California fires live updates: at least seven deaths as Los Angeles wildfires rage and crews battle new fire | Los Angeles
Fire death toll rises to seven
The death toll from the Palisades and Eaton fires has risen to seven, according to city and county officials.
There have been five deaths from the Eaton Fire near Pasadena, according to Carlos Herrera, a public information officer with the LA county fire department.
Meanwhile, two people have died in the Palisades fire burning along the Los Angeles coast, according to LA fire department spokesperson Margaret Stewart.
Key events
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Today so far
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Fire death toll rises to seven
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More than 10,000 structures destroyed in LA fires
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Hundreds of firefighters head to fight Kenneth fire
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LA fires death toll rises to six
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Kenneth fire grows to nearly 800 acres
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LA officials send evacuation alert in error
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LAFD issues evacuation order for new brushfire
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Eaton fire destroys up to 5,000 structures, officials say
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LA Sheriff hopes to implement curfew
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Palisades fire grows to nearly 20,000 acres
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Biden: US government will cover 100% of fire response cost for 180 days
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Four killed in Eaton fire, one in Palisades fire – report
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Hollywood Hills fire ‘fully contained’, LA mayor says
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More than 400,000 people in California still without power
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Defense secretary says troops ready to help tackle fires
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Summary: key things we learned from LA officials’ update
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Death toll expected to rise, says LA county sheriff Robert Luna
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LA mayor sidesteps question over disaster response, saying ‘focus is to protect lives’
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Fires cause ‘significant’ damage to water, power and transportation systems
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Pacific Palisades fire scenes described as ‘apocalyptic’
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Nearly 180,000 people under evacuation orders across LA county
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LA county sheriff says lack of clarity over death toll
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LA sheriff urges residents to evacuate: ‘Not only your life you’re putting in danger’
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All evacuation orders for Sunset fire in Hollywood lifted, fire chief confirms
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Woodley fire fully contained
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Hurst fire at 855 acres and uncontained
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Palisades fire ‘one of the most destructive natural disasters’ in LA history
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Palisades fire grows to 17,234 acres and is 0% contained
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Red flag warning to stay in effect throughout Friday
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Lidia fire 40% contained, says LA county fire chief
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Eaton fire growth ‘significantly’ stopped but blaze is still at 0% containment
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People urged to avoid nonessential travel
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Karen Bass says historic winds and drought created ‘perfect storm’
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LA mayor says air operations have made ‘significant progress’ against the fires after aircraft were grounded earlier
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Los Angeles county chair says 20 people arrested for looting or burglary in news briefing
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No overnight reports of water shortages for firefighting operations
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Biden to deliver remarks on wildfire response
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LAFD to lift evacuation orders for Hollywood Hills fire
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Critical fire weather conditions expected to continue today in parts of southern California
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Where the fires stand this morning:
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California fires: what we know so far …
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California fires: what we know so far …
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Victim died trying to protect his home, sister says
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California’s fires – in pictures
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Nearly 400 incarcerated firefighters deployed to battle fires
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Before and after the California fires – in pictures
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Sunset fire expands
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LAPD deployed to alleviate evacuation traffic
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President Biden cancels trip to Italy
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Sixth fire to break out in Los Angeles named as Sunset fire
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Sixth fire breaks out in Los Angeles
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Newsom compares LA fires to deadliest wildfire in California history
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Death toll from Los Angeles fires rises to five
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Five wildfires blaze in LA county
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Death toll in Eaton fire rises to five – report
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LA mayor says impact of fires ‘devastating’
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More than 1.5m homes without power in California
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Palisades fire grows to more than 15,000 acres
This blog is closing now. Our new live blog is here and you can read our full report on the Los Angeles wildfires here.
The Hurst fire is now 37% contained, California governor Gavin Newsom shared on social media on Thursday evening.
The fire, which broke out on Tuesday, had been 10% contained, and currently encompasses 855 acres.
President Joe Biden said he will send every federal resource possible to southern California, including hundreds of firefighters, 30 firefighting aircraft, 8 defence aircraft and 500 military personal.
More than 153,000 people were under evacuation orders in Los Angeles county, according to an update from Shawn Boyd at California’s state operations centre.
Seven shelters were open for those displaced, with more than 1500 people already taking shelter.
The national weather service tells us there will be a short break from the high winds over the weekend, but there could be another surge starting on Tuesday and into Wednesday.
Today so far
Thank you for joining our coverage of the Los Angeles wildfires today. There are five wildfires currently raging in Los Angeles county. They include:
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The Palisades fire, at 19,978 acres and 6% containment
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The Eaton fire, at 13,690 acres and 0% containment
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The Kenneth fire, at 960 acres and 0% containment
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The Hurst fire, at 671 acres and 10% containment
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The Lidia fire, at 348 acres and 60% containment
As we settle in for the third night since wildfires broke out in southern California, here are the top developments of the day:
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Seven people have died, and more than 10,000 structures have burned, in the Palisades and Eaton fires. Five deaths have been confirmed in the Eaton fire and two in the Palisades. The Palisades fire, which had remained 0% contained since it broke out Tuesday, was 6% contained by 6pm Thursday.
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A new fire, now called the Kenneth fire, sparked around 3:34pm and quickly ballooned to 960 acres.
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President Joe Biden has announced that the federal government would pay for 100% of the firefighting needs for the next 180 days.
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Law enforcement officials are working to issue a curfew for affected burn zones in Los Angeles, in order to combat looting, though it is unclear when it will go into effect.
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Vice-president Kamala Harris canceled a trip to Singapore, Bahrain and Germany shortly after President Biden canceled a trip to Italy in order to more closely monitor the fires.
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The California prison system has now deployed nearly 800 incarcerated firefighters to fight the devastating blazes.
Fire death toll rises to seven
The death toll from the Palisades and Eaton fires has risen to seven, according to city and county officials.
There have been five deaths from the Eaton Fire near Pasadena, according to Carlos Herrera, a public information officer with the LA county fire department.
Meanwhile, two people have died in the Palisades fire burning along the Los Angeles coast, according to LA fire department spokesperson Margaret Stewart.
Law enforcement officials said there has only been one looting incident in the Palisades region so far this evening at a town hall hosted by the Los Angeles County Fire Department.
“Although we have responded to many calls for service within our area of operation, we only have one verified burglary report so far,” said LAPD commander Steven Embrich.
The Palisades fire is now 6% contained, California governor Gavin Newsom shared on social media on Thursday evening.
The fire had been 0% contained since it first broke out Tuesday morning at about 10.30am, and currently encompasses 19,978 acres.
More than 10,000 structures destroyed in LA fires
More than 10,000 structures have burned between the Eaton and Palisades fires. At a press conference Thursday afternoon, LA fire chief Kristin Crowley reported than more than 5,300 structures were damaged or destroyed in the Palisades fire. Earlier in the day, authorities confirmed that the nearby Eaton fire had destroyed over 5,000 structures.
The NFL is moving the Rams’ wildcard playoff game against the Minnesota Vikings to Arizona after days of devastating wildfires in the Los Angeles area.
The playoff game will be played Monday night at State Farm Stadium, the home of the Arizona Cardinals, in suburban Glendale, Arizona.
While none of the fires is burning near SoFi Stadium in Inglewood where the teams were set to face off, the NFL made the decision due to concerns about air quality and the strain put on the community, as well as the possible demands on police and fire department personnel.
Hundreds of firefighters head to fight Kenneth fire
An additional 900 firefighters are being deployed to battle the fast-moving Kenneth fire, California governor Gavin Newsom said in a social media post Thursday evening. The fire, which sparked at around 3.34pm, currently encompasses 960 acres.
