At least 25 people have been killed in the Los Angeles fires as of Wednesday, and public officials warn the number is expected to rise.
It’s been eight days since the largest blaze, the Palisades Fire, first sparked on Jan. 7, burning more than 23,000 acres. The Eaton Fire has burned more than 14,000 acres.
Parents gathered for an emotional drop-off on Wednesday as their children attended school for the first time since their community was destroyed by the out-of-control Palisades Fire that swept through western Los Angeles County.
Palisades Charter Elementary School was moved to the campus of Brentwood Elementary Science Magnet, five miles away. Some students returning had lost everything in the fires, which destroyed thousands of buildings and took the lives of at least 24 people across Los Angeles.
Fifth-grader Arjun Puthenpurayan told KCAL/KCBS, “All the memories I had there were just burned to ashes.”
Alberto M. Carvalho, superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District, welcomes a student displaced due to the Palisades Fire on their first day at a new school in the Brentwood neighborhood in Los Angeles. REUTERS
Laura Shockley and Stacy Berman, both displaced due to the Palisades Fire, become emotional after dropping their children off at a new school in the Brentwood neighborhood in Los Angeles. REUTERS
Heather MacDougall teaches students, displaced due to the Palisades Fire, on their first day at a new school in the Brentwood neighborhood in Los Angeles. REUTERS
Juliet Herman, principal of Palisades Charter Elementary, wears a Palisades sweater while welcoming students displaced due to the Palisades Fire on their first day at a new school in the Brentwood neighborhood in Los Angeles. REUTERS
Juliet Herman, principal of Palisades Charter Elementary, receives a hug while welcoming students displaced due to the Palisades Fire on their first day at a new school in the Brentwood neighborhood in Los Angeles. REUTERS
A boy reacts as he and other students, displaced due to the Palisades Fire, arrive on their first day at a new school in the Brentwood neighborhood in Los Angeles. REUTERS
Thomas De Jesus, a campus aide, welcomes students displaced due to the Palisades Fire on their first day at a new school in the Brentwood neighborhood in Los Angeles. REUTERS
Thomas De Jesus, a campus aide, welcomes students displaced due to the Palisades Fire on their first day at a new school in the Brentwood neighborhood in Los Angeles. REUTERS
A student displaced due to the Palisades Fire arrives on their first day at a new school in the Brentwood neighborhood in Los Angeles. REUTERS
Students displaced due to the Palisades Fire arrive on their first day at a new school in the Brentwood neighborhood in Los Angeles. REUTERS
Alberto M. Carvalho, superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District, speaks to news media members while welcoming students displaced due to the Palisades Fire on their first day at a new school in the Brentwood neighborhood in Los Angeles. REUTERS
Residents of Pacific Palisades are suing the Los Angeles Department of Power and Water after the Palisades fire burnt more than 20,000 acres, destroying thousands of structures and killed at least 8 people.
The suit, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, alleges mismanagement of the neighborhood’s water, leaving firefighters struggling to contain the blaze.
A home burns during the Palisades Fire in Pacific Palisades, California, on Jan. 8, 2025. AFP via Getty Images
"The Santa Ynez Reservoir, a 117- million-gallon water storage complex that is part of the Los Angeles water supply system was empty, and had been empty for nearly a year,” the filing states.
Attorneys allege LA DWP did not repair the reservoir cover in a timely manner, and left it unusable as a “cost-saving” measure.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom called for an independent investigation into the empty reservoir, calling the discovery “deeply troubling.”
The strong winds that have fueled the deadly Los Angeles wildfires will “flip” over the weekend, bringing desperately needed moisture from the Pacific Ocean to the region and giving firefighters a chance to contain the blazes.
“Essentially the wind is going to be coming from the Pacific [blowing] inland. So we’ll get more of that onshore push. And because we’re getting the wind flipped from being from a drier land mass to more of over the ocean, that brings with it moisture,” Fox Meteorologist Marissa Lautenbacher told The Post.
The catastrophic Los Angeles wildfires that have reduced entire neighborhoods to piles of ash are estimated to have caused damages and economic losses between a staggering $250 billion and $275 billion, according to a report.
The deadly wildfires, which have torched more than 40,000 acres (62.5 square miles, nearly three times the size of Manhattan Island) and destroyed over 12,000 structures over the last week, is now one of the costliest natural disasters in US history, according to the latest estimate from AccuWeather — as the blazes, fueled by strong winds, continue to burn.
The wildfires have burned more than 40,000 acres. AFP via Getty Images
“Hurricane-force winds sent flames ripping through neighborhoods filled with multimillion-dollar homes,” AccuWeather chief meteorologist Jonathan Porter said. “The devastation left behind is heartbreaking, and the economic toll is staggering.”
The Eaton Fire has displaced hundreds of pets, forcing many residents to seek refuge for their animals at the Pasadena Humane Society in Los Angeles.
