Fire danger continues with the gusty Santa Ana winds expected for the next few days. Meteorologist David Biggar has the evening forecast for Monday, January 20, 2025.
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What to Know
- A red flag fire weather warning, including an elevated Particularly Dangerous Situation designation, are in effect for parts of Los Angeles and Ventura counties from noon Monday to 10 a.m. Tuesday.
- Griffith Park and other Los Angeles public spaces are temporarily closed due to increase wildfire risk.
- Firefighters boosted containment of the deadly Eaton Fire and Palisades Fire during a weekend of improved weather conditions.
- Curfews remain in effect for fire evacuation zones and authorities continue to make arrests for violations, including two people with a fire truck who were impersonating firefighters in Pacific Palisades.
- President Trump briefly mentioned the deadly fires in his inaugural address as he took office for a second time in Washington, D.C.
- Gov. Newsom issued an executive order intended to protect neighborhoods from the threat of landslides in burn areas.
- A water-dropping helicopter and firefighters knocked down a small brush fire in Griffith Park.
Los Angeles embarks on a monumental recovery process as firefighters increased containment of two of the most destructive wildfires on record in California. Follow live updates below.
Malibu schools impacted by Palisades Fire to reopen Tuesday
By Karla Rendon
Kings honor firefighters, first responders during 1st home game back after wildfires
The Los Angeles Kings pay tribute to the Los Angeles Fire Department at center ice during an NHL hockey game against the Pittsburgh Penguins, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jayne Kamin-Oncea)
The Los Angeles Kings honored firefighters and first responders in the first game back in their downtown arena since the catastrophic wildfires that devastated large parts of Los Angeles.
The Kings were scheduled to face Calgary on Jan. 8, but that game was postponed due to the fires. Los Angeles then played its next five games on the road before returning home.
The Pittsburgh Penguins and Kings wore LAFD caps during pregame warmups. Firefighters and first responders from various departments in the region were honored at center ice before the game.
The Kings replaced their traditional logo at center ice with a graphic paying tribute to the Los Angeles Fire Department.
Pacific Palisades woman loses home and business to brush fire
By Darsha Philips and Karla Rendon
A Pacific Palisades woman lost only her home in the Palisades Fire, but also her business. Darsha Philips reports for the NBC4 News at 11 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 21, 2025.
A Pacific Palisades woman is grappling with the loss of not only her home but her business as she and her teenage son navigate where they will be staying after.
Tawnya Warren, a single mother from Pacific Palisades, said she is facing her new reality after the Palisades Fire destroyed her rent-controlled apartment and her business. She owned Tawnya, a fine jewelry and clothing shop on Sunset Boulevard near where the Pacific Palisades Village once was.
“I took every single dime that I had and put it into my business as my future,” she said. “I thought that was my retirement plan.”
When she and her 17-year-old son were forced out of their home during the fire, she said she prayed she wouldn’t lose everything.
Fire breaks out at electrical substation in Rialto
By Karla Rendon
A fire broke out at an electrical substation in Rialto. This video was broadcast on the NBC4 News at 11 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 20, 2025.
Firefighters responded to a blaze at an electrical substation in Rialto Monday night.
Flames were seen coming from the station near the intersection of Alder Avenue and Sierra Lakes Parkway shortly before 11 p.m. It is unclear what started the fire.
No injuries were reported in connection with the blaze.
The extent of the damage is unclear.
Kamala Harris meets with firefighters in Altadena
Strong morning gusts take aim for Southern California
By David Biggar
If you have the wind right now, you'll still have it on Tuesday morning. Our wind-prone areas will see some strong gusts of 40 to 50 mph, with isolated 60+ gusts, start to develop during the early morning hours. Most of the strongest gusts will be for the mountains, passes, and canyons.
Some of these gusts will be enough to cause tree damage and might knock out power.
Gust intensity will start to come down during the afternoon, but fire danger remains through Thursday.
Businesses impacted by wildfires get extended tax deadline in Los Angeles
By City News Service
Los Angeles City Hall building, California. Civic Center district of Los Angeles City.
