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Today β€” 12 January 2025Main stream

I left California for Indiana because of the wildfires — I just couldn't breathe. I love visiting, but I'd never buy property there.

12 January 2025 at 02:27
Michelle Mastro's headshot is next to an image of the smoke-filled sky above a California highway.
The author was born and raised in California but moved away to Indiana in 2017 because of the smoke and wildfires.

Photo courtesy of Michelle Mastro

  • The author is a California native who grew up witnessing reoccurring wildfires.
  • She moved to Indiana due to rampant West Coast wildfires and climate change concerns.
  • She's urged her friends and family to leave California as well and doesn't plan on returning.

When I graduated from high school in 2004, there were over 8,000 wildfires across California.

I was born and raised in Southern California, and I've experienced more than my fair share of wildfires. In fact, it's one of the major reasons I left and continue to call Indiana home. I've toyed with the idea of returning someday, but the constant fires β€” and larger climate change and land mismanagement problems β€” keep me from buying property there.

I've urged my family and friends from high school to leave, but California can be a bubble. When life is good, no one sees the problems: the increase in homelessness, traffic, etc.

California wildfires have always been a part of my adult life

In 2009, when I graduated from UCLA, over 9,000 wildfires burned across the region from February through November, well beyond the typical fire season. It was worsened by years of drought.

That summer, I watched billows of smoke rise above the skyscrapers in the deadliest fire of the season, the Station Fire, north of LA, before we were all urged to hop into gridlock to evacuate. It was hellish: choking smoke and nowhere to go on the 110 freeway.

In 2018, wildfires struck again. This time my family had moved to Irvine, California, and I was on a date at a Barnes and Noble in Aliso Viejo. My date and I were suddenly urged to drop everything. Fleeing the parking lot, I snapped a quick picture of smoke in the distance, burning dangerously close to Soka University, where I used to teach.

Smoke covering the sky from the Barnes and Noble parking lot in Aliso Viejo in 2018.
The author snapped a quick photo of the smoke covering the parking lot in Aliso Viejo, California.

Photo courtesy of Michelle Mastro

That evening, lying in bed, I felt like I couldn't breathe. My family members felt the same, and later, we installed the highest-quality HEPA filters we could find and portable ones we could move throughout the house.

I left California and moved to Indiana

I moved to Southern Indiana a year prior, in 2017, and still live here now. As a freelance writer of home tours, I encounter many ex-Californians living here and in the Midwest more generally. Concerns about climate change and the fires that result from it are at the top of our list for moving away.

Californians seem to be moving to Indiana and Michigan for access to clean water at the Great Lakes β€” but that's just my pet theory.

The cost of living is much lower here than in California, and I really feel like I'm a part of a community. People tend to know their neighbors, and there's much less sprawl, so there are plenty of green spaces and state forests to wander in.

Still, Indiana is a more rural state, so everyday conveniences can be difficult to find outside the major cities like Indianapolis and Fort Wayne β€” there's no Starbucks on every corner.

I love visiting California, but I'd never buy property there

This year, the Palisades fire was projected to be the costliest in California's history. I'm frustrated with the state's wildfire strategy, which has prioritized fire suppression over prevention for years.

Though millions of dollars are spent on California fire prevention, efforts like removing dead and felled trees aren't enough in the face of climate change, which has lengthened the state's dry season.

What's more, places like LA are experiencing budget cuts that impact emergency responses to natural disasters, and it's unclear if fire insurance requirements will hold in urban areas that have been densified to meet housing demands.

Based on my experiences, I believe California's fire season will only grow and worsen

I'm not surprised to hear about the fire hydrants running dry in Los Angeles. SoCal gets much of its water from the Colorado River β€” which has been drying up of late. Every year SoCal experiences more water cuts.

In the early 2000s, we were asked not to water our lawns, and starting in 2022, businesses were forbidden from watering decorative grasses. The lack of fresh water is a real problem making the fire season worse.

I miss seeing my family, but for all these reasons and more, I'm hesitant to move back to California.

If you moved away from your hometown and would like to share your story, please email Manseen Logan at mlogan@businessinsider.com.

Read the original article on Business Insider

Los Angeles braces for stronger winds as wildfires continue to spread

Firefighters fight the flames from the Palisades Fire burning the Theatre Palisades during a powerful windstorm on January 8, 2025 in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. The fast-moving wildfire is threatening homes in the coastal neighborhood amid intense Santa Ana Winds and dry conditions in Southern California.
Firefighters fight the flames from the Palisades Fire during a powerful windstorm on January 8, 2025.

Apu Gomes/Getty Images

  • Wildfires are ravaging the Los Angeles area, spreading rapidly due to dry and windy conditions.
  • The fires have burned through over 40,000 acres. Officials report that at least 16 people have died.
  • Analysts estimate damages caused by the fires may top $50 billion β€” breaking previous state records.

Across Los Angeles, a series of wildfires fanned by the powerful Santa Ana winds have been leveling homes in the area for nearly a week, leaving a path of record-breaking destruction in their wake.

The largest of the fires, ripping through the wealthy enclave of the Pacific Palisades, is just 11% contained as of early Sunday morning, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire). It is moving toward the densely populated neighborhood of Encino in the San Fernando Valley. About 30 miles northeast, the Eaton Fire, which is now 27% contained, is threatening the city of Altadena.

Over 40,000 acres have burned in four separate blazes, and the LA County Medical Examiner has reported 16 deaths related to the fires so far.

Gov. Gavin Newsom said on Sunday the fires would likely be the worst natural disaster in US history, noting that the death toll is expected to rise.

"I think it will be in terms of just the costs associated with it, in terms of the scale and scope," Newsom told NBC's Meet the Press. "I've got search and rescue teams out. We've got cadaver dogs out. And there's likely to be a lot more."

