California wildfires live updates: Death toll climbs to 24 with strong winds to continue

The L.A. Rams have moved their game against the Vikings out of California and into the Cardinals’ state Farm stadium in Glendale, AZ, for tonight's matchup.

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Five people were found dead today as the Los Angeles County sheriff's Department worked on search and rescue in the area of the Palisades Fire.

A spokesperson for the department said the operations were part of a "phased" approach to the fire response to ensure every resident is account for. No additional information on the victims was provided.

The Los Angeles County district attorney today said 10 people have been arrested on allegations related to looting and other crimes in the wake of the deadly wildfires.

"People are trying to profit from the tragedy of the people who have suffered from these various fires," DA Nathan Hochman said at an afternoon news conference. 

The alleged crimes include burglary, including the theft of an Emmy Award from a home in the Eaton Fire area in the Altadena area, officials said at the news conference. Four people face burglary charges in the case, Hochman said.

A duo that allegedly looted two homes in Altadena during the Eaton Fire Wednesday night is also charged with burglary, he said.

A brush fire of around 3 to 4 acres has broken out north of san Diego, south of Marine Corps Air station Miramar, fire officials said.

The fire is in light fuels with a moderate rate of spread, incident command said. It was reported around 2:22 p.m., san Diego Fire-Rescue said.

"The wind is favorable and no structures are threatened," the fire department said on a website about the incident.

Multiple law enforcement sources familiar with the situation told NBC News that an early focus of the investigation on how the Palisades Fire started is a possible human cause. 

The sources said potential lines of inquiry involve fireworks or unauthorized individuals camping in the area, which is parkland also frequented by hikers.

stressing that it's still early in the investigation, the sources cautioned that some key investigators had yet to visit the point of origin and that no conclusions have been reached. No possibilities have been ruled out, including accidental or intentional ignitions

Nearly a week after the deadly fires in southern California began, the causes of the fires — Palisades, Eaton, Hurst, Kenneth and Hollywood Hills — remain designated as “under investigation" officially. Investigations can take weeks or months; the inquiry into the 2023 Maui fires, for example, took nearly a year.

A joint taskforce that includes local, state and federal officials is being led by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to examine all the fires that broke out last week.  

Fire officials are investigating a previous Palisades fire reported just after New Year's Day 2025 that burned at least nine acres before the fire department was able to extinguish it.

Most schools in the Los Angeles area have reopened today.

Los Angeles County superintendent of schools Debra Duardo said the No. 1 priority in reopening schools was to make sure that they are safe for students and staff.

"We know that students need to be in school, we learned that from the pandemic," Duardo said. "We want students back, we want to minimize loss of instruction."

Duardo also said that students' mental health and well-being is also a priority in reopening schools.

"Many students have been evacuated, many have lost their homes or have family members who have," Duardo said. "so, we've been providing information on trauma to all of our teachers, helping them to prepare on how to answer questions and speak to children who have experienced the fire directly or simply from hearing it all over the news."

The Federal Emergency Management Agency reminded people to keep their eyes peeled for fraud, noting that scam artists often taken advantage of disaster survivors.

The agency posted a notice to its social media with a link to its information page on disaster relief scams. Among the red flags it listed, FEMA reminded people its housing inspectors should already have registration numbers on file and have a government-issued ID with them at all times.

"Don’t trust someone who asks for money," the agency said. "DHs, FEMA, sBA, and other federal agencies will never charge applicants for disaster assistance or help in filling out applications."

When flames from the Eaton Fire threatened his Altadena home, Felipe Carillo fought back with what he had available to him: his garden hose.

"I caught on fire a couple of times," Carillo told NBC Bay Area's Bigad shaban. "And so what I started doing is every once in a while I would just spray myself with the garden hose, just soak myself with the garden hose, and continue to fight."

Carillo was able to save his home and a neighbor's, and plans on continuing the fight. He's gathered fire extinguishers, gardening tools and water from his pool to help extinguish any future flames.