Businesses in the city of Los Angeles impacted by the wildfires will have an extended deadline to file their taxes, Mayor Karen Bass announced Monday.
The deadline was previously set for Feb. 28 but has been extended to April 14 to aid recovery efforts.
In her announcement, Bass described the extension as the "right thing to do."
"I have always said that City Hall should be an advocate for businesses -- not a barrier -- that's how we will move forward through recovery," she said in a statement.
Interactive map shows residents if they fall under “do not drink” notice
By Karla Rendon
While a “do not drink” notice remains in effect for Pacific Palisades, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power released an interactive map to guide residents on whether they’re affected by the advisory.
To see if your address is impacted by the notice, click here.
Hotline now available for fire victims who lost their pets
By Elizabeth Chavolla
Glendale hair salon offers fire victims break from reality with free services
By Christian Cazares and Karla Rendon
Dozens of women who lost everything in the Eaton fire got a special treat in Glendale thanks to a local hair salon. NBC4’s Christian Cazares reports.
A Glendale hair salon helped wildfire victims obtain a sense of normalcy Monday by pampering them with free services.
Extended Beauty Bar welcomed people who were impacted by the brush fires in Los Angeles County. Among the services offered at the business were blowouts, treatments, trims, wash and styles and extension revivals.
“It is therapeutic and seeing smiling faces around you gets your mood up,” said Kylie Green, who showed up for the offer.
Green is one of the many residents in LA County who lost her home to the fires. She said the salon is where she goes to forget her worries and was excited to see Extended Beauty Bar’s act of kindness.
Plan to help save LA from mass fires with seawater long-stalled
By Jaxon Van Derbeken
A plan to provide firefighters in Los Angeles and Orange counties almost limitless seawater to fight fires has been stalled for more than a decade, despite the ever-looming threat of mass fires fueled by quakes and high winds.
A plan to provide firefighters in Los Angeles and Orange counties almost limitless seawater to fight fires has been stalled for more than a decade, despite the ever-looming threat of mass fires fueled by quakes and high winds.
“I think the fire service just didn't see the need for it in Southern California,” recalled Charles Scawthorn, a UC Berkeley researcher and engineer who first developed the emergency water supply concept back in 2011.
Scawthorn, who studies the behavior of mass fires that often follow earthquakes, developed his proposal at the time on behalf of the state’s Seismic Safety Commission.
“Water is your only solution,” to deal with all the fires that will break out in winds or earthquakes, he says. To deliver it, he envisioned a network of fixed pumping stations, capable of delivering thousands of gallons per minute of seawater through three-foot-diameter pipes running at the base of Los Angeles’ elaborate network of storm basins.
PM forecast update: What to expect into Tuesday
By Jonathan Lloyd
Wind alerts remain in effect into Tuesday. Here's what to expect.
Gusty winds and extreme fire weather return to Southern California
By The Associated Press
Lanes were closed for a small brush fire near the 405 Freeway in the northern San Fernando Valley. Video broadcast Monday Jan. 20, 2025 on NBC4.
Windy and dry conditions returned to Southern California on Monday, raising the risk of new wildfires sparking as firefighters continue to battle two major blazes in the Los Angeles area that started in similar weather nearly two weeks ago.
Gusts could peak at 70 mph (113 kph) along the coast and 100 mph (160 kph) in the mountains and foothills during extreme fire weather that is expected to last through Tuesday.
The National Weather Service issued a warning of a “particularly dangerous situation” for parts of Los Angeles, Ventura and San Diego counties from Monday afternoon through Tuesday morning due to low humidity and damaging Santa Ana winds.
“The conditions are ripe for explosive fire growth should a fire start,” said Andrew Rorke, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard.
Firefighters contain flames near 405 Freeway
By Jonathan Lloyd
Small brush fire closes lanes on 405 Freeway in Granada Hills
Former Vice President Harris arrives in Southern California
By Jonathan Lloyd
Authorities hold virtual community meeting about Eaton fire
Altadena communities now open for residents to return
Small brush fire burns on side of 405 Freeway in Granada Hills
By Jonathan Lloyd
Join a Petersen Automotive Museum charity ‘Cruise-in' and support fire relief
By Alysia Gray Painter
The convivial Sunday morning Cruise-ins at the Petersen Automotive Museum on the Miracle Mile have become rather legendary among those who love checking out luxe and lively vehicles.