Los Angeles Sheriff Robert Luna said during a Sunday morning press conference that over 100,000 residents near the Palisades and Eaton fires are now under evacuation orders, and authorities have told another 87,000 to be ready to leave at any time.

The National Weather Service issued a high wind warning early Sunday morning, which will remain in effect until Sunday afternoon. The warning affects mountain areas near the Hurst and Eaton fires.

The National Weather Service issued a high wind watch for the Santa Monica Mountains Recreation Area from Monday evening to Wednesday afternoon. It affects mountain areas near the Kenneth and Palisades fires.

A representative for the electric services company Southern California Edison said on Saturday afternoon that more than 50,000 residences were without power.

Local water districts have also issued numerous water advisories, warning residents not to drink or use the water, which may be contaminated with debris from the fire. Air pollution levels have also remained high in many parts of the city.

Helicopter aerial view of the Palisades fire in Los Angeles.
Helicopter aerial view of the Palisades fire burning near Mountain Gate Country Club with Brentwood and Pacific Palisades visible in the background on Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025.

Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

Amid the chaos, residents have also faced opportunistic looters burglarizing empty properties, inaccurate evacuation orders sent out in error through the county's emergency alert system, and rapidly spreading misinformation online regarding evacuation zones and the causes of the fire.

Analysts from JPMorgan have estimated that the blazes tearing through the region may lead to about $50 billion in total economic losses β€” including over $20 billion in insured losses, Business Insider previously reported. If the estimates prove to be accurate, the damage caused by the current fires would be significantly more severe than the 2018 Camp Fires, which racked up $10 billion in insured losses.

The state has, in recent years, been subject to a mass exodus of major insurers, including State Farm. The company announced in 2023 that it would stop accepting new home insurance policies in California, citing risks from catastrophes.

Palisades Fire

The Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades area north of Santa Monica has burned through over 23,700 acres and is 11% contained as of Sunday morning, according to Cal Fire.

The cause of the fire, which started on Tuesday morning, is still under investigation.

Over 5,000 structures have been damaged or destroyed. Officials have confirmed that more than 420 homes in Malibu and the Pacific Palisades have been incinerated.

A home burns during the Palisades Fire in Pacific Palisades, California, on January 8, 2025.
A home burns during the Palisades Fire in Pacific Palisades, California, on January 8, 2025.

AGUSTIN PAULLIER/AFP/Getty Images

The wealthy enclave houses many celebrities who have now lost their homes, including Paris Hilton, Billy Crystal, and Milo Ventimiglia.

The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner's Office has reported five deaths related to the Palisades fire so far.

Eaton Fire

The Eaton Fire, which has impacted the Pasadena-Altadena area since it began on Tuesday, has now swept through more than 14,100 acres, according to Cal Fire. The blaze is 27% contained.

Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said more than 7,000 structures were damaged or destroyed during a press conference on Sunday morning.

Firefighters battle the Eaton Fire in strong winds as many homes burn on January 7, 2025 in Pasadena, California
Firefighters battle the Eaton Fire in strong winds as many homes burn on January 7, 2025, in Pasadena, California

David McNew/Getty Images

Eleven deaths have so far been attributed to the Eaton Fire, according to a Los Angeles County Medical Examiner's Office report.

Other fires

While the Palisades and Eaton fires have grown to be the largest in size, additional smaller fires have been reported throughout the region.

The Hurst Fire, impacting the northern part of the San Fernando Valley, started late Tuesday night and has spread to about 800 acres. According to Cal Fire, it is 89% contained. The evacuation order for the area was lifted on Thursday afternoon, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said on Thursday.

The Kenneth Fire, now 100% contained, has covered just over 1,050 acres across Los Angeles and Ventura counties after starting on Thursday, per Cal Fire. The evacuation orders related to the blaze have been lifted.

Further North, the Lidia Fire broke out Wednesday in the Angeles National Forest and burned 395 acres in three days before being 100% contained, Cal Fire reported.

Read the original article on Business Insider

Yesterday β€” 11 January 2025Main stream

Gavin Newsom says Trump may try to withhold disaster aid for California: 'He's been pretty straightforward about that'

11 January 2025 at 11:53
Sunset Boulevard damaged by wildfires.
Sunset Boulevard damaged by wildfires.

Bellocqimages/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images

  • Gov. Newsom has expressed concern that Trump would withhold disaster aid.
  • "He's tried to do it in the past," Newsom said during a recent taping of "Pod Save America."
  • Los Angeles is fighting multiple devastating wildfires.

Gov. Gavin Newsom of California said President-elect Donald Trump may seek to withhold federal disaster aid to California as multiple wildfires rage in and around Los Angeles.

"He's been pretty straightforward about that," Newsom said on the "Pod Save America" podcast, which was posted Saturday morning. "He's tried to do it in the past. He's not just done it here in California."

"He's done it in states all across the country," Newsom continued. "In 2018, even before I was governor of California, he tried to withhold money down in Orange County until apparently a staff member β€”and this has been well reported β€” said there were a lot of Trump supporters. And, then, he decided to change his mind."

Former Trump White House official Mark Harvey told Politico last year that Trump initially declined to authorize disaster aid for California because it leans Democrat but reversed his position after learning that the affected area was in Orange County, which for generations had been a GOP stronghold.

"We went as far as looking up how many votes he got in those impacted areas … to show him these are people who voted for you," Harvey told the outlet ahead of the November 2024 election.

JPMorgan analysts said the blazes tearing through the Los Angeles region could lead to over $20 billion in insured losses β€” and about $50 billion in total economic losses. That would make these conflagrations "significantly more severe" than the Camp Fires that struck the state in 2018 and racked up $10 billion in insured losses, the current record.

