Lull in winds, but uncontrolled LA fires continue to burn, 5 dead, 130,000 under evacuation warning

A Los Angeles fire chief said Thursday the high winds that have fanned deadly fires across the county have at least temporarily slowed but conceded they have made little progress in bringing the five separate blazes under control.

Brent Pascua, battalion chief with Cal Fire, told NBC that calmer winds could help firefighters “start to contain the fires, which started Tuesday.

“I believe if it stays like this we can actually turn a corner on these fires and make some progress today, some good progress. In case they pick up again later tonight we’ll have something to anchor into,” he said.

The fires started Tuesday as the result of dry conditions from little rain since spring 2024 and strong Santa Anna winds. The winds reached speed of as high as 80 mph, which flung embers "faster than we could get engine crews there to meet them," Pascua also said. 

He also downplayed Speaking on reports of fire hydrants running low he said the crews he's spoken with reported good pressure on main lines, and low pressure in a cul-de-sac part of the Palisades.

This is a developing story ...

Firefighters on Wednesday night battled high winds and multiple wildfires that turned Los Angeles County into a raging inferno that engulfed mansions, blocked highways and forced mass evacuations from Hollywood to Palisades.

At least five wildfires burned uncontrolled in California’s most populous county, the latest striking the famed Hollywood Hills neighborhood as night fell.

That fire, named the Sunset Fire, prompted evacuations from the historic Mulholland Drive, Laurel Canyon Boulevard, and parts of Sunset Boulevard, according to CNN. 

Officials in Pasadena, California, on Wednesday night said that more than 100,000 people have been given evacuation orders from the Eaton Fire, which is the second biggest.

President Joe Biden canceled a planned trip to Italy on Wednesday night as concerns grew that the fires, which had claimed five lives already,  continue to rage for several more days.

“After returning this evening from Los Angeles, where earlier today he had met with police, fire and emergency personnel fighting the historic fires raging in the area and approved a Major Disaster declaration for California, President Biden made the decision to cancel his upcoming trip to Italy to remain focused on directing the full federal response in the days ahead," White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said late Wednesday.

The Sunset Fire affects the hills that host some of Los Angeles' most iconic landmarks, including the Hollywood sign and Griffith Observatory. 

Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna on Wednesday afternoon reported that the death toll from the major fires in his district has risen to five, and more than 1,000 buildings have burned so far. 

The deaths all stem from the Eaton Fire, which has grown to 10,600 acres at time of publishing. The largest fire is the Palisades Fire, which has burned through more than 15,000 acres so far.

The Palisades and Eaton fires are also the largest California fires on record for the month of January, according to ABC-7, and are both still at 0% containment at the time of publishing. But Pasadena Fire Chief Chad Augustin predicts that firefighters will make good progress with Eaton now that the worst of the winds has died down.

“We expect with favorable conditions over the next couple days to start making good progress on this fire,” Augustine said. 

The developments come after President Joe Biden ordered the Pentagon to deploy 10 Naval helicopters to help fight the four fires currently blazing in Southern California. 

Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh said the Navy helicopters will come on top of the four "modular air fighting system units," that have been prepared by the California National Guard and the Nevada National Guard, according to Fox News.

"Right now, I mean, [California Fire] has some of the best capabilities and equipment to fight fires in California," Singh said. "We can search assets, and, and the president has directed this department to bolster whatever California needs. But we have to work with California and right now, we can't even get assets up in the air because the fires are so bad and because the winds are so bad."

The president visited the Golden State earlier Wednesday, where he was briefed on the large fires currently raging in Los Angeles County. 

The Los Angeles County Department fire chief said the department was not prepared for so many fires raging across the city and county, resulting in people having to flee their homes. The fires are spreading quickly in large part because the lack of rain in the region has resulted in parched and powerful Santa Ana winds.

“The L.A. County Fire Department was prepared for one or two major brush fires, but not four, especially given these sustained winds and low humidities,” Chief Anthony C. Marrone said Wednesday.

Kevin McGowan, director of the county's Office of Emergency Management, at a press conference described the size and scope of the fires that started Tuesday as "historic."

Officials during a press conference have issued warnings about looting happening amid all the chaos. At least three people have already been arrested for looting. 

Tens of thousands have been evacuated, with the high winds keeping observation and water-carrying planes grounded. The intense winds in Santa Ana have caused power outages in 1.5 million homes and businesses in Los Angeles. 

The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power reports that about 127,000 customers have lost power. First responders are also reportedly running out of water as fire hydrants are drying up.

Universal Studios announced that its park in Hollywood and Universal CityWalk would be closed due to the conditions "as a result of the extreme winds and fire conditions."

Many residents were reportedly forced to abandon cars between Malibu and Santa Monica as flames jumped a highway and residents considered using a beach as a refuge.

Workers also raced to evacuate residents from a nursing home in Pasadena as flames raced closed by, officials said.

Gov. Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency Tuesday evening, and said his request for federal funding, which would cover 75% of local firefighting costs, was approved. 

"I’ve proclaimed a state of emergency to support the communities impacted by the Palisades Fire," the governor posted on X. "Southern California residents: stay vigilant, take all necessary precautions, and follow local emergency guidance."

Newsom on Monday said he would mobilize state resources to tackle the fires, including assigning 65 fire engines, seven water tenders, seven helicopters and 109 specialized workers to the mission.

“We are no strangers to winter-time wildfire threats, so I ask all Californians to pay attention to local authorities and be prepared to evacuate if told to go,” Newsom said.

The weather service previously issued a stark warning ahead of the storm.

"Strong winds are coming. This is a Particularly Dangerous Situation – in other words, this is about as bad as it gets in terms of fire weather," the service said in a post on X.

The weather service said fire threats are expected to continue through Friday. The windstorm and fires come after the end of fire season in Southern California, which usually ends in October. However, a particularly dry and warm Santa Ana wind season, along with very low humidity has created the perfect conditions for spreading fire.