Los Angeles wildfires live: Hollywood landmark threatened as deadly blaze spreads and more residents evacuate
Death toll continues to climb as more than 7,500 firefighting personnel are deployed across California, with three of the most ferocious fires at zero percent containment
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Your support makes all the difference.At least five people have been killed as several fast-moving wildfires sweep across the Los Angeles area, leaving thousands of firefighters attempting to extinguish the blaze.
The death toll climbed to five as of Thursday morning after the Eaton fire raged through Altadena and Pasadena, L.A. County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone confirmed to The New York Times.
The Palisades fire, now the one of the most destructive LA has seen, is burning more than 17,200 acres, while the Eaton fire has scorched some 10,600 acres. The Sunset fire in Hollywood has engulfed 60 acres. All three fires are at zero percent containment.
An estimated 2,000 buildings have been scorched and 130,000 residents ordered to evacuate, including more than 60,000 in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood. More than 330,000 people are without power throughout the region, according to PowerOutage.us.
On Thursday, California Governor Gavin Newsom revealed that more than 7,500 firefighting personnel and almost 1,200 fire trucks have been deployed across Southern California. He also thanked President Joe Biden, who announced the approval of a major disaster declaration and ordered federal assistance to bolster response efforts.
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Unsafe water alert issued to Pasadena residents
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department has issued an unsafe water alert for Pasadena residents.
Residents in Eaton Fire evacuation or warning areas have been advised to stop drinking tap water in lieu of bottled water, deputies said.
Failure to comply with advice could result in illness, the LASD said.
Oscars 2025: Academy pushes back nominations and extends voting period
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has extended the deadline for Oscar nomination voting by two days in view of the raging wildfires around Los Angeles.
A series of wildfires has killed at least five people and left nearly 1,000 structures in ruin in southern California. The Palisades fire is now the most destructive in the history of Los Angeles.
Voting for the members opened on 8 January and was scheduled to end on 12 January. However, with the extension, the deadline is now 14 January. The nominations announcement, which was originally set for 17 January, has been moved to 19 January.
Shahana Yasmin has the story.
Academy pushes 2025 Oscars nominations back amid Los Angeles wildfires
Fires have killed at least five people and burned nearly 1,000 homes
What are the Santa Ana winds that are fueling devastating fires across Southern California?
The fast-moving wildfires ripping through Southern California are being fueled by the state’s fierce Santa Ana winds.
The Los Angeles Fire Department is bracing itself for the bruising winds to reach gusts of up to 60 mph through Thursday. In some parts, the Santa Anas could reach speeds of up to 100 mph, according to the National Weather Service.
Continue reading:
What are the Santa Ana winds that are fueling fires across Southern California?
The National Weather Service has issued an extreme weather warning of a life-threatening and destructive windstorm
Newson claps back at Trump taunts and his ‘imaginary spigot’
Gavin Newsom’s office has issued a response after Donald Trump said that officials were refraining from using ocean water to put out fires to “protect a tiny little fish” amid fears of water shortages in SoCal.
Responding to the president-elect’s taunt on Wednesday night, the governor’s office responded that Trump was
“LADWP said that because of the high water demand, pump stations at lower elevations did not have enough pressure refill tanks at higher elevations, and the ongoing fire hampered the ability of crews to access the pumps,” they wrote on X.
Newsom’s office also quashed claims of water shortages, adding: “Broadly speaking, there is no water shortage in Southern California right now, despite Trump’s claims that he would open some imaginary spigot.”
Fire that broke out in star-studded Studio City extinguished
A fire that broke out at homes in Los Angeles’s Studio City – a neighborhood home to the likes of Miley Cyrus and George Clooney – has been extinguished, according to a report.
Branded the Sunset fire, the Los Angeles Fire Department issued an alert to residents to prepare for evacuation after a four-story building was set alight on Wednesday evening.
The blaze was extinguished after 50 firefighters were deployed to the scene, according to the LAFD. No casualties have been reported.
Palisades, Sunset and Eaton fires at 0% containment
The Palisades, Eaton and the newly-emerging Sunset fires are all at zero percent containment, according to the latest incident reports from Cal Fire.
The Palisades Fire has spread across more than 17,000 acres; the Eaton Fire 10,600 acres; and the Sunset Fire engulfing 43 acres.
More than 7,500 local, state and federal firefighters have been deployed in an attempt to control the blaze.
In photos: Firefighters battle smoke and flame as historic wildfires sweep across LA
More than 7,500 firefighters deployed as scale of operation becomes clear
California Governor Gavin Newsom revealed that more than 7,500 firefighting personnel and almost 1,200 fire trucks have been deployed across Southern California in an attempt to extinguish flames and save lives as wildfires rage across SoCal.
Fifty-three bulldozers, 31 helicopters, 23 water tenders and six air tankers are also being utilized, Newsom said.
The governor said that local, state, and federal partners have assisted in providing the resources.
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