The Eaton Fire — still burning in Altadena, Calif., after it sparked eight days ago — has displaced hundreds of pets. Anadolu via Getty Images
Many families have been forced to part with their animals after having to evacuate their homes. Anadolu via Getty Images
Beloved pets — dogs, cats and others — have been dropped off at the Pasadena Humane Society in Los Angeles. Anadolu via Getty Images
Mandatory evacuation orders are still in effect Wednesday for 88,000 Los Angeles residents, with another 89,000 people in evacuation warning zones. Anadolu via Getty Images
Officials are urging affected pet owners to contact the shelter for assistance. Anadolu via Getty Images
Shelters are also seeking donations to support the influx of animals during this critical time. Anadolu via Getty Images
More than 12,000 structures, including whole residential blocks in some areas of LA, have burned to the ground since the fires started ripping through the county last Tuesday, Jan. 7. Anadolu via Getty Images
At least 25 people have been killed. Anadolu via Getty Images
The shelter is housing dozens of dogs, cats and other pets as evacuation orders remain in effect.
Officials are urging affected pet owners to contact the shelter for assistance and are seeking donations to support the influx of animals during this critical time.
Gelson's Market destroyed by the Palisades Fire is seen in Malibu, Calif., Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025. AP
Gelson's Market destroyed by the Palisades Fire is seen in Malibu, Calif., Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025. AP
Gelson's Market destroyed by the Palisades Fire is seen in Malibu, Calif., Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025. AP
Gelson's Market destroyed by the Palisades Fire is seen in Malibu, Calif., Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025. AP
Gelson's Market destroyed by the Palisades Fire is seen in Malibu, Calif., Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025. AP
Cops arrested two admitted firebugs Tuesday as crews work to beat back the deadly LA wildfires, officials said Wednesday.
In one incident, a resident who had just extinguished a fire in a tree managed to detain a suspect until police could arrive. Once he was placed under arrest, he admitted to cops he set the blaze because he "liked the smell of burning leaves."
Wildfires have raged across Los Angeles for over a week, destroying thousands of homes, businesses and livelihoods. AFP via Getty Images
In another incident later that evening, LAFD responded to a report of somebody setting trash on fire. They extinguished the blaze and police arrived and arrested a woman who admitted she had set the fires because she liked "causing chaos and destruction," cops said.
New charts detail how the Los Angeles wildfires spread and the development of the different fires in the areas.
In addition, the charts detail the 25-person death toll and the number of destroyed structures.
An infographic titled "Day-by-day advance of Los Angeles wildfires" created in Ankara, Turkiye on January 15, 2025. Anadolu via Getty Images
An infographic titled 'Los Angeles fire death toll soars to 25' created in Ankara, Turkiye on January 15, 2025. Anadolu via Getty Images
Homes destroyed by the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles is seen, Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025. AP
Walls remain from a building which burned following the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood in Los Angeles, California, U.S. January 15, 2025. REUTERS
People walk past charred building remains, following the Palisades Fire at the Pacific Palisades neighborhood in Los Angeles, California, U.S. January 15, 2025. REUTERS
A National Guard post stands next to the charred remains of a trailer park along the beach, following the Palisades Fire at the Pacific Palisades neighborhood in Los Angeles, California, U.S. January 15, 2025. REUTERS
The charred remains of a trailer park along the beach are pictured, following the Palisades Fire at the Pacific Palisades neighborhood in Los Angeles, California, U.S. January 15, 2025. REUTERS
A handful of smaller fires have broken out not far from Los Angeles County as the Santa Ana winds bring flame-fanning gusts back to the region.
The shifting weather patterns and new blazes igniting in nearby Ventura County have complicated efforts for firefighters, who for eight days have tirelessly battled a spate of deadly blazes that have claimed at least 25 lives, destroyed thousands of homes and businesses and burned an area of land nearly the size of Brooklyn.
The California Department of Corrections had a crew working to contain the Palisades Fire in Santa Monica, Calif., Tuesday. AP
The Palisades Fire stands at just 18% contained as of Wednesday morning. AP
The Eaton Fire is now 35% contained, and the Hurst Fire is on the verge of full containment at 97%. AP
Weather experts warned forward momentum in beating back the wildfires could be slowed as winds picked up strength throughout the week.
As of Wednesday morning, the Palisades Fire — the largest of the trio of conflagrations scorching wealthy LA suburbs — stands at just 18% contained. The Eaton Fire is now 35% contained, and the Hurst Fire is on the verge of full containment at 97%.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass on Tuesday deflected questions about her controversial overseas trip to Ghana as newly unearthed photos show her at a cocktail party in the African country when the first fire in the region began to spread.
The embattled first-term city leader was at the US ambassador’s home in Accra for the celebratory gathering as part of a delegation sent by the White House for the inauguration of Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama, the Los Angeles Times reported on Tuesday.
She appeared in photos snapped at the party around 8 p.m. local time on Jan. 7, which was just before noon in LA when evacuation orders regarding the Palisades Fire were about to be given, the newspaper reported, citing one photo in which a person’s watch was visible.
The photo was posted online by a city staffer not part of the delegation, according to the publication.