During the podcast on Saturday, Newsom also called out Trump for spreading what he called "indelible misinformation." Trump has blamed the governor's water policies for the devastating fires.

"What the president-elect was saying about State Water Project and the Delta smelt somehow being culpable of somehow leading to some of the challenges that we face down here…it's delusional," he said.

Emergency workers fighting the LA fires have reported fire hydrants running dry after unprecedented demand on the water system. Newsom on Friday ordered a probe into the source of the water supply issues.

"I am calling for an independent investigation into the loss of water pressure to local fire hydrants and the reported unavailability of water supplies from the Santa Ynez Reservoir," he wrote in a post on X. "We need answers to ensure this does not happen again and we have every resource available to fight these catastrophic fires."

More than 150,000 residents have been ordered to evacuate their homes and over 38,000 acres have so far burned in the fires. The death toll has risen to 11 as of Saturday, according to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner.

President Joe Biden on Thursday announced that the federal government would cover 100% of the cost of disaster aid for 180 days.

Trump, meanwhile, has been relentless in his criticism of both Newsom and Biden.

"The fires in Los Angeles may go down, in dollar amount, as the worst in the History of our Country," he said in a Truth Social post on Wednesday. "Let this serve, and be emblematic, of the gross incompetence and mismanagement of the Biden/Newscum Duo."

In a statement to Business Insider, Trump spokesperson Steven Cheung said Newsom "should be doing his fucking job and actually help people who continue to suffer under his terrible leadership."

Read the original article on Business Insider

LA County official criticizes GoFundMe for its fees on fire fundraisers: 'We are in a crisis'

11 January 2025 at 11:34
A home burns during the Palisades Fire in Pacific Palisades, California, on January 8, 2025.
A home burns during the Palisades Fire near Los Angeles.

AGUSTIN PAULLIER/AFP/Getty Images

  • A Los Angeles County official criticized GoFundMe, citing a large fee for a donation she made.
  • The official, however, was likely mistaken about the size of the fee.
  • The moment illustrated the heightened emotions among those fighting the fires in Los Angeles County.

A Los Angeles County official publicly criticized GoFundMe on Saturday for charging people high transaction fees for fire-related fundraisers.

The official, however, was likely mistaken about the size of the fee.

It was an emotionally charged moment that brought home the stress β€” and financial pressure β€” facing many residents of Los Angeles County as the fires raged for the fifth consecutive day.

Thousands have lost their homes, and hundreds of thousands have been ordered to evacuate or warned they may need to at any moment.

During a press conference updating the public on the scale of the disaster and what emergency crews and officials were doing to help, Kathryn Barger, a member of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, singled out the crowdfunding platform.

"Let me go off-script for a minute," Barger said. Barger said she intended to donate $500 through GoFundMe to a friend who had "lost everything" in the fires.

"I was shocked to find out that to give $500, they were going to charge me $95," she said. "So, I'm going to be reaching out to the CEO of GoFundMe to find out if, at the very least, they can cut the cost in order to ensure that the money goes directly to the family."

Barger said she understood that GoFundMe is a company and "they deserve to be able to pay for their overhead, but at the same time, we are in a crisis."

"These families are suffering," she said.

Barger did not immediately respond to a request for additional comment, but she was likely mistaken about the size of the fee.

GoFundMe charges 2.9% plus $0.30 for each transaction, which "helps us pay our payment processors and safely deliver funds," the company said in a statement to Business Insider. There is also an option "tip" that users can leave that goes to the platform.

According to the above numbers, a $500 donation would incur less than $15 in required fees.

"The comments made at the press conference were inaccurate," the spokesperson said. "GoFundMe is primarily powered by voluntary tips and relies on these completely optional contributions from donors to maintain our quality customer service, trust and safety protections, and world-class fundraising technology."

GoFundMe has become the default fundraising platform for those suffering from disasters in the United States, as well as elsewhere in the world. When fires tore through Maui in 2023, users donated some $30 million to relief efforts, GoFundMe told Fox Business at the time.

Many of the residents who have lost their homes will be forced to scramble to find new ways to pay for housing and rebuild after insurance companies, since 2022, stopped writing new policies for fire coverage, pulled back coverage, or dropped residents altogether.

In March, State Farm, the state's largest home insurance provider, dropped 72,000 property policies in the state, including 69% of policies in Pacific Palisades. The recent fires hit Pacific Palisades hard, burning thousands of homes, including those of many celebrities.

Read the original article on Business Insider

During the Los Angeles fires, I had minutes to pack my emergency bag. I took the few photos I have of my birth mother.

11 January 2025 at 03:57
side by side of the LA fires near Mindy Stern's house and the bags she packed
The Los Angeles fires crept close to the author's house, prompting her to pack quickly.

Courtesy of Mindy Stern

  • When I saw the Los Angeles fires creep toward my house, I knew I had to pack an emergency bag fast.
  • I grabbed the essentials, but then I remembered I needed to take photos of my birth mother with me.
  • That's when I learned nothing I've ever purchased is as important to me as I thought.

It's amazing what you pack when a fire rages five blocks from the home you've lived in for 24 years and raised your kids in. It's amazing what you decide β€” in those panicked moments β€” is most valuable.

My daughter, 26, lives at home, and her friends, who evacuated from the latest fire in Hollywood, came to stay with us. We live in the flats of the San Fernando Valley. Wildfire danger is rare, and the same goes for floods and mudslides. That's why, 24 years ago, we chose this leafy cul-de-sac.

Like all Angelenos, I've spent the last few days scared and anxious, checking in with friends and watching communities and beloved institutions burn to the ground. I've heard from friends who've lost everything. A lifetime turned to ash.

