Raging wildfires that broke out in various regions of Los Angeles, CA, Tuesday and Wednesday are spreading across the region due to extreme winds, causing historic destruction of homes and displacing thousands of people.
Follow Breitbart News for live coverage of this breaking news story. A live 3D incident map can be found here. All times eastern unless otherwise noted.
9:57 PM PT — Smoke from the Sunset Fire darkens the skies over the Hollywood sign.
A firefighting helicopter flies above the Hollywood sign as the sky is engulfed in dark smoke from the many fires burning around the city, as seen from Kenneth Hahn State Recreation Area in Los Angeles on January 8, 2025. (PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images)
9:54 PM PT — The Associated Press has a video cam showing the Sunset Fire erupting. Iconic Hollywood landmarks — the Walk of Stars, the Chinese Theater, the Dolby Theater, the Capitol Records Building, etc. — remain in the evacuation areas.
9:34 PM PT — New York Times reports:
The most intense fire activity in the Sunset fire is on the southwestern side, where helicopters are engaged, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. “On the eastern side, there are active flames within the interior of the fire, but the perimeter is holding well thanks to a fire road and ground crews in place. At the heel of the fire, active flames have been extinguished, though smoldering continues within the interior.”
9:24 PM PT — A new fire has broken out in Studio City at Vanetta Place and Sunset Drive.
9:11 PM PT — Some Los Angelenos are escaping to Disneyland, the New York Times reports:
The hotels around Disneyland, about an hour south of Los Angeles in Anaheim, are filling up with people evacuating the fires. At the Hilton Garden Inn across the street from the park, the check-in desk had lines of people toting children, folders of documents and cats.
8:38 PM PT — The Sunset Fire evacuation areas continue to expand.
Red areas are evacuation zones. Yellow areas are evacuation warning zones. Click to see larger map. (Source: www.fire.ca.gov)
8:26 PM PT — Officials in Beverly Hills are urging residents to be prepared to evacuate if the Sunset Fire to the northeast of them expands tonight. The situation remains very precarious despite the reduced winds this evening. Wind gusts are ranging from 15 to 30 miles per hour in the hills where the fires are blazing. The strongest gusts recorded on Wednesday were 94 miles per hour, according to the National Weather Service’s San Diego office. The red flag warnings are in place for parts of Los Angeles through Friday and extends to San Diego.
8:24 PM PT — The Sunset Fire has now grown to 50 acres, up from 20 acres just two hours ago. The Hollywood sign is reportedly not hit yet, but the neighborhoods south of the Hollywood Hills are in the impact zone.
8:12 PM PT — Video footage from the Sunset Fire shows its proximity to iconic Hollywood settings, including Hollywood and Highland where the Dolby Theatre, the venue for Academy Awards, is located adjacent to the famous Chinese Theatre.
8:09 PM PT — Gov. Newsom was super helpful on the water situation in this interview with CNN’s Anderson Cooper:
7:51 PM PT — Los Angeles Department of Water and Power informed residents in Pacific Palisades to use boiled tap water or bottled water for drinking “due to low water pressure in the water distribution system stemming from high water usage to respond to the Pacific Palisades wildfire.”
7:42 PM PT — Evacuation orders and evacuation warnings have already been issued for the Sunset Fire south of Runyon Canyon covering areas in Hollywood including Hollywood Boulevard and Franklin Avenue. The fire does not appear to have spread to Griffith Park yet.
Red areas are evacuation zones. Yellow areas are evacuation warning zones. Click to see larger map. (Source: www.fire.ca.gov)
10:20 PM — State data shows eight concurrent fires right now. Only one blaze, the fourth-largest Lidia Fire, is marked at greater than 0% containment.
10:16 PM — Evacuees from the Sunset Fire are deadlocked in traffic.
6:27 PM PT — More videos and images from the Sunset Fire spreading through the Hollywood Hills near Runyon Canyon.
6:20 PM PT — The Sunset Fire now has its own page. It’s spreading fast over 10 acres already.
5:46 PM PT — An new fire is erupting in the Hollywood Hills near Griffith Park, home to the famous Griffith Park Observatory of LaLa Land fame and also home to the most iconic image of Los Angeles — the Hollywood sign.
5:35 PM PT — Firefighters from Oregon, Washington, New Mexico, Utah, and Arizona are coming to the aid of California. City officials are emphasizing the unprecedented nature of these fires, which given the size and scope of the damage, is not an understatement.
