. Brown / AFP) SoCalGas, a natural gas distribution utility that provides service to over 21.1 million consumers, said it was “working tirelessly to restore service” to areas impacted by the wildfires “as quickly and safely as possible”.
“We will have mutual assistance arriving in the coming days to help support restoration efforts,” the company said on X.
As the firefight continues, the names of people who lost their lives in the blaze are being released. One of the most recent people identified is 84-year-old Zhi-feng Zhao, an Altadena resident who immigrated from China in 1989. His remains were found by his son Shaw Zhao, who flew from Portland, Oregon, to Los Angeles to see his father – who he describes as “smart and talented” – and was worried to see the neighborhood was in an evacuation zone. Zhao said he had trouble getting to his father’s house and had to walk an hour on foot.
His son Shaw Zhao told reporters that he bought the Altadena home in 2003. His mother, a local Chinese schoolteacher, died from cancer in 2021 during the Covid-19 pandemic.
“He just loved the peace, the fresh air above Altadena,” Zhao said of his father, noting that he was an avid hiker, active and strong until his wife passed away. He’d since required the help of a caregiver, who was out of town when the fires started.
‘A flood of disinformation’: rumors and lies abound amid Los Angeles wildfires
Rachel Leingang
The Hollywood sign was not on fire. Firefighters weren’t using women’s purses to put out fires. A fish is not responsible for the blazes. The Los Angeles fire department didn’t see big budget cuts. The fires were not started deliberately as some kind of mass plot related to high-speed rail or the 2028 Olympics. Firefighting efforts did not include spraying a mood stabilizer into the air to put locals into a trance. Diversity measures are not to blame.
“Misinformation can kind of rush into that void and give people explanations for why this is happening, and typically those explanations fit into kind of their existing beliefs or narratives that they want to perpetuate,” said Lisa Fazio, a professor of psychology and human development at Vanderbilt University.
After Hurricane Helene devastated North Carolina just before the election last November, misinformation similar to the claims circulating about Los Angeles emerged. Donald Trump, Elon Musk and others used the disaster to attack the Biden administration and spread unfounded claims.
Read the full story by The Guardian’s democracy reporter focused on misinformation, Rachel Leingang:
Some California residents lost fire insurance before devastating wildfires Katharine Gammon
My colleague Katharine Gammon brings us this story of California residents who lost their fire insurance before the blazes erupted last week:
When James Borow realized last Tuesday that his Palisades house was on fire, he was 300 miles away in Las Vegas at the Consumer Electronics Show. The power was out at his house but a friend suggested he remotely turn on his Tesla and see if the cameras showed anything.
From the car camera, he watched in a panic as his house burned. As he drove home from Vegas to LA, he called his parents and told them: “You’ll see it on the news tomorrow, but the house is totally gone. I just watched it.”
Borow’s first concern was securing a place for his family to live. His second was insurance. Three months ago, he had received a letter from his insurer, State Farm, that his fire policy wasn’t being renewed. The letter advised him to get fire insurance through California’s Fair plan, created by lawmakers 50 years ago to help people who had no other options for insurance. “The end result was that my insurance increased 400%,” says Borow. “It was expensive, but it wasn’t complicated.”
Borow was one of 1,626 State Farm customers in the Palisades neighborhood whose fire insurance was not renewed at the end of 2024, according to California’s insurance office. They represented about 70% of State Farm’s market share in Pacific Palisades, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
Some of the people dropped by insurance, like Borow, found insurance with Fair. For others, the steep prices, or certain fireproofing requirements issued by new insurers, were prohibitively expensive.
Francis Bischetti told the Los Angeles Times that Farmers Insurance, another major provider, had told him last year that his homeowners insurance for his house in the Pacific Palisades was going to increase from $4,500 to $18,000, which was out of reach for his budget. He was unable to get a Fair plan because he would have to cut down 10 trees around his house, another huge cost, he said. His house burned down, and he had no insurance.
Finding fire insurance for homes in areas with high fire risk is a challenge that will only increase for Californians, experts predict. Michael Coffey, an insurance defense litigator who works on large, global insurance cases, says he expects more insurance companies to leave the state – forcing prices up for everyone.
Read the full story here:
Robert Luna, sheriff of Los Angeles county, said earlier today that the fatalities related to the fires in Southern California went up by two people on Wednesday – one in the Eaton area and one in the Palisades area.
The death toll remains at 25 people, according to the LA County coroner.
“We continue to work with multiple partners, not only in the recovery of remains, but then, ultimately, the notification or identification of the deceased, and then the notification to the next of kin with our partners at the Los Angeles county medical examiner’s office,” he said at a news conference on Thursday.
Governor issues executive order to provide temporary housing for displaced people Governor Gavin Newsom issued an executive order today to provide temporary housing for those displaced by the Los Angeles firestorms.
“We are expediting the creation of new temporary housing by removing roadblocks and strengthening protections against exploitation,” said Newsom in a statement.
The order directs state departments to support local governments in creating temporary housing plans for fire victims, fast-tracks the construction of accessory dwelling units on affected properties by extending California Environmental Quality Act and Coastal Act exemptions, and allows temporary trailers and housing on properties during rebuilding efforts.
It waives mobile home park fees for three years, opens fairgrounds to provide emergency shelter, and extends protections against price gouging for hotels, motels, and rentals in Los Angeles county through 8 March 2025.
F ema’s assistance application deadline is 10 March .
Residents affected by the Los Angeles-area fires have until 10 March to apply for Fema assistance.
Before applying, individuals must file a claim with their insurance company. Applications can be submitted by calling 800-621-3362 or visiting DisasterAssistance.gov.
Lauren Aratani
The extreme winds behind the disastrous fires in Los Angeles are forecast to calm the rest of the week into the weekend, making it easier for firefighters to further efforts to put out the massive Palisades and Eaton fires that have been ablaze for over a week.
The National Weather Service said on Thursday that the “nine-day wind siege has finally ended” and the weekend will bring a “significant cooling trend” with higher humidity in the region. But it warned that high winds could pick up again early next week.
Los Angeles region braces for elevated fire risk with return of Santa Ana winds. Photograph: Caroline Brehman/EPA The deadline for businesses impacted by the firestorm to file their business taxes has been extended.
“It’s the right thing to do — that’s how we will rebuild LA Strong,” Los Angeles mayor, Karen Bass, said in a post on X.
Taxpayers in LA county will have their date to file California tax returns on their 2024 income postponed to 15 October. They will also have until that date to make any tax payments that were due on 7 January through 15 October.