At least everyone is safe, I kept telling myself. I've been coping as best I can, alternating between watching the news and attempting to dissociate with "Downton Abbey."

But one night this week, my daughter ran into my room and told me to turn on the news. There was a fire just blocks away. We grabbed our coats, ran outside, walked a block, and saw the flames on the nearby hillside. Families emerged from houses and buildings, carrying all they could manage, and rushed to their cars.

"What should we do?" my daughter asked.

I stood nearly catatonic. "I don't know. I just don't know."

We watched the Los Angeles fire department make water drops and watched more neighbors, stricken with fear, run to their cars. We decided to get back home and quickly pack the car.

I first struggled to find what was most valuable to me

I grabbed jewelry, passports, jugs of water, and the emergency earthquake kit my husband insists we keep updated. I packed underwear, toothpaste, and random toiletries as if hyaluronic acid was essential to my survival. My daughter carried bags of dog food and her favorite clothes. I then watched her take a giant plastic bin from the garage.

"What is that?" I asked.

"Pictures," she replied.

Suddenly, everything stopped β€” the noise, the fear, the rushing. Only one thing mattered: finding the photographs of my birth mother.

My birth mother and I never met, but I needed her in this emergency

I was adopted at three months old, and my records were sealed. At 31, after the birth of my daughter, I found my birth mother via a copy of my original birth certificate held in the New York Public Library. She had already died β€” in 1995, one day before my 27th birthday, before I found her, before I could tell I was OK, and before I could tell her that I understood.

After a decadeslong search, I found her husband (not my father), Andrew. In 2022, I met Andrew in Paris. After lunch and wine, he handed me a canvas bag and said, "This is for you."

Slowly, meticulously, I took out photograph after photograph β€” aged and loved β€” and contemplated the face, expression, and fabulous style of my first mother.

When I came home from Paris, I carefully laid out each picture on my hotel bed β€” some more than 40 years old β€” and snapped photos of them with my phone. I knew I needed a digital archive, but nothing could replace holding the images in my hand, touching her in the only way allowed. I then put the bag of photos in a box I kept under my bed.

I took the photos of Gloria with me, not fully knowing how much I valued them

My daughter shouted to me, "Everything I want is in my car!"

I let her know I was almost ready. Frantic to find the pictures of Gloria, I rifled through storage bags, and then I remembered the box. It was right there under the bed β€” below where my head rests each night.

I reached, retrieved it, and opened it. The bag of Gloria's photographs was safely inside. Hurry. I rushed to my car, placed the box beside my go bag, and hugged my daughter. We were ready. We were safe. And my first mother was with me β€” like she always is.

In the end, thanks to brave firefighters and water drops, we didn't need to evacuate. But the lesson of those frenzied moments will stay with me forever. Nothing I've ever purchased is as important to me as I thought.

Read the original article on Business Insider

NBA postpones Saturday's Lakers-Spurs, Clippers-Hornets games in Southern California due to wildfires

11 January 2025 at 00:51

The NBA announced that Saturday's home games for both the Los Angeles Lakers and the Los Angeles Clippers have been postponed amid the wildfires sweeping through Southern California.

The Lakers were scheduled to host the San Antonio Spurs while the Clippers were set to host the Charlotte Hornets.

The league has not yet announced makeup dates for the two games, and the league did not disclose if more games will be affected by the fires, as both teams have home games scheduled for Monday and Wednesday and the Lakers have another home game on Friday. The two teams are also supposed to play each other in Inglewood, California, on Jan. 19, when the Clippers will host.

CLIPPERS' KAWHI LEONARD LEAVES TEAM TO HELP FAMILY DEAL WITH RAGING WILDFIRES: REPORT

"The NBA and the Clippers and Lakers organizations have been in communication with local officials in Los Angeles and Inglewood about the ongoing situation in the Los Angeles area and the game postponements ensure no resources will be diverted from the wildfire response efforts," the league said in a statement.

Some members of both teams are directly dealing with the impacts of the wildfires, including Lakers coach JJ Redick, whose family's rental home in Pacific Palisades burned on Tuesday night, destroying many of their belongings.

"I was not prepared for what I saw," Redick told reporters. "It’s complete devastation and destruction. I had to go a different way to the house, but I went through most of the village, and it’s all gone. I don’t think you can ever prepare yourself for something like that. Our home is gone."

'I WAS NOT PREPARED FOR WHAT I SAW': LAKERS COACH JJ REDDICK DETAILS DEVASTATION FROM PALISADES FIRE

The NBA and the National Basketball Players Association, which is the players' union, announced on Friday a $1 million donation for immediate relief to the American Red Cross, World Central Kitchen and other organizations working to provide assistance to the victims and recovery efforts.

The donation was meant "to support those affected by this disaster," the league said, adding that it is "working with the Lakers and Clippers on ways to support longer term assistance and rebuilding efforts."

The Lakers also had a game previously scheduled for Thursday against the Hornets postponed as well, but it has not yet been rescheduled.

The Lakers are scheduled to host the Spurs again on Monday, when the Clippers are set to host the Miami Heat. On Wednesday, the Lakers are scheduled to host the Heat and the Clippers are scheduled to host the Brooklyn Nets. The Lakers are also slated to host the Nets on Friday.

The Clippers said they anticipate that the games starting Monday will be played as scheduled.

"The health and safety of our community and our fans remains our highest priority," the team said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Before yesterdayMain stream

The most horrific wildfires in recent US history have one key feature in common

10 January 2025 at 18:19
blackened burned street sign reading "terrace dr" in front of a 
 flat grey field of charred ashen rubble under grey smoky skies
A neighborhood ravaged by the Palisades Fire.

AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes

  • The Los Angeles fires share a key feature with wildfires that burned down Lahaina, Hawaii and Paradise, California
  • Powerful winds met flash-dried landscapes full of vegetation to fuel the flames.
  • The climate crisis is increasing the odds of events like these.

The Los Angeles firestorms of the past week share a crucial feature with two of the most horrific wildfires in recent American memory.

The Palisades and Eaton fires may be unprecedented in some ways, but they share a common root cause with the 2018 Camp Fire that killed 85 people in Paradise, California, and the 2023 fire that destroyed Lahaina in Hawaii.

In Paradise, Lahaina, and now Los Angeles, the blazes grew to monster fires because powerful winds met a parched, overgrown landscape.

Scientists expect to see more of that in the future.

under a smoky orange sky palm trees blow in powerful wind with embers flying and fire in some trees leaves
The Palisades Fire ravages a neighborhood amid high winds.

AP Photo/Ethan Swope

"There's definitely a trend that increases this kind of situation," Louis Gritzo, the chief science officer at the commercial property insurance company FM, told Business Insider.

In all three cases, sudden drought had sucked the moisture out of local vegetation, creating abundant kindling for fire to feed on. Then strong winds picked up the embers and carried them into residential areas.

embers fly everywhere streaking across the image of a smoky bright orange landscape with a few trees visible as silhouettes
The wind whips embers as the Palisades Fire burns on the west side of Los Angeles

Ringo Chiu/REUTERS

"When we look at the recent really bad fires β€” the Camp Fire, the fires in Hawaii β€” they all have that thing in common," Gritzo said. "They have a wet period, dry period, heavy winds, very rapid fire spread, a lot of ember transport."

The winds were bad luck, but flash-dried vegetation is happening more often as global temperatures rise.

How the climate crisis creates more fire fuel

In Paradise and Los Angeles, the dry months followed unusually wet seasons that fed an explosion of plant growth.

distant view of an ocean beach in front of brown hillsides dotted with homes and a giant plum of smoke rising in the background
Smoke from Pacific Palisades rises from brown, parched hills above the Pacific Coast Highway.

David Hume Kennerly/Getty Images

Last winter, heavy rains in Southern California led to about double the average amount of grasses and shrubs, according to Daniel Swain, a climate scientist at UCLA.

This winter has not been so generous. The past few months have seen almost no rainfall, shriveling up all those grasses and shrubs.

Swain has coined the term "hydroclimate whiplash" β€” or simply "weather whiplash" β€” for these drastic swings between extreme wet and extreme dry conditions. He has observed it across the planet in recent years, from various regions in the US and Europe to the Middle East and China.

Globally, whiplash has already increased by 33% to 66% since the mid-twentieth century, Swain and his colleagues found in a new paper, published in the journal Nature Reviews Earth & Environment on Thursday.

That's because warmer air holds more moisture. As global temperatures rise, the ceiling on how much water our atmosphere can hold is also rising.

That thirsty atmosphere sucks more moisture out of the ground sometimes and, at other times, dumps more rain. Hence, greater extremes of flood and drought β€” and more wildfire fuel.

window frame covered in flames with a tree burning inside
The Palisades Fire burns a Christmas tree inside a residence in the Pacific Palisades.

AP Photo/Ethan Swope

The effect of the climate crisis on wildfires "has been slow to emerge, but it is very clearly emerging, unfortunately," Gavin Schmidt, the director of NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies, said in a Friday press briefing announcing that 2024 was the hottest year on record.

The scientific organization World Weather Attribution has discovered a clear link between the climate crisis and specific instances of extreme fire weather in Brazil, Chile, Australia, and Canada.

The climate signal is "so large" now that it's clear in the global and continental data, but also "you're seeing it at the local scale, you're seeing it in local weather," Schmidt said.

The transition from wildfire to urban fire

So climate change is seeding fire fuel in forests and grasslands.

However, once wild blazes enter dense residential areas like Lahaina or the Pacific Palisades, they burn wood fences, ornamental yard plants, mulch landscapes, and leaves built up in roof gutters β€” then grow to consume homes.

house under orange smoky haze with small fire burning in shrubby front yard
Yard vegetation burns outside a house in the Pacific Palisades as the Palisades Fire spreads.

David Swanson/AFP/Getty Images

"The natural fuels may be showering us with embers, but what's burning our homes down and forcing us to run and evacuate is human fuels," Pat Durland, a wildfire-mitigation specialist and instructor for the National Fire Protection Association with 30 years of federal wildfire management experience, told Business Insider.

As the climate crisis loads the dice toward extreme wildfires, he says it's important for city governments and residents to manage those urban fuels by reducing them and spacing them apart.

"I think just about anybody could be next under the right circumstances," Durland said. "It depends on the fuel and the climate."

Read the original article on Business Insider

Rose Bowl half-marathon and 5K postponed due to wildfires

10 January 2025 at 18:22

The Rose Bowl half-marathon and 5K scheduled for Jan. 19 has been postponed due to the wildfires in Southern California.

It is the fourth sporting event in the area to be rescheduled because of the fires. Kings and Lakers games were postponed, and Monday night's Vikings-Rams playoff game was moved to Arizona.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone impacted by the ongoing fires in and around the city of Pasadena and the greater Los Angeles area. … The well-being of our participants, volunteers and community is at the heart of every decision we make," the McCourt Foundation, which sponsors the race, said in a statement. 

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

"We also hold deep respect for the emergency personnel and first responders who are working tirelessly to protect our community. We recognize that the postponement may come as a disappointment to some, and we truly appreciate your patience and understanding as we navigate these unforeseen and difficult circumstances.

