January 16, 2025 - Los Angeles wildfires news

Our live coverage of the Los Angeles wildfires has moved here.

Burned cars seen in the aftermath of a fire on Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu, California, on January 11.

The Pacific Coast Highway will be closed for “perhaps weeks,” the mayor of Malibu said as utility work and debris removal continues.

The damage is “extensive,” Mayor Doug Stewart said at a community meeting Thursday, noting he had toured Malibu that afternoon.

Workers are also preparing for a potential rainstorm, Stewart said, since Malibu’s torched hillsides would be very vulnerable to landslides.

“If we have a rainstorm, this is going to be almost catastrophic if we’re not prepared for it,” he said.

A view of a burned house and a car in Altadena, Los Angeles County, California, on January 13.

A California state assemblymember warned Pacific Palisades residents of predatory buyers, saying she had heard from residents getting lowball offers on their torched properties.

“There are a lot of resources out there,” she said, adding that “the good insurance companies have offered a very generous additional subsidy if you rebuild.”

There have been widespread reports of price gouging and other predatory practices in the wake of the devastating wildfires, which claimed thousands of homes in Los Angeles County.

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed an executive order Thursday extending a ban on price gouging for hotels, motels and rental housing, among other measures to protect wildfire victims.

The firefighters who worked on a New Year’s Eve blaze in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood made sure the fire “was dead out,” Los Angeles Fire Department Assistant Chief Joe Everett told community members in a meeting Thursday.

Some have questioned whether the winds could have rekindled smoldering debris left from New Year’s Eve fireworks to trigger the Palisades Fire, as reported by the San Francisco Chronicle and the Washington Post.

While he wasn’t present for the incident, he said he talked extensively with the incident commander. He added that the firefighters that were on scene were “highly qualified and well-trusted,” and kept a patrol on the incident for 36 hours.

An aerial view shows the devastation by the Palisades Fire in Malibu, California, on Thursday.

The Palisades Fire is now at 27% containment with no additional growth over the last 72 hours, officials with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said in a community meeting Thursday.

Firefighters continued using infrared technology to look for hotspots around the perimeter of the fire and are working their way in to make sure all heat sources are extinguished, Cal Fire Operations Chief Christian Litz said.

Over 5,000 firefighters are working on the incident, including firefighters who arrived from Israel Thursday, as well as firefighters from Canada and Mexico, Cal Fire Incident Commander Jim Hudson said.

The final red flag warnings across the Western San Gabriel Mountains, the Santa Susana Mountains and the I-5 Corridor have expired as more favorable weather is in store for the Los Angeles County area through the weekend.

Winds have shifted direction and lightened, allowing for cool, humid air to replace the dry air that had been prevalent over the region. Although there is no rainfall in the forecast this weekend, these beneficial weather conditions are expected to last Friday through Sunday, giving firefighters a chance to increase containment on the wildfires.

But the cooler air means cold overnight lows for residents who may still not have power after the devastation from the wildfires. Parts of Los Angeles could see lows drop to the low 40s, which is over 5 degrees below average. The county had over 20,000 customers without power as of 10 p.m. ET.

Freeze alerts have been issued from midnight to 9 a.m. PT Friday for parts of Ventura and San Luis Obispo counties and part of the San Fernando Valley. Those areas can see low temperatures drop to around freezing Friday morning.

The relief of light winds and cooler air looks to be short-lived as another Santa Ana wind event is possible later Monday and Tuesday of next week.

Jeffrey Takeyama has been identified as a Palisades Fire victim by the County of Los Angeles Department of Medical Examiner (DME).

DME listed the 69-year-old’s place of death as his residence in Malibu.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office had previously released a photo of Takeyama as a missing person after his family expressed concern for his well-being.

Takeyama is being remembered by his loved ones as a protector.

“Jeff wasn’t just a husband, father, grandfather, and friend—he was the protector of our home and our neighborhood,” his family shared on a verified GoFundMe campaign.

