California fires live updates: death toll likely to rise, says LA county sheriff, as blazes caused by ‘perfect storm’ rage on | Los Angeles

Lois Beckett

Reporting from Pasadena:

Ash is falling gently over the Historic Highlands neighborhood of Pasadena, as residents begin to grapple with the toll of the Eaton fire still being fought in the mountains above.

This area was under an evacuation order on Wednesday, and the streets are still littered with fallen branches from Tuesday night’s intense windstorm.

Many of the houses in this neighborhood are completely preserved. Others have been reduced to ash and rubble. On a single block, a neighbor told me, five houses were damaged, while the others remain standing.

The intense winds on Tuesday scattered embers from the wildfire raging above the town across a huge swathe of the landscape, sparking fires and destroying homes far beyond the fire line, a resident told me. That accounts for the randomness of the destruction: one house sparked on fire, its neighbor preserved.

I spoke to one woman standing in front of her home, which had been burned to the ground, leaving only charred remains. It has been a Craftsman house built in 1916, she said – one of California’s most beloved architectural styles. Her home had been more than 100 years old – “but not any more.”

She said she couldn’t say much more at the moment. “I’m a little raw right now.”

The Sunset fire, which started in the Hollywood Hills on Wednesday evening, is now “fully contained”, according to Karen Bass, the LA mayor.

“Thanks to the bravery and collaboration of our LAFD, the #SunsetFire is fully contained” Bass wrote on social media.

“If you are returning home, please drive SLOWLY and watch the road,” Bass added. “Firefighters are still working in some damaged areas.”

Over 400,000 customers in California remain without power.

As of 1.50pm ET, 417,456 customers in California were experiencing power outages, according to Poweroutage.us.

The US defense secretary, Lloyd Austin, said California had made a “few requests” so far for aid from the military to fight the fires, adding that he has taken steps to ensure troops are ready if needed.

“We stand ready to surge capability in as quickly as possible,” Austin said during a press conference in Germany, according to Associated Press.

“I’ve done some things to cause our troops to get in a three-point stance to make sure that … if the whistle blows we are ready to move in and provide assistance.”

Rachel Leingang

As Los Angeles firefighters battle ongoing blazes, rightwing media and commentary has focused instead on diversity within the fire department, saying it’s to blame for the devastation.

“Meet Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristin Crowley,” X account Libs of TikTok, known for spreading anti-LBGTQ rhetoric, posted. “She boasts about being the first female and LGBTQ fire chief in the LA Fire Department. Promoting a culture of DEI is her priority. Does this make you feel safer?”

Crowley’s identity and attempts to diversify the firefighting force feature heavily into headlines about the fire department’s response to the fires, mingled with claims of mismanagement by LA mayor Karen Bass and California governor Gavin Newsom. It’s a common tactic on the far-right to bring up DEI during crises and say it’s to blame.

In another tweets, Libs of TikTok, which has nearly 4 million followers, wrote: “DEI will get people k*lled. DEI must DIE.”

The account also laid out a variety of rightwing criticisms in one tweet to deflect from the role climate change plays in increasing wildfires. “Don’t you hate it when climate change appoints a DEI hire to run the fire dept, gives away fire equipment to Ukraine, stops critical controlled burns, defunds the fire dept, refuses to build more water reservoirs and store water, cancels fire insurance, mismanages forests and brush, and fires firefighters for refusing an experimental vaccine?”

Elon Musk, the owner of X and a frequent spreader of misinformation, claimed, “They prioritized DEI over saving lives and homes.” In a response to Libs of TikTok, he wrote, “Wild theory: maybe, just maybe, the root cause wasn’t climate change?”

Here’s a recap of the latest on the wildfires from Los Angeles officials:

• The exact number of fatalities is not known at this time. Officials have previously reported that at least five people have died in the fires. But LA county sheriff Robert Luna said he was “not satisfied with some of the information that we’re getting”, adding: “Right now, frankly, we don’t know yet. We eventually will.” Luna said he believed the death toll would rise.

