Containment of deadly Eaton Fire increases, crews on high alert amid red flag warning
As crews continue to make progress on the Eaton Fire, reaching 35% containment, threats remain as a red flag warning is in effect through early Wednesday.
Los Angeles County Fire Department Chief Anthony Marrone addressed the dangerous weather conditions at a Tuesday news conference. "The Good news is, is that for the last two days, we have had no increase in acreage at the Eaton Fire," he said.
"Severe fire weather conditions will continue through tomorrow. The worst winds are predicted today for the late afternoon and into Wednesday. Please be assured that the LA County region is prepared." Marrone said the water system in the Eaton area has been inspected, and "we have water and we have pressure."
The Eaton Fire decimated neighborhoods in Altadena and Pasadena, making it one of the deadliest in California's history. More than 7,000 structures have been damaged or destroyed and 16 deaths have been reported.
It is also one of the top 20 most destructive wildfires in the state and fire officials said Tuesday that the 14,117-acre blaze has reached 35% containment.
Cal Fire said crews will continue reinforcing and maintaining containment lines to ensure perimeter control, which remains critical as dangerous fire weather threatens Tuesday and Wednesday.
Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said crews are still working to assess the damage and make their way through rubble and debris to find and identify those who died in the wildfires.
"It is a very grim task ... We have people saying, 'I just want to go look at my house and see what's left.' We know that, but we have people literally looking for the remains of your neighbors. Please be patient with us," he said.
The combined Eaton and Palisades death toll has reached 24, according to the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner. Sixteen people have died in the Eaton Fire, making it the deadliest California fire since the Camp Fire killed 85 people in 2018, according to Cal Fire statistics.
The Medical Examiner identified one victim of the Eaton Fire, 66-year-old Victor Shaw. Tuesday, Luna said no new human remains were found by deputies in Monday's grid search of the area.
The sheriff's department has received 23 missing persons reports, 17 in the Eaton Fire area and six in the Palisades Fire area.
The Eaton Fire was first reported at around 6 p.m. Tuesday near Altadena Drive and Midwick Drive above Altadena, according to Cal Fire and LACoFD crews.
While the wildfire was estimated at 2,227 acres Wednesday morning, it grew to 13,690 by Thursday afternoon. Significant wind in the area had caused the flames to act erratically and spread quickly.
Footage from the scene showed some homeowners running through the streets while leading horses by hand, with flames burning on the hillsides behind them. Another video showed a home with flames emitting from the roof. Firefighters said was is one of multiple homes burning.
After "significant progress" had been made on the wildfire, it did make another push Thursday afternoon north, toward Mt. Wilson. Marrone said, "this observatory is okay thanks to firefighters and observatory staff, and no buildings were destroyed at Mt. Wilson."
Thursday afternoon, water-dropping and fire retardant aircraft could be seen battling the flames at Mt. Wilson through aerial footage.
Chief Marrone said 7,000 structures may be damaged or destroyed due to the Eaton Fire. Four firefighters have also been injured, according to LA County officials, who did not note the nature of those injuries. In a Thursday afternoon press conference, LA County Fire said one of their firefighters was hospitalized, in stable condition.
Los Angeles Supervisor Kathryn Barger commented on the immense destruction of the Eaton Fire.
"The scale of the impact today is larger than anything that I have seen in my career. The loss of historic resources at the Eaton Canyon Nature Center, Farnsworth Park and Altadena Golf Course cannot be measured," she said.
Related: Altadena's Bunny Museum burns to the ground during Eaton Fire
Evacuation and curfew orders
'Repopulation will not occur until all areas are safe, period," Chief Marrone said. "Resources are available for residents impacted by the wildfire at lacounty.gov\emergency."
Evacuation orders can be viewed at fire.ca.gov.
At least one area has been upgraded to an evacuation warning, allowing residents to return. That area was in the Altadena Kinneloa Mesa community, in an area south of Heights Road to New York Drive, and east of Outpost Lane to Sierra Madre Villa.
Curfew orders are in place from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. in mandatory evacuation zones. "You cannot be in these affected areas. If you are, you are subject to arrest. That is important. We're not doing this to inconvenience anybody, we're doing it to protect structures, houses that people have left because we ordered them to leave," Luna said.