But Takeyama’s family said this time, the fire was different.

“Our father’s absence leaves a hole in our family that can never be filled,” the family shared.

They’re now working to rebuild the life of Takeyama’s wife, Jane, who lost everything when their family home of 41 years was destroyed in the fire.

Randall “Randy” Miod called his mother Carol Smith at her house on January 7 to let her know he wasn’t evacuating during the wildfires.

Smith, who was meeting a friend for lunch at the time, missed his call – so Miod left a message on her landline’s answering machine.

After Smith didn’t answer, Miod tried her again on her cell phone, which Smith picked up and the two discussed the fires.

“I told him, just like I had done before, grab your cat and run off to a shelter where you’ll be safe,” Smith said.

But Miod told Smith he had a garden hose and wasn’t going to evacuate. He was determined to protect his beloved house and didn’t want to abandon the home when the fires started, Smith said. She believed he didn’t know how big the flames were going to get.

“I came home, and I was so glad that I had that message on my phone because I will keep that forever,” said Smith.

Zenebou Sylla contributed to this report.

The Getty Center, an art museum in the Brentwood neighborhood, is “no longer under threat” from the wildfires and is set to reopen January 28, the center said in a statement Thursday.

The Getty Villa, which is in the burn area of the Palisades Fire but emerged largely unscathed, will remain closed until further notice, the statement said.

Some residents who live in evacuation order zones of the Palisades and Eaton fires are allowed to return to their properties Thursday, law enforcement officials announced in an update.

A majority of the zones allowing residents back in were not directly located within the burn perimeter, evacuation order maps show, but it is not clear which structures were impacted.

Residents who want to enter the areas need to provide proof of residence, such as a driver’s license or a utility bill showing the address, the update said.

For more information on which areas are allowing residents to return, check here for the Palisades Fire and here for the Eaton Fire.

Utilities worker repair lines on Mendocino Ave in the Eaton Fire damaged area on Lake Ave in Altadena, on Tuesday.

A total of 7,555 structures have been destroyed by the Eaton Fire, including 4,356 single family homes, according to Dan Olson, a Cal Fire unified incident commander.

Damage inspection teams looking at impact from the Eaton Fire have completed 70% of all inspections, Olson said on Thursday.

The sun rises over the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles on January 9.

There have been 27 deaths related to the Palisades and Eaton wildfires, according to a Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office report released Thursday.

Ten of the deaths were related to the Palisades Fire and 17 deaths were related to the Eaton Fire, the report says.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives team investigating the cause of the deadly Los Angeles County wildfires is processing a “tremendous amount of information,” said ATF Director Steven Dettelbach, who warned a conclusion in the probe would not come quickly.

The bureau is gathering forensic evidence from the scene and leads and bringing “a team of people who follow these leads,” Dettelbach told CNN’s Jake Tapper on Thursday.

Referencing the fire’s destruction of structures and acres, Dettelbach said: “The scope of the evidence and the scope of the information is going to be vast. And I warn people, it will take a long time. The most important thing for ATF is to get it right.”

The Urban Search and Rescue team has searched 8,800 homes in the Eaton Fire footprint, Cal Fire Operational Section Chief Jed Gaines said Thursday.

Over 90% of the searches are complete, which “is a huge accomplishment,” he said.

There are still some hot structures in the Altadena area they are working on as well as some ash pits, which are not smoking but are still hot, he said.

Taylor Swift performs onstage during The Eras Tour in Vancouver, British Columbia, on December 6, 2024.

Taylor Swift has announced she’s donated to fire relief organizations in California, without disclosing the monetary amount, according to her Instagram.

In the Instagram Story post, the singer and songwriter also listed the names of organizations she’s donated to, adding: “If you feel compelled or able to donate, please do.”

Those groups include the California Community Foundation Fund, Greater Los Angeles Education Foundation, 211 LA and the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation, among others.

Residents going back to properties that either burned down or were evacuated due to the fires should take necessary precautions before going back, Los Angeles Chief Medical Advisor Nichole Quick told CNN.