And, of course, the owners of those cars adore the event, too; it's an excellent opportunity to display well-tended autos in a sunny and supportive setting.
There's no secret as to why these gatherings are so popular: The cool cars making cool appearances are something special, as are the colorful Cruise-in themes. Past focuses have included specific companies or car types, giving fans of particular brands something to anticipate and enjoy.
But the Jan. 26 Cruise-in is taking on an especially meaningful dimension: It will raise money to help first responders and fire relief, with the funds raised benefitting the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation, and the West Bureau of the Los Angeles Police Department.
In case of evacuations, pack this in your go-bag
Person detained in Griffith Park brush fire
By Jonathan Lloyd
Update: Firefighters knock down Griffith Park brush fire
By Jonathan Lloyd
Residents allowed to access some Palisades fire evacuation zones
By Briana Trujillo
Person detained in connection with small brush fire in Griffith Park
By Jonathan Lloyd
One person was detained in connection with a small brush fire Monday afternoon that burned above homes on the southern edge of Los Angeles’ Griffith Park, according to authorities.
One person was detained in connection with a small brush fire Monday afternoon that burned above homes on the southern edge of Los Angeles' Griffith Park, according to authorities.
The small fire started in medium brush above homes and south of the Griffith Observatory on a day of red flag warnings in Los Angeles County, where firefighters are increasing containment of the deadly Eaton Fire and Palisades Fire. The two deadly fires, among the most destructive on record in California, started Jan. in extreme red flag conditions.
Griffith Park and other Los Angeles-area parks were closed Monday due to the increased fire threat. The red flag warning is scheduled to continue into Tuesday with powerful wind gusts in the forecast.
Authorities described the person in custody on suspicion of arson as a homeless man in his 30s with a history of lighting fires in the 4,200-acre park A park ranger said a witness observed the man setting the fire, snapped a photo and sent it to police.
Gov. Newsom signs order to speed LA wildfire debris removal due to slide threat
By Jonathan Lloyd
it’s been nearly two weeks since the start of the historic wildfires in Southern California, here’s a look back at the moments captured in the first 24 hours of the devastation. Photographer Sean Browning reports for the NBC4 News at 11 p.m. on Jan. 19, 2025.
Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an executive order Monday to speed wildfire debris removal in Los Angeles County to prevent more destruction in burn zones if the region receives heavy rainfall this winter and spring.
The damaging slides are among the dangers threatening neighborhoods as firefighters continue to increase containment of the Eaton and Palisades fires and residents return to neighborhoods no longer under evacuation orders. Burned hillsides stripped of vegetation do not absorb water well, creating the potential for flash floods and mudslides that can collect debris and wipe out structures in their paths.
Newsom's order is in place to help mitigate the risk by removing debris, improving flood protection and stabilizing hillsides.
"As work continues to fight fires across Los Angeles County, the state is already working to prepare for the damage that can happen when winter rainstorms hit burn scars, causing landslides and flooding," Newsom said. in a statement. "This order helps keep our emergency response focused on protecting communities, not permits and paperwork."
Watch NBC Los Angeles News live on your big screen
LAFD resources have been “pre-deployed” ahead of Santa Anas: Mayor
President Trump references LA wildfires in inaugural address
By Jonathan Lloyd
The president said the wildfires have left some of the most powerful people in the country homeless.
President Trump briefly mentioned the deadly January wildfires in Los Angeles County Monday during his Inauguration Day speech in Washington, D.C.
Speaking shortly after taking the oath of office, Trump referenced the fires, which include two of the most destructive wildfires on record in California, when he spoke in the Capitol Rotunda. The swearing-in ceremony and inaugural address were moved indoors on a cold day in the nation's capital.
"From weeks ago, without even a token of defense, they're raging through the houses and communities, even affecting some of the wealthiest and most powerful individuals in our country, some of whom are sitting here right now," Trump said of the fires. "They don't have a home any longer. That's interesting.