An estimated 331,335 people are affected by evacuation advisories because of the fires: 139,524 are under evacuation warnings and 191,811 are under evacuation orders. For perspective, 331,335 people can fill SoFi Stadium three times over.
KCAL News spoke with workers from an elderly living facility, who had wheeled dozens of their residents outdoors to escape.
They were eventually shuttled to safety thanks to Pasadena Transit buses, armored cars and other vehicles. A full list of evacuations can be found here.
The Pasadena Convention Center has been converted into an evacuation center for anyone affected by the fire. It is located at 300 E. Green St., Pasadena.
Parking is available at the parking structure across the street from the Convention Center, located at 155 E. Green St.
The Family Assistance Center is set up at the Pasadena Convention Center, Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. for people searching for missing loved ones. The Red Cross is also helping find missing loved ones, (800) 675-5799.
Arcadia has also established a temporary shelter at the Arcadia Community Center at 365 Campus Dr.
Late Tuesday, Pasadena Vice Mayor Steve Madison shared a post on X to note that the Rose Bowl Stadium parking lots would be closed to the public for use as a command post for Pasadena Fire and Police Departments.
El Camino Real Charter High School and the Westwood Recreation Center are also open as evacuation shelters for residents to access.
The LA County Sheriff's Department issued an unsafe water alert, advising residents in evacuated areas of Pasadena not to drink their tap water.
School canceled
Pasadena Unified School District announced all schools will be closed through Jan. 17.
Students depending on school meals were told that their Grab & Go meals would be available at Madison Elementary School, located on Ashtabula Street, McKinley School on Oak Knoll Avenue, or Willard on Madre Street.
Glendale Unified School District had closed all campuses through Friday, Jan. 10, and reopened to students Monday, Jan. 13.
"This decision was made to prioritize the safety of our students, employees, and families, as wind and fires have significantly impacted the accessibility of roadways and the air quality in our area," said Superintendent Dr. Darneika Watson.
The California Institute of Technology in Pasadena has announced the campus will be closed Wednesday for "all nonessential operations" and all classes have been canceled. Students who live on campus are being asked to shelter in place in their campus residences.
Federal assistance secured
As the fire continued to grow, the Federal Emergency Management Agency announced that they had approved a Fire Management Assistance Grant request made by state leaders.
"At the time of the request, the fire was threatening approximately 8,200 homes in and around Altadena and Pasadena, California, population 40,000," said the statement from FEMA.
The federal funding will allow local departments up to 75 percent of eligible firefighting costs used during the firefight, the statement said. FEMA offers resources for residents in fire-affected areas, visit disasterassistance.gov to apply.
Fires rage across SoCal
About 40 miles to the west in the Pacific Palisades, the Palisades Fire took off the same day, with first reports coming in at 10:30 a.m. Nearly a week later it has scorched 23,713 acres.
The same day, Jan. 7, just after 10 p.m., a 50-acre brush fire called the Hurst Fire was reported in the Sylmar area, forcing evacuation orders for some people living in the area. It reached 799 acres and is nearly fully contained as of Monday, Jan. 13.
Southern California experienced one of the worst wind storms the area has faced in the last decade, according to the National Weather Service. Some areas experienced gusts of wind as high as 80 mph, with the highest gusts reaching 100 mph. This wind left all water-dropping aircraft grounded overnight Tuesday.
On Wednesday evening, a new brush fire erupted in the Hollywood Hills near the Runyon Canyon area. The Sunset Fire quickly grew to more than 20 acres and forced evacuations for many.
Firefighting resources across the region have been stretched thin to the point that the Los Angeles Fire Department has asked all off-duty firefighters to contact their department of communications to report if they're available to assist in the firefight.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom also announced the mobilization of 140 water tenders that could carry 2,500 gallons each to help with the Eaton and Palisades fires.
"California is mobilizing additional water tenders to support the ongoing battle against these unprecedented Los Angeles fires," he said. "We're working closely with our local and federal partners to identify and fill gaps in real time. Our number one priority is protecting Californians — this additional water transport is critical in our fight."
Road closures
This is a developing story. Check back for details.