Residents should only return when evacuation orders are lifted as different regulatory groups work together to determine if the area is safe to go back to, she said.

When they do go back, Quick says it’s crucial for people to ensure they’re wearing the correct personal protective equipment, such as a well-fitting mask or respirator and safety goggles, and covering up where possible.

While respiratory illness is an immediate concern for those returning home, more long-term effects of carcinogens are also important to consider, Quick said.

She also advised those returning to their properties to protect themselves from ash or smoke in the air as others in their affected neighborhoods clean up.

The lineup for the FireAid benefit concert, set up to aid relief efforts following the deadly Los Angeles wildfires, includes native Angelenos Billie Eilish, the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Gracie Abrams.

Other performers at the January 30 event include Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Pink, Gwen Stefani, Tate McRae, Earth, Wind & Fire and Green Day, according to a news release.

The performances will take the stages at two venues – the Kia Forum and the new Intuit Dome – both located in the Los Angeles city of Inglewood.

FireAid will raise money “for rebuilding communities devastated by wildfires and supporting efforts to prevent future fire disasters throughout Southern California,” according to the release.

Additional artists and special guests will be announced in the coming days, the release states.

Read more about the FireAid benefit concert here.

The Pacific Palisades-based Riviera Country Club will not host February’s Genesis Invitational golf tournament after the PGA Tour announced an “alternative location” is being sought due to the wildfires impacting Southern California.

The annual tournament, which was set to start hosting events on February 10 with the competition itself to tee off on February 13, is organized by the Tiger Woods Foundation and classed as one of the PGA Tour’s “Signature Events.”

“In collaboration with Genesis, The Riviera Country Club and TGR Live, and out of respect for the unfolding situation, we have determined that the 2025 Genesis Invitational will be played at an alternate location the week of February 10-16,” the statement continued.

A venue update is expected to be provided in the coming days, according to the statement.

The tournament started as the Los Angeles Open in 1926. The event was hosted by multiple courses in the Los Angeles area before securing its longtime home at the Riviera Country Club in 1973.

Woods’ foundation reposted the PGA Tour’s statement on X along with an image stating, “SUPPORT LA.”

An aerial view of repair vehicles near beachside homes that burned in the Palisades Fire are seen on Wednesday in Malibu.

Homeowners’ insurance costs rose 9% faster than overall inflation in recent years, data released by the Treasury Department Thursday shows, a rise the agency attributed to the increase in extreme weather events, such as hurricanes, as well as the wildfires now devastating Southern California.

The 20% of homes in zip codes judged to be at greatest risk from extreme weather events paid an average of $2,321 a year for homeowners’ insurance, 82% more than what homeowners living in areas with the least risk of extreme weather paid, the report found. Those in the high risk areas are also 80% more likely to have their policies canceled by insurers seeking to limit their own risk and exposure to extreme weather, according to the report.

“Homeowners’ insurance is where many Americans are now feeling the financial effects of climate costs directly,” said Ethan Zindler, the Treasury Department’s climate counselor. “Extreme weather and other climate related events are now happening … more frequently and with greater ferocity. These weather event and other climate related events don’t really care what your political orientation is, or whether you even think climate change is real.”

A Spanish-speaking medical clinic in Altadena that was devastated by the Eaton fire has impacted more than 300 Latino families in the area, Dr. Ilan Shapiro, chief of medical affairs for AltaMed, told CNN.

The clinic has been doing wellness checks on patients to ensure they have enough medications, especially for high blood pressure, diabetes and asthma, and guide them to other clinics if they need health services, said Shapiro.

Shapiro emphasized the long-term physical and mental health impacts from the wildfires and particles from toxic smoke.

The clinic has also been working with the American Red Cross to bring medical services to residents who were impacted by the fires.

“This has made a huge difference in our community. We speak Spanish, we bring those language and cultural aspects of it, and making sure they feel safe and have their needs met,” Shapiro said.