5:34 PM PT — Bass urged residents to conserve water, “We want to make sure that we are ready if we need more water.” She also urged people to pack a bag and be prepared to leave if more evacuation orders are given tonight.
5:15 PM PT — Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and city officials are holding a press conference. Watch below:
5:14 PM PT — Breitbart Senior Editor-at-Large Joel Pollak reports from the scene in his neighborhood in Pacific Palisades:
5:13 PM PT — The Getty Villa — which is home to the late J. Paul Getty’s Greek and Roman antiquities and is separate from the Getty Center museum — has been spared from the Palisades Fire. The Getty announced that the Villa “remains safe and intact,” though “vegetation on the property” was burned.
4:45 PM PT — Pasadena Fire Department Chief Chad Augustin said that they are mobilizing 60 strike teams with 750 firefighters to battle the Eaton Fire and have received help from firefighters across California and as far away as Arizona. He described his local firefighters as “exhausted” and looking forward to the “reinforcements” that are coming. He noted that the multiple area fires yesterday strained the resources that Pasadena normally relies on with its partnership with Los Angeles County and created an unprecedented situation. He estimated that 200 to 500 structures have been damaged or lost in the Eaton Fire, whose origins are still undetermined.
Augustin also addressed concerns that fire fighters did not have enough water to battle the flames. He explained that the water supply was stretched due to the demand from all the fire engines, and the power outages also impacted this. But he emphasized that the fire’s rapid expansion was the result of erratic wind conditions that sent embers flying for miles. “With those wind gusts, we were not stopping that fire last night,” he said. He also expressed hope that milder wind conditions this evening will give them time to contain the fire.
4:26 PM PT — Pasadena schools will be closed for the rest of the week, the superintendent of the Pasadena Unified School District announced at the press conference. She noted that at least five of the schools have sustained considerable damage, but there may be more.
4:18 PM PT — Pasadena Mayor Victor Gordo said that over 100,000 people are under mandatory evacuation orders due to the Eaton fire, and another 100,000 have been warned that they should evacuate. The fire has already claimed five lives and destroyed “hundreds” of homes and spread over 10,600 acres, Gordo said at a press conference currently underway.
Video of the press conference:
4:00 PM PT — Californians, who are no strangers to natural disasters, are at the mercy of the wind right now, making this particular disaster feel especially capricious. The current danger will remain until the Santa Ana winds die down or change course or the rain comes. However, according to the National Weather Service, the winds are not done doing their damage, the New York Times reports:
In the latest forecast, the National Weather Service said another round of Santa Ana winds may arrive earlier than expected. After a brief reprieve overnight, the winds could pick up again on Thursday afternoon, peaking overnight and continuing into Friday morning. The winds are expected to be less severe than those on Tuesday and Wednesday, with isolated gusts up to 70 m.p.h. possible in the mountains.
3:47 PM PT — This video gives an idea of the before and after devastation caused by the Palisades Fire.
3:41 PM PT — The Eaton Fire destroyed the Altadena Senior Center, and its residents were evacuated last night. The fire may also have reached Altadena’s historic Christmas Tree Lane, which is listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places, and is regarded by the locals as home to “the oldest large-scale outdoor Christmas display in the world” due to the annual Christmas lights display in the deodar cedar trees lining Santa Rosa Avenue, a tradition which started in 1920.
3:27 PM PT — L.A. Mayor Karen Bass (D), who was in Ghana during what is now officially the most destructive fire in the history of Los Angeles, dodges answering questions from a Sky News reporter about her leadership during this disaster.
3:21 PM PT — A fifth fire — called the Lidia Fire — has spread to over 50 acres as of Wednesday afternoon with 0% containment, bringing the total of active fires in southern California to six.
3:06 PM PT — Roughly 1.5 million customers in California are without power as of Wednesday afternoon, the New York Times reports. Most of the power outages are in the Los Angeles area, and some of the power cuts were done deliberately as a preventative measure due to concern that high winds could cause damage to electrical equipment and spark new wildfires. The Times notes that Southern California Edison preventively cut off power to over 170,000 customers, and about 9,000 customers of San Diego Gas & Electric also experienced power outages.
2:57 PM PT — The death toll from the Eaton fire engulfing Altadena and Pasadena has now risen to five people, according to Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna. It has now destroyed over 10,600 acres.
2:51 PM PT — The sky over large parts of Los Angeles today have been an ominous orange smog blotting out the sun even in areas that have not directly effected by the fires.
