Los Angeles Wildfires Day 8: Latest Updates Amid Red Flag Warnings, What Happens Next?

There is good news in Hurst as reports suggest that 97 per cent of the fires here have been contained.

Eight days on, the wildfires continue to burn relentlessly across three locations of Los Angeles county of southern California.

As per the latest reports, the blaze continues in Palisades with just 14 per cent of the wildfire under control and in Eaton only 33 per cent of the blaze has been controlled.

There is good news in Hurst as reports suggest that 97 per cent of the fires here have been contained.

But a new fire broke out yesterday at Ventura County. Dubbed as the ‘Auto Fire’, the brush fire broke out at around 7:15 PM local time on Jan 13. The blaze was spotted along the Santa Clara River near Ventura Boulevard and Auto Center Drive.

It has burned 2.02 hectares (5 acres), and has not been contained. The fires at Kenneth, Archer, Sunset, Lidia, Woodley and Olivas have been contained, an Al Jazeera report said.

But firefighters are bracing for more tough times as weather forecasters have issued a Red Flag warning for today. The National Weather Service said wind gusts could reach up to 55 miles per hour or 90 km per hour. The gusts are expected to intensify significantly, reaching speeds of up to 120 km per hour. Later in the day today, the forecast indicates that strong winds will persist, and they could maintain speeds of about 100 km per hour through the day today.

The red flag warning means these warnings are for the extreme of the extreme fire weather scenarios.

Where are the fires burning now?

• The Eaton fire is raging in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains near Altadena Drive, Midwick Drive, and Pasadena in Los Angeles County.
• The Palisades fire is located southeast of Palisades Drive and the Pacific Palisades, between the Santa Monica Mountains and the Pacific Ocean.
• The Hurst fire, which is now largely contained, is in the hills above the Oakridge residential community in the Sylmar area of Los Angeles.

We now take a look at the damages so far:
• The Palisades fire, the first fire to erupt a week ago and the biggest, has burned 9,596 hectares or 23,713 acres and killed 8 people so far.
• The Eaton fire, the second-largest blaze, has burned 5,712 hectares or 14,117 acres. Death toll here stands at 16.
• The Hurst Fire has burned 323 hectares or 799 acres.
• 23 people are missing and officials have warned that the death toll might rise.

• 12,300 structures destroyed, about 105,000 people are under mandatory evacuation orders in Los Angeles County, with another 89,000 under evacuation warnings.

Los Angeles, known as the City of Angels (the Spanish translation of Los Angeles is ‘The Angels’) is now lying in a state of ruin. Los Angeles, one of the world’s most glam cities, home to top Hollywood stars and artists, turned to ashes in just a week.

So, how did the wildfire start?

According to the National Fire Protection Association, lightning is the most common source of fires in the United States. However, since there were no reports of lightning in the Palisades area or the terrain around the Eaton Fire, which started in east Los Angeles County, it was ruled out as a possibility.

The remaining two possibilities were arson and fire started by utility lines. However, no consensus has been reached till now to ascertain the exact cause of fire.

Why have the world’s most advanced nation, with all the latest technology and know-how, not been able to control the fire?

President-elect, Donald Trump has pointed a finger squarely at California Governor Gavin Newsom, who he said is responsible for LA’s struggling water supply.
A lack of water for firefighter’s hoses has been cited as one of the reasons the fires have burned so long.

Meanwhile, others have blamed LA Mayor Karen Bass for cutting the city’s fire department budget.

One large reservoir in Pacific Palisades, the Santa Ynez Reservoir, was closed for maintenance and empty when the fire broke out.

LA Mayor Karen Bass has faced criticism over cuts to the city’s fire department budget.For the latest financial year, the LA Fire Department (LAFD) budget was reduced by 17.6million dollar.

LA Fire Chief Kristin Crowley told CNN that the budget cut had severely affected the department’s ability to respond to the disaster.She said the department was already under-staffed and the elimination of civilian positions, like mechanics, had meant that 100 fire apparatuses were out of service.

Mexico, Ukraine, Iran Offer Help

UPDATE: We are mobilizing six additional strike teams to California.

These teams are made up of 30 water tenders and 70 firefighters. They join 15 Oregon strike teams working to protect homes and critical infrastructure.

READ MORE: https://t.co/Rw3W2g5hxq@Cal_OES @CAL_FIRE pic.twitter.com/0ACGINWfKp

— Oregon State Fire Marshal (@OSFM) January 11, 2025

While firefighters from across US are trying their best to put the fires out, a Mexican contingent of firefighters and military personnel have landed in LA and are assisting in the efforts to douse the blaze.
Earlier, Ukraine and Iran too offered help to the US. Iran, through the Red Crescent and Fire Department, offered humanitarian aid and firefighting equipment to support the victims of the fire, expressing solidarity with the Californians.

Irán, a través de la Media Luna Roja y el Departamento de Bomberos ofreció ayuda humanitaria y equipos de bomberos para apoyar a las víctimas del incendio en Los Ángeles, expresando solidaridad con los californianos.
🎥 Portavoz del Gobierno pic.twitter.com/DHD3DDmRcE

— Embajada de Irán en España (@IraninSpain) January 11, 2025

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