"so, if by chance, an amber hits the house and starts, I'm going to give it my best," he said.

Carillo said he's not only doing this to protect his home, but also his family's memories. He became emotional while pointing to a picture of an ultrasound image of his daughter.

"The very first time I saw my daughter," he said. "so, how do you replace that? You can't, you just can't."

The FBI is seeking information in an incident that occurred on Thursday where an unauthorized drone collided with a super scooper firefighting aircraft that was helping extinguish the Palisades Fire.

The collision left a 3 by 6 inch hole in the left wing of the aircraft, which was able to land safely following the incident, according to the FBI.

The FBI is asking anyone with information, photos or videos that can help them identify the operator of the drone to contact them through their tipline.

As flames still span tens of thousands of acres in Los Angeles County, the National Weather service is warning that another wave of heavy winds will put people at an extreme fire risk.

The service's Los Angeles branch shared its "particularly dangerous situation" designation, reserved for the most extreme situations, that will begin at 4 a.m. tomorrow morning.

"In other words, this setup is about as bad as it gets. stay aware of your surroundings," the branch said. "Be prepared to evacuate. Avoid anything that can spark a fire."

A veteran FedEx worker living in Altadena, whose home was destroyed in the Eaton Fire, filed a civil lawsuit this morning against southern California Edison. It alleges the utility company failed to de-energize power equipment and clear brush in the area where the fire began.

Attorneys for Evangeline Iglesias alleged negligence, premises liability and violations of the public utilities code, among other allegations in the 23-page civil complaint filed in Los Angeles superior Court. 

A single mother, Iglesias had had a decades-long career with FedEx and saved to buy and maintain a single-family home, “which has now — along with a lifetime of possessions — been destroyed in the fire.” The suit seeks unspecified punitive damages in addition to compensatory damages. 

The suit alleges that the utility should have been well aware of the dangers based on forecasts of potentially catastrophic santa Ana winds for several days before they ripped through Los Angeles, fanning multiple blazes that include the Palisades Fire. 

Financial analysts at Wells Fargo securities say they are now estimating insured losses of about $30 billion from the Los Angeles County wildfires.

Of that amount, 85% of losses are expected to be homeowners’ losses, 13.5% commercial property and 1.5% personal auto losses. 

Los Angeles Rams fans boarded charter buses outside soFi stadium early this morning to head to Glendale, Arizona, for the playoff game against the Minnesota Vikings.

The game was moved to the Cardinals’ state Farm stadium because of the burning wildfires in Los Angeles County.

The Oscar nominations announcement has been delayed for a second time as wildfires continue to ravage Los Angeles, and the nominations voting period has been extended until Friday.

The nominations announcement is now slated to take place Jan. 23 at 5:30 a.m. PT. It will be a virtual event without in-person media coverage, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and sciences announced Monday.

The academy said it still plans to hold the Oscars ceremony on March 2 at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood.

The wildfires, fueled by exceptionally dry conditions and strong santa Ana winds, have killed at least 24 people and swept through 40,000 acres in the Greater Los Angeles area. This weekend, evacuation orders for the largest blaze, the Palisades Fire, expanded. It was 14% contained as of Monday morning and threatens Brentwood, Encino and Westwood.

Read the full story here.

President Joe Biden said his "heart aches for the 24 innocent souls we have lost in the wildfires across Los Angeles," in a statement today, reiterating his support in covering costs and sending resources while firefighters continue to battle the flames.

Biden said he has been "frequently briefed" on the recovery efforts in southern California and has "directed our team to respond promptly to any request for additional federal firefighting assistance."

The statement added that under Biden's direction, "hundreds of federal personnel and unique federal aerial and ground support" have been sent to help firefighting efforts and communities suffering from the fires.

"My Administration remains laser-focused on helping survivors and we will continue to use every tool available to support the urgent firefight as the winds are projected to increase," the statement continued.

