After a weekend of reprieve allowing fire teams to continue making progress battling the deadly infernos burning in Los Angeles County, Southern California now faces another round of fire-fueling Santa Ana Winds Monday.
Fires across the Los Angeles area have killed at least 24 people and destroyed more than 12,000 structures, officials said, scorching more than 60 square miles and displacing tens of thousands of people.
We have over 100 fire apparatus out of service,” Los Angeles fire chief Kristin Crowley admitted when the wildfires were still at their peak.
Los Angeles authorities arrested a couple and impounded their fake fire truck after they were allegedly caught impersonating firefighters near the Palisades Fire. (Los Angeles County Sheriff's Dept.) Officials said the two occupants were also wearing CAL-Fire t-shirts under the turnout gear, and had helmets and radios.
As firefighters continue to battle raging fires across Los Angeles County, a cut to the Los Angeles Fire Department 2025 budget and its commitment to recruiting a more diverse force have come under attack.
Palisades Fire initially started 10:30 a.m. Jan. 7 in Los Angeles County. It has burned 23,713 acres after being active for 12 days. A crew of 5,677 firefighters has been working on site and they managed to contain 52% of the fire by Sunday morning. The blaze's cause remains under investigation.
Please stay on guard for a fast-moving fire,'' the L.A. office said in a social media post around 4:30 p.m. PT, adding that the Red Flag Warnings with the rare "particularly dangerous situation'' designation for those counties would now apply from 3 a.
From direct donations to auctions and a charity benefit concert—here's how celebrities and billionaire are helping victims of the Los Angeles wildfires.
Palisades Fire initially started 10:30 a.m. Jan. 7 in Los Angeles County. It has burned 23,713 acres after being active for 10 days. A crew of 4,471 firefighters has been working on site and they managed to contain 31% of the fire by Friday morning. The blaze's cause remains under investigation.
The question of who is in charge is testimony to the diffusion and, at times, dysfunction that make up the core DNA of the governance of the greater Los Angeles area.
In May 2024, the city of Los Angeles adopted a Fiscal Year 2024 - 2025 budget that cut the appropriations for the fire department by $17.6 million from the previous year. At the time, the city of Los Angeles was negotiating the union contract with the firefighters' union, the United Firefighters of Los Angeles City.
About 1,600 policies for Pacific Palisades homeowners were dropped by State Farm in July, the state insurance office says.