Thick heavy smoke from wildfires shrouds downtown Los Angeles on Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel)
2:43 PM PT — Due to the Palisades fire, the city of Santa Monica has expanded evacuation orders for residents in the area north of Montana Avenue and west of 11th Street who have been advised to leave the area immediately. The evacuation warning remains in place for the areas north of Wilshire Boulevard and west of 10th Street.
4:54 PM — KTLA: Planet Fitness opens its facilities to displaced L.A. residents and first responders.
“The fitness chain is providing people free access to locker rooms, showers, HydroMassage loungers, electrical outlets, and Wi-Fi.”
4:52 PM — The Pacific Palisades wildfire is the most destructive in L.A. history, per AP:
4:50 PM — Breitbart News reporter Paul Bois:
4:45 PM — Newsom-Biden lovefest.
4:38 PM — Mayor Karen Bass has returned from Africa and is touting her presence on the ground with first responders.
4:36 PM — Palisades Fire now over 15,000 acres.
4:01 PM — Compelling eyewitness videos of the L.A. wildfires and survivors reacting to their neighborhoods’ destruction:
3:46 PM — Breitbart senior editor-at-large Joel Pollak capturing footage from affected areas:
3:42 PM — State data no longer lists the Tyler Fire as active, but another nascent blaze is listed in Ventura County: the “Olivas Fire.” All five wildfires are currently at 0% containment.
3:31 PM — Officials warn of unsafe air quality due to wildfire smoke, with Mayor Bass warning residents to stay indoors and wear masks.
From FOX 11:
AirNow.gov has marked air quality all around Los Angeles as “hazardous,” the worst possible rating for air quality. It means just about everyone could experience problems from breathing the air.
Hazardous air quality levels are indexed at 300 or higher.
…
A normal or “good” air quality is signaled by an index of 0-50, according to AirNow.gov.
3:21 PM — The Palisades fire has exploded to nearly 12,000 acres in the past few hours, according to state data.
3:14 PM — Actor James Woods gets emotional recounting a story of his wife’s niece offering up her piggy bank to help rebuild their home.
3:12 PM — Footage shows devastation in a Malibu neighborhood.
2:59 PM — Footage of President Biden and Governor Newsom meeting with firefighters:
2:46 PM — Local news outlets catch Pasadena and Altadena homes going up in flames during live shots.
2:45 PM — Trump with more banter.
2:35 PM — President Joe Biden is in Los Angeles now and will reportedly visit Santa Monica Fire Station #5 with First Lady Jill Biden.
2:32 PM — Video confirmation of Palisades fire hydrants running out of water:
2:05 PM — Scenes of charred skeleton homes left behind by the Eaton Fire.
1:53 PM — The Eaton Fire now covers over 10,000 acres, according to state data.
1:29 PM — According to CAL FIRE, The Tyler Fire near Coachella is now 50% contained. All others are still at 0% containment.
1:24 PM — More Hollywood events canceled, including the premiere of Pamela Anderson’s awards-season comeback vehicle The Last Showgirl.
12:29 PM — Striking photos from the Associated Press.
A bike rider stops to check out as large dark plume of smoke passes over the beach from a wildfire from Pacific Palisades, in Santa Monica. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel)
Will Adams watches as flames from the Palisades Fire close in on his property in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood . (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
A firefighter jumps over a fence while fighting the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
Bike riders make their way along the coast as large dark plume of smoke passes over the beach from a wildfire from Pacific Palisades. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel)
12:10 PM — Officials at L.A. press conference say Mayor Bass is currently in Texas on her way back to Los Angeles from her Ghana trip.
12:14 PM — L.A. County Fire Chief says the crisis is too large for its current manpower: “We don’t have enough fire personnel in L.A. County between all of the departments to handle this.”
11:46 AM — Two deaths reported in the Eaton Fire. From KTLA:
L.A. County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone confirmed at a press conference Wednesday morning that two civilians died in the Eaton Fire. Their causes of death were not immediately known.
“A number” of significant injuries have been reported.
Over 500 personnel have been assigned to fight the blaze, which has destroyed over 100 structures, Chief Marrone said.
11:44 AM — President-elect Donald Trump says Gov. Gavin “Newscum” is to blame for the current crisis by restricting water distribution in favor of environmentalists’ concerns.
11:16 AM — Universal Studios closes its Hollywood theme park.
11:15 AM — Footage of devastation in Pacific Palisades Wednesday morning.
11:11 AM — Local officials are holding a press conference now.