Biden said that he and first lady Jill Biden "pray" for the victims who have died and for their loved ones. The president also saluted "the brave firefighters and first responders working day and night to suppress these fires and save lives."

"You represent the best of America and we are in your debt," the statement said.

Pasadena Fire Chief Chad Augustin described the devastation caused by the Eaton Fire in the city as "apocalyptic."

"Especially that first night," Augustin told Joe scarborough on "Morning Joe" today. "You know, we had ember casts spotting — making spot fires 2-plus miles ahead of a fire and 70 mile an hour wind gusts, and trees coming down. It was just something I've never seen in my life."

Augustin said none of the cities have enough resources to fight the fires burning in Los Angeles County by themselves.

"Which is why you're seeing thousands of firefighters coming in from all over the Western United states to help us," he said.

The Trump team is engaged in active conversations about President-elect Donald Trump visiting Los Angeles to view the wildfire damage, according to two sources familiar with the discussions.

Trump has routinely criticized local and state officials for their response to the fire. But Gov. Gavin Newsom during his appearance on NBC News' "Meet the Press" invited Trump to visit, and Rep. Judy Chu, a Democrat who represents L.A. County, said sunday on CBs she intended to invite both Trump and House speaker Mike Johnson as well.

Trump transition spokesperson Karoline Leavitt declined to comment. On Fox News this weekend, Vice President-elect JD Vance said he knew Trump “wants to visit California,” but offered no further details.

During the campaign, Trump made a point of visiting disaster sites before President Joe Biden or Vice President Kamala Harris — including, notably, the site of the East Palestine train derailment and the disaster zones for Hurricane Milton and Hurricane Helene in the fall.

When asked if the cause of any of the fires that broke out across Los Angeles County last week has been determined, officials said they remain under investigation.

"Right now we have the task force that is robust, they're identifying cause and origin for each of these separate fires. None of them have been ruled out as arson. They are ongoing investigations," Dominic Choi, with the LAPD, told reporters today.

"The Palisades Fire specifically, there’s been no definitive determination that it’s arson at this point, but we’re looking at every angle," he added.

L.A. County 3rd District supervisor Lindsay P. Horvath shared an update on the Palisades Fire, saying firefighters continue to hold the blaze along the Mandeville Canyon.

"We've also made significant progress in Topanga Oaks, sylvia Park, Temescal Ridge to Mulholland, all of these areas have been under threat and we are continuing to hold," she told reporters today.

santa Monica has lifted its evacuation orders, and an evacuation warning has been updated to all areas north of san Vicente Boulevard.

An air quality smoke advisory continues into next week, and she urged locals to wear N95 masks, close windows and doors, and use air filters. 

"Fine particulates are airborne, even in areas not impacted by the fires. Especially children and older adults, especially those with serious health complications, are particularly at risk," Horvath said.

Almost 57,000 utility customers are still without power in California as of this morning amid the burning wildfires in Los Angeles County, according to PowerOutage.us.

According to southern California Edison, which serves around 15 million people in central, coastal and southern California, 41,700 customers are without power in the area.

Yesterday morning, over 65,000 utility customers in the state were without power.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced today that the state will extend its sales and use tax filing deadline from Jan. 31 to April 30 as a result of the Los Angeles wildfires.

"California is taking greater action to continue supporting businesses that have been devastated by the southern California wildfires," Newsom said in a statement. "We are strong because of the diversity of our businesses, and we stand by them — providing relief to aid them through this difficult time."

On saturday, the Governor also announced that taxpayers have until Oct. 25 to file their California tax returns on their 2024 income.

A super scooper water-dropping plane that was damaged by a civilian drone Thursday is expected to return to firefighting tomorrow morning, L.A. County Fire Chief Anthony C. Marrone said this morning.

"We’re waiting for the (Federal Aviation Administration) to give us approval to fly again," he said.

That aircraft, on contract from Canada, was flying over the Palisades Fire zone when it was hit by the drone, leaving a hole in the plane.

