Los Angeles County has been devastated by two deadly wildfires which have change into a number of the most destructive in California historical past.
The Palisades and Eaton fires each erupted on Jan. 7, fueled by extreme drought circumstances and powerful Santa Ana winds.
Dozens of persons are believed to have died in the fires, which have burned down entire swaths of communities, together with within the Pacific Palisades, Malibu, Altadena and Pasadena. Greater than 12,000 buildings have been broken or destroyed within the two fires, with the Eaton Hearth probably the most destructive in Los Angeles historical past.
The Palisades Hearth leaves complete devastation within the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Jan. 13, 2025.
John Locher/AP
With the fires persevering with to rage, the total scope of the lives misplaced and destruction stays to be seen.
Whereas working to comprise the Palisades and Eaton fires, firefighters even have needed to take care of a number of smaller fires which have ignited amid the hazardous fireplace circumstances.
This is a take a look at how the lethal blazes unfolded.
A view of properties destroyed by the Eaton Hearth on Jan. 9, 2025, in Altadena, California.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Photos
Jan. 7
A dayslong red flag warning goes into impact for elements of Los Angeles and Ventura counties, with very sturdy winds within the forecast amid dry circumstances.
“Sturdy, damaging and doubtlessly life-threatening #SantaAnaWinds are nonetheless on observe for #SoCal,” the Nationwide Climate Service in Los Angeles warns. “Be ready for sturdy winds and excessive fireplace hazard.”
8 a.m.: The Los Angeles Hearth Division pre-deploys and pre-positions assets, together with fireplace engines, command groups, brush patrols, water tenders and air operations personnel, as a result of crimson flag circumstances, in keeping with Chief Kristin Crowley.
10:20 a.m.: A stay digicam with AlertCalifornia, a UC San Diego program to watch wildfires and disasters in real-time, picks up smoke rising. That is the primary sighting of the Palisades Hearth.
10:30 a.m.: Cal Hearth experiences the Palisades Fire has began southeast of Palisades Drive within the Pacific Palisades.
This handout picture launched by The European Area Company (ESA) from Copernicus Sentinel-2 on Jan. 8, 2025, exhibits smoke rising north of the Santa Monica space on Jan. 7, 2025, as wildfires raged throughout the US’ western state of California.
Copernicus Sentinel/AFP by way of Getty Photos
11:44 a.m.: Evacuation warnings — voluntary notices to go away — start to be issued within the Palisades Hearth.
Midday: Necessary evacuation orders begin within the Palisades Hearth. Lengthy traces of automobiles might be seen amid evacuations, in addition to deserted automobiles.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom declares a state of emergency as a result of Palisades Hearth, which has grown to 1,200 acres on the time of his declaration.
6:18 p.m.: Cal Hearth experiences the Eaton Fire has begun in Altadena, describing the incident as a “fast-moving fireplace burning brush fueled by excessive winds,” prompting evacuation orders.
6:26 p.m.: The Los Angeles Hearth Division calls on all of its firefighters to report for responsibility.
10:29 p.m.: Cal Hearth experiences the Hurst Fire has begun in Sylmar, prompting evacuations.
Residents of a senior middle are evacuated because the Eaton Hearth approaches, Jan. 7, 2025, in Altadena, Calif.
Ethan Swope/AP
Jan. 8
Newsom says greater than 1,400 firefighting personnel and lots of of “prepositioned belongings” have been deployed to battle the “unprecedented fires” ravaging elements of Los Angeles, with the Palisades Hearth rising to just about 3,000 acres and the Eaton Hearth to 1,000 acres by the morning.
5 a.m.: A wind gust of 100 mph is recorded at Mountain Lukens within the San Gabriel Mountains, northeast of La Canada Flintridge — very near the Eaton Hearth.
6:15 a.m.: Cal Hearth experiences the Woodley Fire has begun within the Sepulveda Basin.
At a morning press briefing, LA County Hearth Chief Anthony Marrone experiences that two folks have died within the Eaton Hearth, because it continues to rage uncontrolled.
The town of Pasadena points a do-not-drink-water notification alert as a consequence of injury to water reservoirs, tanks and pumping stations, and an air high quality alert is issued for elements of Los Angeles County, amid the wildfire impacts.