"We can't let this happen. Everyone is unable to do anything about it. That's going to change."
Tam O'Shanter Restaurant to raise funds for World Central Kitchen
By Jonathan Lloyd
Windblown dust and ash advisory in effect for LA County amid Santa Ana winds
By Briana Trujillo
With the wind remaining in Southern California, various communities are at risk of ash blowing in their direction. Meteorologist David Biggar explains.
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health issued a Windblown Dust and Ash Advisory until 10 p.m. Tuesday due to the strong Santa Ana winds that may affect air quality throughout the area.
“Windblown dust and ash contain small particles that may cause irritation or exacerbate pre-existing health conditions, particularly for children, older adults, pregnant individuals, and those with heart or lung conditions,” the department says in the advisory.
Here’s what you need to know.
Dust and ash left behind from the wildfires that have devoured tens of thousands of acres across Southern California can be irritating and hazardous when inhaled. The Santa Anas are expected to exacerbate their spread.
Pasadena updates drinking water notice due to Eaton Fire damage
By Jonathan Lloyd
Former VP Harris to visit fire station after arriving back in LA
By Jonathan Lloyd
World Central Kitchen offers free meals at several locations
Wildfires update: Firefighters increase containment around 2 major fires
By Jonathan Lloyd
Watch: Firefighters help business owner raise flag in Palisades Fire zone
By Jonathan Lloyd
Deputies rescue family's giant tortoise from Eaton Fire
By Jonathan Lloyd
Rocky the giant tortoise reunites with evacuated family members. Video broadcast Monday Jan. 20, 2025 on Today in LA.
Deputies rescued a family's 100-pound giant tortoise from the Eaton Fire in San Dimas. Rocky was found in a hole in the backyard of the family's home, which was destroyed in the fire.
Move or be towed: Red flag parking restrictions now in effect
By Briana Trujillo
Red flag parking restrictions are now in effect until further notice, the LA Fire Department announced.
Red flag parking restrictions are now in effect until further notice, the LA Fire Department announced.
"It is important that fire apparatus have room to respond quickly to a fast-moving brush fire while simultaneously allowing residents to evacuate, if necessary. During Red Flag Parking Restrictions period, vehicles illegally parked in posted locations within the Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones (VHFHSZ) will be towed," the statement reads.
See if the restriction applies to an area where your vehicle may be parked here.
LAFD Alert- Red Flag Parking Restrictions NOW IN EFFECT MAP: https://t.co/0W93xZDTY3 Red Flag Parking Restrictions NOW IN EFFECT DETAILS: https://t.co/Hlz8AtKa3E
— LAFD 🔥 (@LAFD) January 20, 2025
Update on the containment and size of the Eaton, Palisades fires
By Briana Trujillo
A look back at the first 24 hours of destruction of the LA County fires
By Sean Browning
It’s been nearly two weeks since the start of the historic wildfires in Southern California.
Here’s a look back at the moments captured in the first 24 hours of the devastation.
Fire expert shares tips as LA County prepares for dangerous wind event
Fire Chief Sam DiGiovanna explains the expected winds should be taken seriously as the current fire conditions make for an extremely dangerous situation. Amber Frias reports for the NBC4 News at 6 p.m. on Jan. 19, 2025.
As Los Angeles County braces for another dangerous wind event, Fire Chief Sam DiGiovanna explains why the expected winds could be a recipe for disaster, and should be taken seriously.
He also emphasizes the importance of being prepared for evacuation orders.
What is a PDS or Particularly Dangerous Situation alert?
By Staff and wire reports
A PDS is a National Weather Service shorthand that stands for Particularly Dangerous Situation. Learn how and why it is used.
A PDS is a National Weather Service shorthand that stands for Particularly Dangerous Situation. Learn how and why it is used.
It is used to convey urgency or in possible severe and life-threatening weather events.
The NWS issues the rare alert for fire weather when there is single-digit relative humidity, sustained winds of 35 mph or greater and/or gusts of 60 mph or greater and very dry vegetation.