​Drones are illegal to fly in areas where the FAA has imposed a temporary flight restriction over fire zones. Drone operators can be cited, but a strike could lead to federal charges. 

sheriff Robert Luna said evacuation numbers are less than in previous days, with 92,000 people under evacuation orders and 89,000 people under evacuation warnings, meaning they may need to leave at a moment's notice.

Luna said that while he understands residents want to return to see the state of their homes, he said that the Altadena area is under the third day of grid searching — which he described as “a very grim task.”

“Unfortunately, every day we’re doing this we’re running across the remains of individual community members. That is not easy work. Very sad to report … I believe we’ll continue to find remains.”

There are 23 actively missing persons — 17 in the Eaton Fire area and six in the Malibu area, all adults, Luna said.

Luna said thus far there have been 34 arrests under the sheriff’s jurisdiction — 30 from the Eaton Fire area and four in the Palisades area. Yesterday, four were arrested: two over alleged curfew violations and two in connection with a drone incident. Luna said there have been arrests thus far in connection with two specific drone incidents.

L.A. City Fire Chief Kristin M. Crowley said engine strike teams and task forces are strategically prepositioned for rapid response to any new fires that break out in the city as the region is under red flag warnings through Wednesday.

she said at today's news conference that the LAFD has “maximized our resource capabilities and response capabilities.”

“We are not in the clear. ... We must not let our guard down. We have right now extreme fire behavior and we need to make sure that the community is staying updated with information as well as follow all evacuation warnings and orders without delay,” Crowley said. “And please, please stay safe.”

she noted the Palisades Fire spans 23,713 acres and is 14% contained. The Hurst Fire is held to 799 acres with 95% containment.

The Eaton Fire remains at 14,117 acres after gaining no acreage yesterday and is at 33% containment, L.A. County Fire Chief Anthony C. Marrone said this morning.

Over 7,000 structures have been damaged or destroyed in the blaze and 26% of damage inspections for dwellings have been completed.

Residents affected by the blaze can visit recovery.lacounty.gov/eaton-fire to view preliminary maps showing damage assessments. 

Cheryll and Jeffrey Ku fled their Altadena home within minutes of spotting flames underneath nearby power lines. NBC Los Angeles’ Dana Williams reports.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the country has offered its assistance in combating the Los Angeles wildfires, despite being in the midst of their war with Russia.

"Today, I instructed Ukraine’s Minister of Internal Affairs and our diplomats to prepare for the possible participation of our rescuers in combating the wildfires in California," Zelenskyy wrote in a post on X.

He said that the effort is already being coordinated, as Ukrainian officials have "offered our assistance to the American side through the relevant channels."

"The situation there is extremely difficult, and Ukrainians can help Americans save lives," Zelenskyy said, adding that 150 of the country's firefighters "are already prepared."

Zelenskyy's offer comes as the U.s. is providing assistance to Ukraine in support of its defense against Russia, having given almost $61.4 billion in military assistance.

Cal Fire this morning warned against a post circulating on social media claiming that people can come to California to join a cleanup crew in areas affected by the Los Angeles wildfires.

"Please be advised: An inaccurate social media post is currently circulating on Facebook," Cal Fire said in its 6 a.m. PT fire update for the Palisades Fire.

"This information is false, and we would like to clarify that there is no such opportunity available. We kindly ask that you refrain from calling to inquire about this."

The Palisades Fire now spans 23,713 acres and is 14% contained, up 1% from yesterday, according to new numbers from Cal Fire this morning.

There is still active fire within the perimeter and islands or unburned land “can pose a threat to containment lines,” according to the 6 a.m. local time situation summary. 

Aerial imagery has shown that 5,000 structures may have been damaged or destroyed in the deadly blaze. 

The state Department of Forestry and Fire Protection warned Californians to stay away from their homes in neighborhoods still under evacuation orders even if the fire on their street is out.