ESSENTIAL PHONE NUMBERS FOR LOS ANGELES-AREA RESIDENTS AND HOW YOU CAN HELP

"At this time, we are actively working with our partners at the Rose Bowl on rescheduling the Rose Bowl Half Marathon & 5K, and while we do not yet have a new date, we will share updates with participants and the community via email, our website and social media as soon as they become available."

The race has been run since 2019. Runners race the Pasadena area near the legendary stadium before finishing the run on the field.

The fires have burned roughly 30,000 acres, destroyed over 10,000 buildings and claimed at least 10 lives.

Several celebrities, including Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick, have lost their homes.

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

Lakers head coach JJ Redick emotional while opening up on 'awful feeling' of losing home in wildfires

10 January 2025 at 16:09

Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick is one of the thousands in Los Angeles whose home did not survive the wildfires that have ravaged the area this week.

Redick was in Dallas for a game when he learned of the fires and that his family had evacuated.

Speaking with the media Friday, a day after a Lakers game at Crypto.com Arena was postponed, he opened up about his experience returning to Palisades and what he saw.

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"I'm good. My wife got out really early. She was actually on the other side and came outside, saw the fire, was with some people, and were headed to the airport. … Got the kids from school. They're safe. All that mattered," he said.

ESSENTIAL PHONE NUMBERS FOR LOS ANGELES-AREA RESIDENTS AND HOW YOU CAN HELP

"Went to the hotel, woke up at 7, headed up to Palisades. I had to see it for myself. I was not prepared for what I saw. It's complete devastation and destruction. I had to go a different way to the house but went through most of the village, and it's all gone. I don't think you can ever prepare yourself for something like that."

WARRIORS' STEVE KERR SAYS CHILDHOOD HOME BURNED DOWN IN CALIFORNIA WILDFIRES: 'IT'S SURREAL AND DEVASTATING'

Redick's home was destroyed Thursday.

"We were renting for the year to try to figure out where to be long-term, and everything we own that was of importance to us β€” almost 20 years of being together and 10 years of parenting β€” was in that house," an emotional Redick said. "There's certain things you can't replace. They'll never be replaced.

"The material stuff is whatever. My family and I, we're processing the self side, the individual side of losing your home. You don't ever want to wish that on anybody. It's an awful feeling to lose your home. … Not sure I've wept or wailed like that in several years.

Monday night's Vikings-Rams NFL playoff game was moved from Inglewood to Arizona because of the fires that have claimed at least 10 lives, destroyed over 10,000 buildings and burned roughly 30,000 acres. 

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Cardinals send team planes to evacuate Rams' players, families and pets from wildfires: report

10 January 2025 at 15:43

The Arizona Cardinals are reportedly embarking on a mission to rescue their division rivals from the California wildfires

The franchise is sending two of its team planes to Los Angeles to evacuate LA Rams players, their families, team staffers and pets and fly them to Arizona, according to ESPN. 

Six dogs and two cats will join the human passengers. 

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The Cardinals are also offering their home field, State Farm Stadium, to the Rams for their playoff game against the Minnesota Vikings as fires continue to ravage Southern California. The Rams will also be using the Cardinals’ training complex in Tempe. 

The Rams considered staying another night, but Tony Pastoors, the Rams' VP of football & business administration, said "hope is not a strategy," according to the team

The NFL announced Thursday that the game will be moved to Arizona.

CALIFORNIA WILDFIRE FORCES MOTHER OF WARRIORS HEAD COACH TO EVACUATE: 'JUST TERRIFYING'

Several wildfires, including the Palisades Fire and Eaton Fire, have devastated communities in the Los Angeles area, including Pacific Palisades and Altadena. The fires have burned nearly 30,000 acres during a Santa Ana wind event, with at least 130,000 people in the area under evacuation orders. 

At least five people have been killed in the fires, and more than 1,000 buildings have been destroyed.

ESSENTIAL PHONE NUMBERS FOR LOS ANGELES-AREA RESIDENTS AND HOW YOU CAN HELP

The Rams-Vikings game was moved "in the interest of public safety," the NFL said in a statement. "The decision was made in consultation with public officials, the participating clubs and the NFLPA."

The game kicks off at 8 p.m. ET Monday. 

The Rams had a scheduled day off Wednesday. The Los Angeles Chargers, who share SoFi Stadium and head to Houston for a wild-card game Saturday, limited players’ time outside during practice due to poor air quality. 

State Farm Stadium has played a similar role in the past. During the COVID season in 2020, the 49ers played three "home" games there. Prior to that, the Miami Dolphins and San Diego Chargers played in Tempe, Arizona, at Sun Devil Stadium Oct. 27, 2003, due to wildfires in San Diego. 

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Los Angeles chefs are rallying to keep the city fed, even while evacuating their own homes

10 January 2025 at 13:54
Yeastie Boy Bagels trucks at an LA evacuation site.
Los Angeles chefs and restaurants are rallying to feed the city and its first responders amid the devastating wildfires.

Evan Fox

  • The Los Angeles wildfires have devastated the city over the last week.
  • Local spots like Yeastie Boys Bagels and Sunday Gravy are working to feed evacuees and first responders.
  • Pizza spots, including LaSorted's and Jon & Vinny's, are also sending free pies to firefighters.

On the second day of the Los Angeles fires, in a hotel restaurant filled with evacuees, bartender Jeff Braga watched as a child went up to his father seeking advice. They wanted to console a friend who had just lost their house.

"Dad, what do I say to him?" the child asked.

It's a question that just about everyone in LA has asked themselves as the wildfires β€” which have killed at least 10 people and burned over 35,000 acres β€” continue to rage.

For the chefs, owners, and service workers in the city's sprawling restaurant industry, the answer to how to help was immediate β€” they needed to feed people, even amid their own evacuations.