Why do California's Santa Ana winds heighten wildfire danger?
By The Associated Press
SAN JACINTO, CA – NOVEMBER 24, 2022: Palm trees bend in the wind as powerful winds forced Southern California Edison to shut off the power to the area on Thanksgiving day November 24, 2022 in San Jacinto, California. The power is out in the area of Highway 74 and Vista Place. The San Ana winds will continue through Friday.(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
Santa Ana Winds are dry, warm and gusty northeast winds that blow from the interior of Southern California toward the coast and offshore, moving in the opposite direction of the normal onshore flow that carries moist air from the Pacific into the region.
Santa Anas are created by high pressure over the Great Basin — the vast desert interior of the West overlapping several states. The sinking air loses its moisture and flows in a clockwise direction toward Southern California, where it must get past towering mountain ranges that separate the desert from the metropolitan region lining the coast. Like a slow-moving river that suddenly narrows and turns into rapids, the air speeds up as it squeezes through mountain passes and canyons, becoming drier and warmer as it descends.
Humidity levels often plunge to single-digit percentages during a Santa Ana wind. The extreme lack of humidity in the air causes vegetation — living and dead — to significantly dry out and become susceptible to fire. The tremendous wind speeds can stoke any spark — from a fallen power line, for example — into a rapidly spreading conflagration. Santa Anas are linked to some of the worst wildfires Southern California has experienced.
Map: See LA County wildfires containment updates
By Jonathan Lloyd
A PDS is a National Weather Service shorthand that stands for Particularly Dangerous Situation. Learn how and why it is used.
Firefighters increased containment lines around the Palisades Fire and Eaton Fire during a weekend of improved weather conditions in Los Angeles County.
The deadly fires, two of the most destructive on record in California, started Jan. 7 on a day of extremely high fire danger due to a Santa Ana windstorm. More than 27 deaths have been reported in the fires, burning in the Pacific Palisades area on the Los Angeles County coast and Altadena area northeast of Los Angeles.
Flames have destroyed at least 14,362 structures, including homes and businesses.
Containment of the 14,000-acre Eaton Fire expanded to 87 percent Monday morning. Water-dropping helicopters extinguished hot spots over the weekend near Winters Creek, Mt. Lowe and Mt. Wilson.
Griffith Park closed with extreme fire risk in Los Angeles forecast
By Lauren Coronado, Jonathan Lloyd and City News Service
Griffith Park is closed due to strong winds and high fire risk. Lauren Coronado reports for Today in LA on Monday Jan. 20, 2025.
Griffith Park and other Los Angeles-area parks were closed Monday due to the increased risk of wildfires to start the week in Southern California.
Due to red flag warnings in place Monday through part of Tuesday, several public locations were closed until Tuesday, including Griffith Park, the Los Angeles Zoo and the Autry Museum of the American West, inside the park, one of dozens temporarily closed due to the fire weather forecast. Runyon Canyon remains closed until further notice.
The red flag warning includes a Particularly Dangerous Situation (PDS) designation, a National Weather Service alert to indicate extreme fire danger above that of a typical red flag warning. The elevated fire conditions follow the deadly January wildfires that started Jan. 7, including the Palisades Fire in Pacific Palisades and the Eaton Fire in the Altadena area.
The 23,700-acre Palisades Fire was 59-pecent contained Monday morning. The Eaton Fire was at 14,000 acres with containment at 87 percent.
Fire-ravaged Southern California braces for gusty winds and heightened wildfire risk
By The Associated Press
The extreme fire risk returns. Belen De Leon has the forecast for Monday Jan. 20, 2025.
Southern Californians are bracing for gusty winds and a heightened risk of wildfires, less than two weeks after the outbreak of deadly blazes that have killed at least 27 people and charred thousands of homes.
The National Weather Service has issued a warning of a “ particularly dangerous situation ” for parts of Los Angeles and Ventura counties from Monday afternoon through Tuesday morning due to low humidity and damaging Santa Ana winds. Gusts could peak at 70 mph (113 kph) along the coast and 100 mph (160 kph) in the mountains and foothills.