“We have downed power lines, which are potentially live, unknown status of gas lines, and every bit of that ash that is out there is toxic with petroleum products from the houses that burned, so it is an unsafe place for families to be,” Cal Fire Battalion Chief David Acuña told CNN.

With the National Weather service warning of “extremely critical” conditions that could spread the fires, Acuña added that no one should let their guard down.

“The entire region needs to be prepared to evacuate," he said.

santa Ana winds are set to cause critical fire conditions over the next three days across parts of Los Angeles and Ventura counties, as the region continues to battle historic and deadly blazes. Los Angeles City Councilmember Traci Park joins "Morning Joe" to discuss.

A rapid attribution study for the California wildfires by ClimaMeter found that human-driven climate change played role in the devastating fires still burning across Los Angeles County.

The report found that meteorological conditions are up 5°C warmer, 15% drier & 20% windier compared the past in the area impacted by the fires.

“We ascribe the strengthened winds, higher temperature, and drier conditions triggering January 2025 California wildfires to human-driven climate change, and natural climate variability likely played a minor role,” the report said.

Overall, 15 out of the 20 most-destructive California wildfires have unfolded in the last 10 years, and include the Palisades and Eaton fires. 

A particularly dangerous situation (PDs) red flag warning is in effect through Wednesday — the second such warning in a week and the third one in a month to be issued by the National Weather service’s Los Angeles office.

The peak timing of highest winds are expected to be from 4 a.m. local time (7 a.m. ET) tomorrow morning through noon Wednesday. Areas to watch for highest fire danger: santa Clarita, san Fernando, simi Valley, Ventura, Malibu, Pepperdine.

The total damage and economic loss from the southern California wildfires is now estimated to be between $250 billion and $275 billion, according to AccuWeather.

The preliminary estimate surpasses the total damage and loss accrued during the 2020 wildfire season, according to AccuWeather chief meteorologist Jonathan Porter, who warned today that the wildfires may become “the worst in modern California history” should more additional structures burn down in the coming days and the impact increases.

Malibu to santa Monica has some of the most expensive real estate in the country, with some homes costing several million dollars.

If these figures are confirmed the damage and economic loss in L.A. has exceeded Hurricane Helene in 2024, which cost between $225 billion to $250 billion, as well as the deadly Maui wildfires in 2023, which cost an estimated $13 billion to $16 billion.

The City of Angels is living up to its name in the wake of the devastating wildfires, with volunteers and donations pouring into shelters to help fire-stricken communities.

A woman who lost her home to the Eaton Fire volunteered to help other victims this weekend at the santa Anita racetrack.

“We feel isolated like, 'Oh, no one cares,' but at the end of the day when tragedy happens, all over the town they come and support,” she said.

Ruth Judkins, a 89-year-old grandmother who lost her home of 48 years in Altadena, recalled how her community supported one another during the blaze.

“Everybody on our street communicated and just made sure — 'Are you out? Are you out? Are you safe?'" she recalled to NBC's Morgan Chesky.

“I don’t worry. I'm at the age where you can look back and actually know what’s important: people,” she added.

Powerful santa Ana winds are expected to return this week with 10 million people at risk of santa Ana winds gusting 50 to 70 mph amid low humidity levels between 8 to 15%.

A red flag warning is in effect from 10 p.m. today to noon Wednesday. Wind gusts are forecast to rise up to 50 mph in some areas by tonight.

NBC News' Ellison Barber reports on the frustration growing for families who want to return home amid the Los Angeles wildfires.

Los Angeles County Fire Capt. sheila Kelliher spoke of the threat from unburned areas across the Greater L.A. area, with much of sLA and Ventura counties under red flag warnings through Wednesday, meaning conditions are ripe for fire spread.

“It is really challenging because everything is so dry, our humidity is super low, and when those winds start gusting up to 45 miles an hour again, then it really has a chance to push that [fire],” she said.

