Our California Newsroom partners—LAist, KCRW, KQED, CalMatters and NPR—are on the ground, bringing you the latest updates as wildfires rage across Southern California.
The fires have turned deadly. At least 24 people have lost their lives, several are still missing. More than 12,000 homes and buildings are damaged or destroyed. Evacuation orders cover 100,000 residents, and another 89,000 are on edge, ready to leave if conditions worsen.
Here’s the latest on the biggest fires:
- Palisades Fire: The fire has exploded to more than 23,700 acres. Fire crews are working nonstop, but it’s still mostly uncontained. As it creeps east, neighborhoods like Encino and Brentwood are on high alert.
- Eaton Fire: The rugged terrain and fierce winds are making it hard to get a handle on this fire. It’s burned through 14,000 acres and is only 27% contained.
- Hurst Fire: This one’s south of Santa Clarita. Firefighters have made progress, with containment now at 89%, but not before it burned more than 800 acres.
- Kenneth Fire: Burning in the San Fernando Valley, crews are still assessing its spread and containment status.
Meanwhile, the Santa Ana winds are back, gusting up to 75 mph, fueling these flames and making it even harder for firefighters to gain control.
President Biden is providing federal disaster aid and more firefighters are arriving from other states and countries. Governor Newsom has also called for investigations into water supply failures that have slowed the fight against these fires.
