California fires updates: Death toll in Los Angeles fires rises to 24

Thousands of firefighters are battling the sprawling wildfires across LA.

ByJon Haworth, Emily Shapiro, Nadine El-Bawab, Meredith Deliso, Ivan Pereira, David Brennan, and Bill Hutchinson
Last Updated: January 12, 2025, 8:26 PM EST

At least 24 people are believed to be dead and more than a dozen others remain unaccounted for as multiple fires, fueled by severe drought conditions and strong Santa Ana winds, continue to rage across Southern California, leaving fire crews scrambling to contain the historic destruction.

Thousands of firefighters are battling several sprawling wildfires across 45 square miles of densely populated Los Angeles County. The largest, the Palisades Fire, in Pacific Palisades, has scorched nearly 24,000 acres, destroyed thousands of structures and is 11% contained. The Eaton Fire, in Altadena, now stands at more than 14,100 acres and is 27% contained. The Hurst Fire near Sylmar has burned 799 acres and is 89% contained.

About 105,000 people remain under mandatory evacuation orders and another 87,000 are under evacuation warnings.

Key Headlines

Here's how the news is developing.
Jan 24, 2025, 2:20 pm

Tracking ongoing California wildfires

The Palisades Fire, which began in the Pacific Palisades on Jan. 7, has destroyed or damaged more than 6,000 structures. It's covered more than 23,000 acres and is at 87% containment.

The Eaton Fire north of Pasadena also began on Jan. 7 and has destroyed or damaged more than 10,000 structures. It's burned over 14,000 acres and is at 95% containment.

Jan 10, 2025, 11:32 AM EST

Eaton Fire now at nearly 14,000 acres, with thousands of structures damaged, destroyed

The Eaton Fire is now at 13,956 acres with 3% containment. The fire is believed to have damaged or destroyed 4,000 to 5,000 structures, according to Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone.

There are currently 5,527 firefighters responding to the fire.

The fire did make a push toward Mount Wilson Observatory on Thursday, but the building did not suffer any damage. One firefighter was injured due to a fall while responding to the fire, but the firefighter is currently recovering.

The region is in a "much better posture" than it was earlier this week, Marrone said at a press conference Friday.

The red flag warning will continue until Friday at 6 p.m. PST, but firefighters will be preparing for the next red flag event expected to begin on Monday, Marrone said.

Jan 10, 2025, 11:19 AM EST

Palisades Fire scorches over 20,000 acres, 8% contained

The Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades has now scorched over 20,000 acres -- larger than all of Manhattan, which is 14,600 acres.

Thanks to favorable wind conditions overnight, the Palisades Fire is 8% contained, LA City Fire Chief Kristin Crowley said at a news conference early Friday.

An aerial view of an emergency vehicle (C) driving past destroyed homes as the Palisades Fire continues to burn on Jan. 9, 2025 in Pacific Palisades, Calif.
Mario Tama/Getty Images

Wind gusts are expected to increase Friday morning; firefighters are prepared, Crowley said.

The Palisades and Eaton fires have become the No. 1 and No. 2 most destructive fires in Southern California history in terms of structures burned.

The Pacific Palisades are seen before and after a fire swept through the area in a satellite image provided by MaxarTechnologies.
@MaxarTechnologies

Jan 10, 2025, 11:11 AM EST

Despite 'frustration' from erroneous alerts, public shouldn't disable phone messages: Official

Multiple erroneous evacuation emergency alerts have been sent to Los Angeles County residents' cellphones, sparking an "extreme amount of frustration, anger [and] fear," LA County Office of Emergency Management Director Kevin McGowan said.

A beach house is engulfed in flames as the Palisades Fire burns along Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu, Calif., on Jan. 8, 2025.
Agustin Paullier/AFP via Getty Images

The cause is under investigation and McGowan stressed at a news conference that the alerts were not "human driven."

Even though the erroneous messages are "painful" and "scary," he implored the public to not disable their phone's emergency alerts.

Embers from the Eaton Fire fly down a residential street in Altadena, Calif., on Jan. 8, 2025.
Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images

"These alert tools have saved lives during this emergency," he said.

Jan 10, 2025, 10:51 AM EST

People applying for FEMA individual, public assistance programs can use that assistance for hotels

People applying for individual and public assistance programs through the Federal Emergency Management Agency can use that assistance for hotels and other lodging expenses, according to former FEMA Administrator Peter Gaynor.

Richard Castaneda (L) and Rupert Garcia look at the ruins of Garcia's home destroyed by the Eaton Fire in Altadena, California, Jan. 9, 2025.
Zoe Meyers/AFP via Getty Images

During large scale wildfires, FEMA uses Fire Management Assistance Grants, which can be deployed almost immediately and do not require any declaration by the current administrator or president, Gaynor told ABC News. And when President Joe Biden signed an emergency declaration this week, it unlocked a host of resources people can apply to if they were impacted by the fires, Gaynor said.

Hailey Ott and her mom Cindi Ott look at the damage caused to their home by the Eaton Fire, as powerful winds fueling devastating wildfires in the Los Angeles area force people to evacuate, in Altadena, Calif., Jan. 9, 2025.
Fred Greaves/Reuters

"Things like temporary housing repair, replacement of homes, temporary housing units, unemployment insurance," he said. "There's an ability to give quick cash to people to make sure that if they need something right away, they can get cash."

-ABC News’ Luke Barr

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