President Joe Biden approves a significant catastrophe declaration for California, permitting impacted communities to instantly entry restoration funds and assets associated to the foremost wildfires burning within the Los Angeles space.
Burning fires in Altadena, Calif., are proven on Jan. 8. 2025.
Maxar
2:07 p.m.: Cal Hearth experiences the Lidia Fire has begun in Acton, prompting evacuations.
5:57 p.m.: A fireplace has begun within the famed Hollywood Hills, Cal Hearth experiences. The Sunset Fire prompts evacuations.
8:07 p.m.: The Woodley Hearth within the Sepulveda Basin is now totally contained, Cal Hearth experiences.
By the night, Newsom updates that greater than 7,500 firefighting personnel are on the bottom to reply to “California’s ongoing historic wildfires.”
Jan. 9
The Palisades Hearth has now burned greater than 17,000 acres, whereas the Eaton Hearth has grown to greater than 10,000 acres, as each are 0% contained.
Newsom broadcasts he has authorized a request from Los Angeles County to deploy the California Nationwide Guard to assist legislation enforcement efforts within the area, together with in efforts to focus on looting in evacuated communities.
Biden additionally broadcasts the federal authorities will cowl 100% of the catastrophe response to the Los Angeles wildfires for 180 days, up from the 75% to 90% that’s sometimes coated.
3:34 p.m.: Cal Hearth experiences the Kenneth Fire has began in West Hills, prompting evacuations.
Hearth crews battle the Kenneth Hearth within the West Hills part of Los Angeles, Jan. 9, 2025.
Ethan Swope/AP
3:55 p.m.: Cal Hearth experiences the Sundown Hearth in Hollywood Hills is 100% contained.
Round 4 p.m.: An evacuation alert is mistakenly despatched to thousands and thousands of Los Angeles County residents, officers mentioned. The county subsequently referred to as the error a “severe breach of public belief” and mentioned, for now, the state’s Workplace of Emergency Companies could be dealing with alerts to the general public.
Jan. 10
The Palisades Hearth has grown to just about 20,000 acres with 6% containment, and the Eaton Hearth to just about 14,000 acres with 0% containment.
Los Angeles officers announce {that a} 12-hour curfew, from 6 p.m. to six a.m., is in impact for all evacuated areas to guard properties and stop looting.
11:24 a.m.: Cal Hearth experiences the Archer Fire has begun in Granada Hills, prompting evacuations.
That afternoon, Newsom requires an impartial investigation into the “lack of water strain to native fireplace hydrants and the reported unavailability of water provides” from the Santa Ynez Reservoir, following a Los Angeles Occasions report that the Pacific Palisades reservoir had been closed for repairs on the time the damaging fireplace began.
“We want solutions to make sure this doesn’t occur once more and we have now each useful resource out there to battle these catastrophic fires,” he says on X.
Jan. 11
The Palisades Hearth is now greater than 21,000 acres with 11% containment, whereas the Eaton Hearth is greater than 14,000 acres with 15% containment.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is main a process drive investigating the trigger and origin of the fires, officers announce. The duty drive is made up of native, state and federal companions designed to research the reason for these fires and to see if there’s any connection between them.
Newsom additionally broadcasts he’s doubling the California Nationwide Guard’s deployment to the Los Angeles fires to 1,680 service members, as they’re “persevering with to hurry in assets to quickly reply to the firestorm in Los Angeles fueled by hurricane-force winds,” he says in a press release.
A firefighting helicopter drops water because the Palisades fireplace grows close to the Mandeville Canyon neighborhood and Encino, Calif., Jan. 11, 2025.
Patrick T. Fallon/AFP by way of Getty Photos
A banner is hooked up to a tree after residents fled from the Eaton Hearth, one among six simultaneous blazes which have ripped throughout Los Angeles County, in Altadena, Calif., Jan. 11, 2025.
Ringo Chiu/Reuters
7:40 a.m.: Cal Hearth experiences the Lidia Hearth in Acton is 100% contained.