Windy weather and single-digit humidity are expected to linger through Thursday, said Rich Thompson, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service. He said the fire risk is also elevated because the region hasn’t seen rain since April.
Critical fire weather with wind gusts up to 60 mph (97 kph) was also forecast for Southern California communities stretching to San Diego on Monday and Tuesday, with residents urged to take steps to get ready to evacuate such as creating an emergency kit and keeping cars filled with at least a half tank of gas. A windblown dust and ash advisory was also issued, as high winds could disperse ash from existing fire zones across Southern California.
2 people used firetruck purchased at auction to impersonate firefighters in Pacific Palisades
By Karla Rendon
Two people suspected of impersonating firefighters were detained Saturday after trying to go through a checkpoint limited to emergency crews responding to the Palisades Fire.
Sheriff’s deputies stopped two individuals from trying to access a checkpoint in a vehicle that looked like a fire engine, Commander Minh G. Dinh of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department announced in a press conference Sunday.
During questioning, deputies learned one of the individuals purchased the vehicle at an auction. Officials also learned the pair had been in the area for a couple of days.
According to Dinh, the two had equipment similar to what firefighters use, including radios and turnout gear. As a result, they were booked at the Malibu Lost Hills station. Their cases will be presented to the district attorney’s office to consider charges.
California officials warn against price gouging as rents soar in fire-stricken Los Angeles
By Janie Har and The Associated Press
Pedestrians help a firefighter stretch a hose as an apartment building burns, Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025, in the Altadena section of Pasadena, Calif. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
Southern California's expensive housing market is going to get a lot more competitive after deadly firestorms torched more than 12,000 homes and other structures in the Los Angeles area, leaving tens of thousands of people without a place to stay.
Already there are reports of rent-gouging, prompting elected leaders to issue stern warnings against the practice and pleading with the public to report unethical property owners who hike up rents above the allotted 10% cap.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta said in a statement Saturday that it is illegal for landlords to accept rent that exceeds the cap, even if someone is offering to pay a higher amount.
“You cannot jack up prices and take advantage of disaster victims, plain and simple,” he said at a news conference.
Why are lone homes left standing after the fires? It's not entirely luck
By Ed Davey and Ingrid Lobet
Homeowner, Totress Beasley, had just made her final payment on her Pasadena home days before it was destroyed in the Eaton fire. Candace Sweat reports for the NBCLA News at 7 p.m. on Jan.16, 2025.
Emails and videos of burned buildings in Los Angeles next to those left standing have been flying back and forth among architects, builders and fire safety specialists around the world.
For many homeowners, like Enrique Balcazar, the sometimes scattershot nature of the carnage can seem like random chance. Balcazar, a real estate agent, posted video that showed little more than chimneys remaining of most homes on his block after fire leapt through his Altadena neighborhood. Balcazar stood on his neighbor's destroyed classic Mustang to douse his smoldering roof, but his home was otherwise fine.
“It's an older house and it still has the old wood sidings,” Balcazar said. “To me there's nothing explainable in logical or scientific reason of why my house would not have burned.”
Many experts say luck does play a part. After all, wind can shift 180 degrees in a split second, pushing fire away from your house and towards a neighbor's. But they also say there are many ways that homes can be made less vulnerable to fire.
Altadena bike shop burns down while owner was saving homes from Eaton Fire
By Macy Jenkins
A community is rallying around a man whose Altadena bike shop was burned down while he was out saving at least three homes from Eaton Fire. Macy Jenkins reports for the NBC4 News at 6 p.m. on Jan. 18, 2025.
The owner of an Altadena bike shop is giving back to those impacted by the LA County wildfires even after losing his own business to the Eaton Fire.
Steve Salinas, owner of Steve's Bike Shop, was helping hose down the homes of his brother and Altadena neighbors while the Eaton Fire swept through his storefront.
“Tuesday night I got a call from my brother that there was a fire started in Eaton Canyon and we know the drill cause we’ve been through a few fires," said Salinas.
The business owner closed shop and headed two miles northeast towards the mountains with his son Raleigh to help protect his brother's home.
