California wildfires recovery updates: Tuesday, Feb. 18
Storms cause flooding, mudslides in burn scar areas
Last week's strong storms caused flash flooding and forced mudslides in areas previously hit by the Palisades Fire.
As Tuesday marks well over a month since the Eaton and Palisades fires devastated Southern California, some of the survivors experienced setbacks in their long roads to recovery after last week's storms.
The atmospheric river from last Wednesday and Thursday brought mudslides and flooding to areas badly hit by the Jan. 2025 wildfires. As a result, some of the families and businesses impacted by last month's fires are now forced to undergo another round of debris cleanup.
Follow FOX 11's live blog with the latest updates provided on the Jan. 2025 fires in Southern California:
FireAid announces first grants for wildfire relief
10:00 a.m.: In late January, artists from multiple genres came together for the FireAid benefit concert at the Intuit Dome and Kia Forum, with all proceeds going to wildfire relief.
So far, the concert has raised an estimated $100 million and half will be deployed for its first set of grants.
FireAid officials said the first phase involves gifting community-based organization on the front lives of wildfire relief.
In addition, some individuals have received $100,000 grants.
"Grants have been allocated to support a myriad of fire affected individuals including displaced residents, workers, small business owners and first responders, with a focus on essential services, food assistance, childcare support, critical healthcare resources, housing support, rental relief, student assistance programs, and navigation services to ensure victims can access legal resources, government benefits and seamlessly work through challenging paperwork," a press release explained.
Click here for more information.
State Farm wildfire rate hike rejected
8:30 a.m.: California Insurance Commissioner, Ricardo Lara, rejected State Farm’s request to increase rates following the LA wildfires.
The Eaton Fire
The Eaton Fire was first reported on Tuesday, Jan. 7 near Altadena and Midwick drives.
Some residents did not survive the flames and at least 7,000 structures were destroyed.
Authorities have implemented a curfew from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. for all areas that remain under mandatory evacuation orders in the Altadena area. This comes after more than 30 looting arrests were made by the LA County Sheriff's Department.
What caused the Eaton Fire?
The cause of the fire is under investigation, but they were fueled by extreme drought conditions, combined with the supersized Santa Ana winds that whipped flames and embers at 100 mph – much faster than usual.
A lawsuit filed Monday claims Southern California Edison equipment sparked the Eaton Fire.
The lawsuit alleges that Southern California Edison failed to comply with essential electrical and fire safety standards, including failing to maintain power lines and overgrown vegetation.
The Palisades Fire
The Palisades Fire broke out on the afternoon of Tuesday, Jan. 7 as parts of Southern California were hit by powerful Santa Ana winds – the strongest to hit the area in over a decade, officials said. The piercing winds not only intensified the spread of the fire, it also prevented helicopters and planes from dumping water or fire retardant onto the burning scene as it was too dangerous to fly during the first day of the massive fire.
The fire extended well over 23,000 acres in seven days, destroying homes and businesses across the Pacific Palisades and Malibu. The fire also forced evacuations across parts of LA County, including Bel-Air, Brentwood and Santa Monica.
The fire also destroyed the Pacific Palisades Charter High School and other schools in the fire's path.
What caused the Palisades Fire?
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
According to a report from the Los Angeles Times, a popular hiking destination, Skull Rock – an area north of Sunset Boulevard in Pacific Palisades – is at the center of an investigation "as a possible starting point for the Palisades fire."
Meanwhile, local authorities have announced multiple rounds of arrests taking place from the Palisades Fire scenes, but none of which are explicitly related to the cause of the fire. Over the weekend, there was an announcement of a man arrested for impersonating a firefighter. The alleged "fake firefighter" was accused of trying to break into one of the evacuated homes.
Other people have also been accused of arson across Southern California.