California Wildfires 2025: Officials in Southern California say wildfires burning in and around Los Angeles have forced nearly 180,000 people to evacuate, destroyed thousands of homes, and burned tens of thousands of acres.
Officials from the city and county provided updates on the fire and efforts to control it at a press conference Thursday.
Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristin Crowley told reporters that the fierce winds that sparked the fire have subsided, allowing firefighters to increase fire control and resume aerial operations.
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said firefighters are fighting five fires still burning in the Los Angeles area: Palisade, Eaton, Hurst, Lydia, and Sunset, with the Palisade and Eaton fires being the largest.
The fire has burned more than 11,750 hectares, the department said in its latest report.
Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said the Palisades, Eaton, Hurst, and Lydia fires have caused the evacuation of nearly 180,000 residents, and another 200,000 have received evacuation orders.
Crowley called the Palisades fire “one of the most destructive natural disasters in Los Angeles history.”
A major national credit rating agency shared the same view. Morningstar-DBRS credit rating agency said in a statement on Thursday (January 9) that preliminary estimates of property losses caused by the fire exceeded $8 billion.
Morningstar-DBRS quoted local fire officials as saying that the fire has burned more than 1,100 homes and endangered more than 28,000 structures. The organization that monitors and assesses risks said the wildfire is expected to hurt California home insurance companies, but it is still controllable.
The White House said in a statement on Thursday that President Joe Biden received an update on the impact of the wildfire. Later Thursday, Biden will convene senior government officials to be briefed on the federal government’s comprehensive response to the wildfire.
Biden approved a federal emergency declaration for California to free up federal funds and resources to help fight the wildfires.
The White House said Wednesday evening that Biden canceled a planned visit to Italy so that he could “focus on directing the full range of the federal response in the days ahead.” “We are prepared to do whatever it takes, whatever resources we have, to control these fires, to help rebuild, and to make sure we get back to normal. It’s going to be a long journey,” Biden said Wednesday. “It’s going to take time.”
The Department of Defense pledged to provide “additional firefighting personnel and capabilities” to California.
The fires have destroyed some of the world’s most luxurious real estate and world-recognized entertainment landmarks. Photos posted to social media Thursday showed oceanfront properties burned. The homes of movie stars and celebrities were among the homes engulfed by the flames.
A wildfire in the Hollywood Hills broke out late Wednesday and spread rapidly, prompting authorities to order people to flee to safety.
Meteorologists say dry conditions and strong winds that are conducive to the outbreak and spread of fires are expected to continue into Friday.
Strong winds forced the grounding of aircraft used to fight the fires, but officials said Wednesday that winds had eased enough to resume aircraft firefighting operations.
Pasadena Fire Chief Chad Augustine said he believed improved conditions would allow them to begin to contain the fire.
While authorities had warned that wildfires were possible in the Los Angeles area given conditions this week, the fires were larger than expected.
“The Los Angeles County Fire Department is prepared to respond to one or two major brush fires, but not four, especially with the continued high winds and low humidity,” Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said Wednesday.
Two thousand National Guard members have been sent to assist local firefighters.
In the Pacific Palisades, the fire spread from house to house amid hurricane-force winds. In the same area, firefighters said hydrants were running out of water.
“The Palisades are demanding a lot on our system,” said Janisse Quiñones, CEO and chief engineer of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. “We pushed the system to its limit,” she said, adding that water demand was “four times the normal demand… and it lasted for 15 hours.”
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