8:41 a.m.: The Archer Hearth in Granada Hills is totally contained, Cal Hearth experiences.
Jan. 12
The Palisades Hearth is now greater than 23,000 acres and 11% contained whereas the Eaton Hearth is greater than 14,000 acres and 27% contained.
There have been at the least 24 fire-related deaths — eight within the Palisades Hearth and 16 within the Eaton Hearth, in keeping with the newest tally from the County of Los Angeles Division of Medical Examiner.
A automotive drives previous properties and automobiles destroyed by the Palisades Hearth on the Pacific Palisades Bowl Cellular Estates, Jan. 12, 2025, in Los Angeles.
Noah Berger/AP
Because the wildfires proceed to burn, the Nationwide Climate Service points one other crimson flag warning for fireplace hazard in Southern California by way of Jan. 15, with excessive winds once more within the forecast. Energy shutoffs in evacuated areas will stay by way of the crimson flag warning, fireplace officers mentioned.
The California Neighborhood Basis Wildfire Restoration Fund has collected greater than $6 million in donations, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass broadcasts, with greater than 13,000 folks from throughout the nation and the globe donating.
7:48 a.m.: Cal Hearth experiences the Kenneth Hearth in West Hills is 100% contained.
Jan. 13
The Palisades Hearth is now 14% contained, whereas the Eaton Hearth is 33% contained. Greater than 15,000 firefighting personnel have been deployed for the fires, forward of the newest fireplace risk, Newsom says.
4 separate lawsuits are filed against Southern California Edison, a utility firm in California, by owners and renters who misplaced their properties within the Eaton Hearth. The lawsuits every allege the corporate did not de-energize all of its electrical gear regardless of crimson flag warnings issued by the Nationwide Climate Service.
A gaggle of Pacific Palisades residents and companies impacted by the Palisades Hearth additionally files a lawsuit in opposition to Los Angeles’ Division of Water and Energy, alleging that the town and its company had been unprepared for the Palisades Hearth.
The reason for the hearth has not but been decided. Hearth companies are investigating whether or not Southern California Edison — a subsidiary of Edison Worldwide — infrastructure websites prompted fires in areas devastated by the Eaton and Hurst wildfires.
Pedro Pizarro, the president and CEO of Edison Worldwide, tells “Good Morning America” that the corporate can’t but rule out the likelihood that its power infrastructure performed a task within the fires, as they haven’t but been capable of look at the gear.
Trevor Pratt, a firefighter with the Metropolis of San Francisco, appears to be like for decent spots at properties burned by the Palisades Hearth, Jan. 13, 2025, in Pacific Palisades, Calif.
John Locher/AP
A house destroyed by the Eaton Hearth stands in entrance of a house that survived in Altadena. Calif., Jan. 13, 2025.
Noah Berger/AP
6:27 p.m.: Cal Hearth experiences the Hurst Hearth is 97% contained after burning practically 800 acres in Sylmar.
9:25 p.m.: Cal Hearth experiences the Auto Fire has began in Ventura, prompting evacuations.
Jan. 14
The Palisades Hearth is now 17% contained, whereas the Eaton Hearth is 35% contained.
Greater than 30 folks stay unaccounted for within the fires, authorities say at a morning briefing. The Los Angeles Sheriff’s Division says it’s following 24 lacking individuals circumstances, all adults, whereas the Los Angeles Police Division says it has 13 lively lacking individuals circumstances, two of whom are believed to be useless.
Within the afternoon, the County of Los Angeles Division of Medical Examiner experiences a further fire-related demise within the Eaton Hearth, bringing the overall fatalities within the two wildfires to 25. The Eaton Hearth is the fifth-deadliest within the state’s historical past, with 16 reported deaths.
Jan. 15
The Palisades Hearth is now 19% contained and the Eaton Hearth 45% contained, as firefighters proceed to work to comprise and suppress the fires with the crimson flag warning in impact by way of the afternoon.
ABC Information’ James Hill, Laura Romero, Alexandra Myers, Kate Holland, Kerem Inal, Helena Skinner, Lena Camilletti, Kirsten Cintigo, Tonya Simpson, Tomas Navia and Sasha Pezenik contributed to this report.