“We really feel like we’ve got our situation at the Palisades Fire. We know what’s expected in the next couple of ridges, we’re really protected, but anything can happen and a lot of those unburned areas are really a concern,” she added.

The remains of Dalyce Curry, a 95-year-old grandmother, were discovered at her home in Altadena, California, yesterday, after the devastating Eaton Fire, her family said.

Dalyce Kelley, Curry's granddaughter, said in a Facebook post yesterday that her "beloved grandmother" had been missing after the Eaton Fire spread across L.A. and that a coroner had confirmed her remains were found at her property.

“We had a great run. she impacted my life in so many ways. This loss is devastating.,” Kelley said.

‘The Hills’ stars Heidi Montag and spencer Pratt lost their home just days ago in the Palisades Fire, but Montag’s album ‘superficial’ is now No. 1 on iTunes after the reality star couple encouraged their social media followers to support them by streaming and downloading her music. 

“Anyone that hasn’t gone to iTunes, just do it now. Let’s go to No. 1,” Pratt said in a video posted on TikTok last week. And it looks like their fans followed through. 

Tennis star Coco Gauff sent a message of support to Los Angeles amid the fierce wildfires after her first round victory at the Australian Open.

The No. 3-seeded American wrote, “stay strong L.A. Thank you firefighters!,” on the camera lens after she beat sofia Kenin 6-3 6-3 in Melbourne.

The Los Angeles Fire Department said the large number ofg donations arriving at their fire stations is affecting their operations and called on people to instead send items to donation centers and nonprofits.

"Trying to manage scores of donations impacts our critical operations," the fire department said in a Facebook post. "We understand wanting to help, we are helpers too. We fully and completely understand...believe us."

The Palisades Fire has burned through more than 23,000 acres and is 13% contained while the Eaton Fire has reduced to 14,000 acres and is 27% contained, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said in an early morning update.

Meanwhile, the Hurst Fire has grown to more than 770 acres, with 95% containment.

Over 47,000 energy customers are without power in California as wildfires continue early this morning, according to online outage tracker PowerOutage.us.

More than 32,000 of those severed connections are in Los Angeles County alone, the site said.

The Los Angeles Unified school District said most of its schools and offices will reopen today, except for those in the areas still impacted by the bush fires.

“Conditions have improved for a majority of areas across the Los Angeles region and the district is confident it is safe for students and employees to return to campuses,” the school district said in a news release.

Los Angeles county's top prosecutor, Nathan Hochman, is expected to announce charges against a group of group people accused of residential looting in the Pacific Palisades, in a news conference scheduled for Monday afternoon.

The district attorney will also announce charges against a man in Azusa, the LA county sheriff's department said.

strong winds will again bring extremely dangerous fire conditions to southern California early this week, the National Weather service warned this morning.

A persistent dry spell continues across the region and santa Ana winds of 40 to 50 mph could fan the wildfires still burning across Los Angeles and Ventura Counties. Winds could peak at 70 mph on Tuesday morning, the service said.

A "Particularly Dangerous situation" red flag warning has been issued for santa Barbara, Ventura and Los Angeles Counties from Monday night through to Wednesday morning as a result of the ongoing threat.

"These locations will be under a high risk for large fires with potential for very rapid spreading of any fires that may develop," the NWs said.

Poland’s Iga swiatek writes a message of solidatiry to victims of the LA fires following her victory over Czech Republic’s Katerina siniakova at the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne today.

Officials said there is “significant fire weather ahead of us” as high winds are expected to fuel through Wednesday. The wind-fed wildfires have killed at least 24 people and swept through 40,000 acres in the greater Los Angeles area. 

• santa Ana winds will keep fire threat high until Wednesday evening, officials warn
• Newsom says California wildfires will be one of the worst natural disasters in U.s. history
• Gov. Gavin Newsom slams Trump’s disinformation about California wildfires
• L.A.’s small-business owners see years of work and history go up in smoke
• Maps: see how large the California wildfires are