11:04 AM — Fire station in Altadena faces critical danger, according to officials speaking on emergency frequencies.
10:58 AM — Video shows Governor Gavin Newsom thanking Mayor Karen Bass — who is currently in Ghana — on Tuesday.
“Thank you to Mayor Bass, who was on the phone immediately this morning, making sure — even in abstentia — that she’s here organizing everything she can to make sure we’re successful.”
10:54 AM — Skies are darkened by smoke from the Eaton Fire.
10:50 AM — A Los Angeles resident captured video of downed power lines sparking against trees Tuesday night.
10:40 AM — Officials identify five different wildfires that are “0% contained.”
10:25 AM — Local resident says the scene is “like driving through hell itself.”
10:21 AM — Library in Pacific Palisades has burned down.
10:14 AM — New wire photos of Tuesday night’s chaos:
10:04 AM — Local view of the Eaton Fire Wednesday morning.
9:51 AM — Information is scant on casualties, but the LAFD has reported one young firefighter was injured and hospitalized, per ABC7:
A 25-year-old female firefighter sustained a serious head injury in the line of duty as crews continued to battle the growing Palisades Fire, according to Erik Scott, public information officer for the Los Angeles Fire Department.
The incident happened at approximately 8:30 p.m. She received immediate treatment at the scene and was transported to a local hospital.
9:34 AM — The I-210 freeway has been shut down in both directions due to the Hurst Fire in Sylmar.
9:29 AM — Elon Musk, who is extricating several of his businesses from California, blames “nonsense regulations” in the state for multiplying the damage and loss of life when fires break out.
9:23 AM — A fourth blaze, dubbed the Tyler Fire, started around 6:24 AM in Coachella, according to the Riverside County Fire Department.
9:11 AM — A third concurrent wildfire, the Hurst Fire in Sylmar, is currently covering around 500 acres of land, according to FOX 11.
9:07 AM — Local news reporter estimates over 100 homes destroyed in a second blaze, the Eaton Fire in L.A.’s Altadena area.
8:54 AM — Pasadena Jewish Temple has burned down.
8:41 AM — Viral footage from local news shows residents evacuating horses from the area.
8:35 AM — The Pacific Palisades disaster has renewed attention on the identity politics of Kristin Crowley, the first woman (and the first queer woman) to serve as LAFD Fire Chief. Crowley was sworn in to her post in March of 2022, and she and Mayor Eric Garcetti established a Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) Bureau in January 2023.
8:30 AM — Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass is currently absent from her city, nation, and continent. Via Breitbart News:
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass spent Tuesday in Africa as part of a taxpayer-funded delegation attending the inauguration of John Dramani Mahama as Ghana’s president. The Democrat was there as her city battled wildfires and thousands of residents fled for their lives.
8:28 AM — The Screen Actors Guild cancels a live announcement of nominees for its annual awards show, and several film premieres have also been postponed. Via Breitbart News:
Hollywood studios cancelled film premieres and actor award nominations on Tuesday night as wild winds drove fires across Los Angeles and tens of thousands of resident were forced to flee for their lives.
Leading the way was Amazon MGM Studios which cancelled the planned premiere of Unstoppable, starring Jennifer Lopez… Wolf Man, starring Julia Garner and produced by Ryan Gosling, was also called off.
…
After canceling the debut of Better Man, Paramount also nixed the Wednesday night premiere of their new medical drama The Pitt.
The Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards nominations live announcement was also dropped due to the Pacific Palisades fire.
Full story here.
8:23 AM — Businessman and former L.A. mayoral candidate Rick Caruso says the Pacific Palisades area has no water in the hydrants at the moment, accusing the local government of mismanaging resources like a “third-world country.”
8:15 AM — Gavin Newsom surveys the damage, via the Associated Press:
LOS ANGELES (AP) — A wildfire whipped up by extreme winds swept through a Los Angeles hillside dotted with celebrity residences Tuesday, burning homes in Pacific Palisades and prompting evacuation orders for tens of thousands. In the frantic haste to get to safety, roadways were clogged and scores of people abandoned their vehicles and fled on foot, some toting suitcases.
The traffic jam on Palisades Drive prevented emergency vehicles from getting through and a bulldozer was brought in to push the abandoned cars to the side and create a path, according to the LA Fire Department.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who was in Southern California to attend the naming of a national monument by President Joe Biden, made a detour to the canyon to see “firsthand the impact of these swirling winds and the embers,” and he said he found “not a few — many structures already destroyed.”
Read more here.