• The Palisades fire, between Santa Monica and Malibu, has grown to 17,234 acres with 0% containment as of Thursday morning. LA city fire chief Kristin Crowley described the fire as “one of the most destructive natural disasters in the history of Los Angeles”. “Extreme fire behavior” continues to challenge firefighting efforts with wind gusts up to 60mph expected to resume. Damage assessments are ongoing but preliminary reports estimate the damaged or destroyed structures to be “in the thousands”.

• The Eaton fire, in the east near Pasadena, is estimated to be 10,600 acres but its growth has “significantly” stopped though it remains 0% contained. The fire has reportedly caused five deaths, several injuries and more than 1,000 structures damaged or destroyed. It is also still threatening almost 40,000 structures, according to a recent update. The cause of the fire remains unknown and it continues to be under active investigation.

• The Hurst fire, in the Sylmar neighborhood, is at 855 acres and 0% containment. The Woodley fire, in Sepulveda Basin, is fully contained at 30 acres and there are no current threats. The Lidia fire, in Acton, burned 350 acres and is 40% contained. The Sunset fire, in Runyon Canyon, spanned 42.8 acres and its forward progress has been stopped. An evacuation order covering Hollywood, which had been threatened by the Sunset fire, was lifted on Thursday morning.

• A red flag warning remains in place for LA county despite calmer winds. The National Weather Service predicted the warning will remain in effect for Los Angeles county and the majority of Ventura County through Friday. Winds are expected to subside somewhat, which should allow fire crews to increase containment lines. Officials said they were “hopeful” that the “tide is turning”.

• “Historic winds” and extensive droughts created the “perfect storm”, LA mayor Karen Bass said. Bass has faced criticism for being out of the country when the wildfires began. Asked whether her leadership had been effective in responding to the disaster, Bass said her number one focus is to protect lives. “Rest assured that when that is done … we will absolutely do an evaluation to look at what worked, what didn’t work, and to correct or to hold accountable anybody,” Bass said.

• Nearly 180,000 residents in Los Angeles county are currently under evacuation orders. Nearly 200,000 residents in total are under evacuation warnings. LA police chief Jim McDonnell said he expected evacuations to continue when the winds picked up later today. Luna, the county sheriff, urged people to leave the area if they are asked to. “If you are asked to evacuate, evacuate.”

• At least 20 arrests have been made for looting or similar crimes. “This is simply unacceptable,” LA county board of supervisors chair Kathryn Barger said. “I promise you, you will be held accountable … Shame on those who are preying on our residents during this time of crisis.” LA county district attorney Nathan Hochman said he would prosecute offenders with “maximal punishment”.

• The LA county sewer, power and transportation systems have all been significantly damaged. The region’s municipal water system continues to suffer poor water quality due to ash and debris falling into the reservoirs and filtration systems. Boil water advisories are in place in some areas. Residents have been warned not to touch or remove debris as they could be hazardous or toxic.

• About 95,000 customers remain without power in the LA area, with power restored to about 200,000 customers. Restoration times are expected to range from 24 to 48 hours as LA department of water and power crews continue to work around the clock to restore power.

Johana Bhuiyan

Elon Musk said Starlink, the SpaceX-owned satellite internet provider, will begin to offer free terminals to areas affected by the fires starting Friday.

Musk posted the announcement on X in response to a video of a local FOX 11 news reporter saying the station is relying on Starlink in order to broadcast the news.

“The only reason you’re able to see us right now is because of Starlink connection we just got today,” she said. “There’s absolutely no cell service at all in this whole area.”

Starlink uses physical terminals to connect to a constellation of satellites to provide internet around the world.

Musk has previously offered these connections to people in times of emergencies. He made Starlink internet free for those impacted by Hurricane Helene and Milton until the end of the year and reports indicate SpaceX at the time distributed thousands of the receivers necessary to connect to Starlink.

It’s unclear how the company will determine who and where to distribute the terminals tomorrow and how long those who gain access to them will be able to connect to the internet for free.

We’ve reached out to SpaceX for comment and clarity.