Palisades Fire Live Updates: Tuesday, Jan. 14
LOS ANGELES - Intense Santa Ana winds have begun moving in to Southern California as Los Angeles County residents continue to deal with the fallout from last week's deadly fires.
Since 4 a.m. on Tuesday, January 14, Southern California has been under a red flag warning, meaning the region is in danger of extreme fire danger. While the winds aren't expected to match last week's levels, parts of the region may see gusts up to 70 mph this week.
For the latest updates on the wildfire concerns – in addition to last week's Palisades Fire, which is still burning parts of Los Angeles – you can follow FOX 11's live blog below:
Death toll
8:00 p.m. PST: The death toll from both the Palisades and Eaton fires stands at 24. Eight deaths are attributed to the Palisades Fire. According to the County Medical Examiner, an earlier report indicated that there were 25 deaths, but one of the remains were later confirmed to be non-human.
Containment slightly up
6:30 p.m. PST: Cal Fire announced that containment of the Palisades Fire had increased to 18%.
Gas being restored
4:44 p.m. PST: Southern California Gas Co. officials had shut off service to about 13,600 customers in the Palisades Fire area for safety reasons, but the utility reported Tuesday that it has restored service for 678 of those customers. Restoration efforts will continue Wednesday in northwest areas of Malibu past Pepperdine University. The Gas Co. has established an information booth for residents that will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Pavilions store at 29211 Heathercliff Road in Malibu to provide information for customers.
ATF leads investigation
3:00 p.m. PST: The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is leading the investigation into the cause of the Palisades fire. Over 75 personnel are working to determine the cause. Their teams are processing scenes, while other teams are following up on leads, which includes going through security footage.
Fire aircraft back operating
3:00 p.m. PST: The Super Scooper that was hit by a drone last week has been repaired and is ready for operation, LA County Fire officials said.
Strong winds delayed
1:30 p.m. PST: With Santa Ana winds developing slowly and weaker than originally anticipated, the National Weather Service has delayed implementation of "particularly dangerous situation" red flag warnings -- which were supposed to begin early Tuesday morning -- until 3 a.m. Wednesday. A regular red flag warning will continue to be in place until 6 p.m. Wednesday in much of L.A. County, but it will stay in place until 3 p.m. Thursday in the western San Gabriel Mountains and the 5 and 14 freeway corridors.
The red flag warning has been canceled in the San Gabriel Valley.
Disaster recovery centers now open
1:00 p.m. PST: Two disaster recovery centers have opened in Los Angeles to aid families impacted by the fires.
The centers can assist with retrieving lost records, disaster relief applications and mental and health services.
One is located in UCLA Research Park West and the other is at Pasadena City College Community Education Center.
They are open seven days a week, 9 a.m. - 8 p.m. Get more information here.
White House announces federal funding
During a White House briefing about the California wildfires, they announced federal funding is now available for those impacted by the fires. Click here for more information and to apply.
Free N-95 masks offered across LA amid poor air quality
12 p.m. PST: Free N-95 masks are now available across Los Angeles. They can be found at libraries, senior centers and local nonprofits.
Disaster Resource Center to open in Rancho Park area
10:37 a.m. PST: The City of Malibu shared information about an LA County Disaster Resource Center set to open on Wednesday at the UCLA Research Park west located at 10850 West Pico Blvd., Los Angeles, CA, 90046.
FEMA assistance available
8:45 a.m. PST: A FEMA representative shared information for those displaced by the fires. Forms of assistance include a one-time payment, help with transportation costs, medical bills, and funeral costs.
To learn more about how to apply, visit fema.org.
Curfew Remains in Effect
8:25 a.m. PST: Los Angeles Police Department Chief Jim McDonnell announced more arrests, with some facing consequences for not obeying curfew. A curfew remains in effect from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the fire zones.
Fire Crews Reach Slight Improvement Overnight
8:10 a.m. PT: During a briefing on Tuesday morning, Los Angeles City Fire Chief Kristin Crowley said the fire was held at 23, 714 acres with 17% containment. She added that 5,200 personnel were assigned to the incident and that they will continue to work tirelessly throughout the day and will monitor for hot spots and flare-ups.
Wind speeds pose a threat to fire's progress
4:45 a.m. PT: A Red Flag Warning remains in place for many parts of Southern California through Wednesday evening. With that, the wind speeds pose a threat to the progress fire crews have made against the Palisades Fire.
The Palisades Fire
The Palisades Fire broke out on Tuesday, January 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.
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 the Southland.
Quick Resources
- California Fires Maps: Zones under evacuation orders and warnings
- Shelters, road closures, health alerts, evacuee assistance and more