LA Wildfires: Death Toll At 25, Winds Pick-Up

A week after flames leveled huge swaths of Pacific Palisades and Altadena, Southern California remained under a severe fire threat as residents struggled to comprehend the scale of the loss.

The LA Times reports an army of firefighters spent Tuesday putting out small fires before they got out of control, and continued building containment lines on the Palisades and Eaton fires in hope of preventing them from spreading. The firestorms are expected to be the most costly in U.S. history, consuming what officials estimate could be more than 12,000 structures, including many homes.

“This is the most devastating natural disaster to hit the Los Angeles area,” said L.A. Fire Department Capt. Erik Scott. “I’ve worked here for 20 years and I’ve never seen nor imagined devastation to be this extensive.”

A lull in winds Tuesday evening was expected to give way to increasing gusts, peaking Wednesday morning.

The “particularly dangerous situation” for extreme fire weather is expected to return at 3 a.m. Wednesday for portions of Los Angeles and Ventura counties, and is expected to last until 3 p.m.

The National Weather Service office in Oxnard said gusts of up to 65 mph are possible in the windiest spots, “from just before sunrise until noon or so.” There could be widespread wind gusts of 40 mph to 55 mph across the Malibu coast, Los Angeles County’s northern and western valleys, L.A. County’s mountains, and across much of Ventura County.

WATCH: Jay Leno exasperated by devastation of Palisades Fire: “I mean you get on that hill, and you look for miles and there's nothing. It looks like Hiroshima or just some horrible thing.”

“It’s an entire city wiped out. Pacific Palisades doesn't exist, and probably won't… pic.twitter.com/HMuZD3OlQO

— TV News Now (@TVNewsNow) January 14, 2025

 

The Los Angeles wildfires have been raging on, with the latest developments showing some progress in controlling the flames. Firefighters have made headway in slowing the spread of the fires, particularly in the Hollywood Hills and Studio City areas, thanks to water drops from aircraft. However, the largest blazes are still burning out of control.

The situation remains dire, with at least 25 people reported dead and over 12,000 structures damaged or destroyed. The Palisades Fire, one of the largest, has burned over 22,000 acres and is only 11% contained.

Current Challenges:

• Evacuation efforts: Over 153,000 residents have been ordered to evacuate, with another 166,000 warned of potential evacuation.
• Insurance concerns: Many residents are worried about insurance coverage, with some fearing that insurers may not cover the full cost of rebuilding.
• Air quality: The fires have led to poor air quality, with millions of people exposed to toxic smoke.