A fire unlike any other

Flames from the Palisades Fire burn homes on January 7, 2025 in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, California
Flames burn homes on January 7 in Los Angeles' Pacific Palisades neighborhood.

Eric Thayer/Getty Images

Many of the chefs who spoke to Business Insider recalled seeing the Palisades fire first break out on Tuesday morning.

"We have a clear view of the Palisades from our patio, so we saw the fire grow from a little cloud to a spread of darkness over the whole bay," said Calin Senciac, the owner of Papille Gustative in Santa Monica. "From the beginning, we were very concerned."

"The winds were crazy, and we started to see the smoke plumes up in the Palisades, and I was like, 'Wow, I hope that doesn't turn into something bigger,'" recalled Sol Bashirian, who co-owns Sunday Gravy with his sister in Inglewood. "I never would've imagined it could lead to this much devastation."

As new blazes ignited in Pasadena and the Hollywood Hills, Tommy Brockert of LaSorted's Pizza fled with his 3-month-old baby to his sister's house. Evan Fox, the owner of Yeastie Boys Bagels, grabbed just his passport and bar mitzvah photo album before getting out.

Then, it was time to figure out how they could help.

"I didn't know what I could do, but the least I could do is offer a pizza," Brockert said. "It was important to step up and say, 'We're here for you.'"

Rallying through food

First responders receive food from Jon & Vinny's
Jon & Vinny's has been donating food to first responders.

Courtesy of Jon & Vinny's

As the fires raged on Wednesday, Fox decided to send his bagels to anyone in need. The Yeastie Boys Bagels trucks went to evacuation centers throughout the city, and they're now coordinating their efforts with the World Central Kitchen to feed hundreds of people daily.

Local businesses are also finding small ways to help their neighbors. Senciac is keeping his doors open and baking huge batches of fresh cookies to offer milk and baked goods to anyone who drops by.

"It's a comfort food that makes people happy and brings a smile to their face," Senciac told BI.

Bashirian of Sunday Gravy has offered free family meals β€” spaghetti, garlic bread, and salad β€” to hospital workers and anyone in need.

On Wednesday, Rob Noyola began serving free bowls of chicken noodle or vegan lentil soup at Oy Bar, his restaurant in LA's Studio City neighborhood. Now, with more staff on hand, Noyola told BI the restaurant is offering free burgers, sandwiches, and fries for evacuees and first responders, "no questions asked."

Okay Inak runs Sora Craft Kitchen in downtown LA on his own, but the lack of staff didn't stop him from springing into action to make free grilled chicken bowls. And Gigi Ganieva and Azim Rahmatov, who opened Zira Uzbek Kitchen less than two months ago, have switched gears to feed first responders.

A slice of comfort

Caroline D'Amore of Pizza Girl Venice with first responders.
Caroline D'Amore of Pizza Girl Venice with first responders.

Courtesy of Pizza Girl

Several LA pizza restaurants have also been working around the clock to deliver free pies to first responders in any way they can.

"Our first thought was we want to feed the firefighters and frontline workers. We want to keep the people fighting for our city fueled up; that's what we do," Daniel Holzman, the chef and owner of Danny Boy's Pizza, told BI.

Holzman and Brockert of LaSorted's Pizza have sent free pizzas to fire stations, relying on volunteers to deliver the pies. Brockert has also added a link on LaSorted's delivery site that allows people to buy a $25 pie for first responders.

Caroline D'Amore, the owner of Pizza Girl Venice, has been delivering pizzas and drinks to first responders on the Pacific Coast Highway after having to evacuate her home with her husband and three children.

Meanwhile, Jon & Vinny's has been delivering food from its five LA locations to the main command posts for first responders near the Eaton and Palisades fires. A spokesperson told BI that Jon & Vinny's is also helping collect and deliver free food from other LA restaurants.

'You realize how fragile life is'

Jon & Vinny's delivery to LA fire station
A Jon & Vinny's delivery to an LA fire station.

Courtesy of Jon & Vinny's

Restaurants that remained open during the fires have become safe havens for those who have evacuated, lost their home, or taken in displaced friends and relatives.

"I was serving people that were just devastated," said Braga, a bartender at The Surfing Fox. "It was really heavy but also really nice to see this community band together."

"It's solemn. You can see it on their faces β€” they look tired and exhausted. They look like they've been through the most traumatic thing of their life," Bashirian said.

But through the tragedy, there has also been overwhelming support. Fox, of Yeastie Boys, told BI that amateur chefs have been reaching out to offer help, while Bashirian has raised close to $15,000 to help fund Sunday Gravy's family meals.

Celia Ward-Wallace, the cofounder and CEO of South LA Cafe, said the organization had a "huge influx of volunteers" to help deliver fresh groceries to those in need.

The dust has yet to settle, and the chefs who spoke to BI said they're just beginning their efforts to help the community. But they hope to shine a light on how devastated the city is.

"People are jaded and think LA is glitz and glamour, but it's real people, as real as anywhere else in this country," Bashirian said. "They could use as much help as possible."

"Moments like this, you just realize how fragile life is," Brockert said. "In my 42 years in Los Angeles, I have never experienced this. But people from here are salt of the earth, hardworking, good everyday American people, and we come together and take care of each other."

Read the original article on Business Insider

See the US military's special C-130 Hercules water bombers that are joining the LA wildfire fight

10 January 2025 at 13:38
A Modular Airborne Fire Fighting Systems (MAFFS) equipped C-130 aircraft drops retardant on wildfires in Healdsburg, California.
A Modular Airborne Fire Fighting Systems (MAFFS) equipped C-130 aircraft drops fire retardant on wildfires in Healdsburg, California.

Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

  • The Pentagon deployed modified C-130 aircraft to aid in the fight against the Los Angeles wildfires.
  • The wildfires spread rapidly due to strong winds and dry conditions, scorching over 30,000 acres.
  • The C-130s can waterbomb wildfires with nearly 14 tons of fire retardant in less than five seconds.

The Department of Defense deployed modified C-130 aircraft and Navy helicopters to support efforts to contain the destructive wildfires burning in Los Angeles.

A wildfire started in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles on Tuesday and began to spread rapidly as strong offshore winds fanned the flames, setting over 30,000 acres ablaze and ruining neighborhoods in scenes reminiscent of war zones.

The C-130s are fitted with a firefighting unit that can drop thousands of gallons of water or fire retardant to suppress the blaze.

Most destructive wildfires on record
A pilot looks out at wildfires below from the cockpit of an MAFFS-equipped C-130.
A pilot looks out at wildfires below from the cockpit of an MAFFS-equipped C-130.

US Air Force photo/Lt. Col. Frank Wilde

At least 10 people have died and 10,000 properties have been damaged in the fires, and officials expect figures to grow as firefighters and first responders struggle to contain the flames.

The Santa Ana winds annually threaten to stoke the flames during California's wildfire season, but extreme drought combined with the powerful offshore winds catalyzed the record-breaking wildfires that continue to burn through Southern California.

Since California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in Los Angeles County, tens of thousands of residents have been impacted by evacuation orders.

Containing the blaze
A stream of fire retardant descends from an Air National Guard C-130 above a line of trees.
A stream of fire retardant descends from an Air National Guard C-130 above a line of trees.

Senior Master Sgt. Paula Macomber

More than 600 personnel, 10 rotary-wing aircraft, and two C-130 Hercules aircraft from the California National Guard were deployed to battle the blaze.

The Biden administration ordered the Pentagon to send eight MAFFS-equipped C-130s from Nevada, Wyoming, and Colorado to support firefighting efforts in Los Angeles. Some were expected to start fire-suppression flights on Friday.

Hazardous weather conditions prevented the DoD from getting the planes in the air earlier and from sending additional assets to respond to the massive fires.

"We can surge assets, and the president has directed this department to bolster whatever California needs, but we have to work with California," Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh said during a press conference Wednesday, "and right now, we can't even get assets up in the air because the fires are so bad and the winds are so bad."

"Until we can get more assets in the air, there's only so much we can provide," she continued. "So we're going to be standing by to support in every single way that we can."

In the meantime, the Defense Department is also sending 10 Navy helicopters with water delivery buckets for immediate aerial suppression, in addition to two firefighting teams and four military police groups on the ground.

From cargo plane to firefighting aircraft
An Air National Guard C-130 flys amid plums of smoke after dropping fire retardant on wildfires below.
An Air National Guard C-130 flies amid plums of smoke after dropping fire retardant on wildfires below.

Senior Master Sgt. Paula Macomber

The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is a versatile workhorse plane with a spacious cargo hold that can be equipped for a wide range of operations.

When deployed as a firefighting aircraft, the C-130 can be equipped with a Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System (MAFFS) unit to support other air tankers in aerial suppression.

The MAFFS units can be filled with water or a fire retardant called "slurry," which is mostly made of water with the addition of ammonium sulfate, a jelling agent, and red coloring to make it visible to pilots when dropped.

The US military has eight MAFFs units ready for use nationwide, operated by National Guardsmen stationed in California, Nevada, Wyoming, and Colorado.

The MAFFS Program was launched by Congress in the 1970s after a massive wildfire in Long Beach, California, overwhelmed the responding civilian air tanker fleet and destroyed hundreds of homes.

Waterbombing process
An aircraft loadmaster directs an MAFFS loading trailer into the hold of a C-130 Hercules.
An aircraft loadmaster directs an MAFFS loading trailer into the hold of a C-130 Hercules.

US Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Frank Casciotta

The unit can fit inside the cargo hold with no structural modification to allow for quick loading on short notice, taking about four hours or less for a crew of five to set up, fill, and load the 11,000-pound unit.

The C-130 drops its contents through a discharge tube installed on the rear left side of the C-130 and through the open cargo bay door, releasing 3,000 gallons in less than five seconds and covering an area over 1,300 feet long and 100 feet wide.

Because the fire retardant slurry is released in a mist, it doesn't cause damage to buildings and structures while acting as a fertilizer, but it can be harmful to the environment and local wildlife if used in excess.

The unit can be refilled and airborne again in under 20 minutes.

Read the original article on Business Insider

The little-known way some insurers try to stay ahead of wildfires

10 January 2025 at 08:56
Home and trees on fire in Los Angeles
Insurers hire companies like Wildfire Defense Systems to protect structures before a blaze occurs.

JOSH EDELSON/AFP via Getty Images

  • Insurance companies hire private businesses to proactively protect properties from wildfires.
  • The CEO of one company told BI its strategies include using fire-blocking gel and cleaning gutters.
  • He said companies like his can help solve the insurance crisis, as they focus only on economic loss.

Insurance companies are hiring private firms to protect customer properties before wildfires roll in by taking measures such as applying protective gels and removing combustibles to try to fire-proof structures.

David Torgerson is the CEO of Wildfire Defense Systems, a private company that contracts with insurance carriers to protect homes and businesses from fires like those ripping through Southern California. He said that Wildfire Defense Systems works exclusively with insurers, partnering with dozens of carriers across 22 states to protect structures.

"We are typically working hours in advance, or days in advance of the fire passing over a property, and we call that the presuppression," he told Business Insider. "We're preparing the property to survive the amount of time that the fire is in proximity to the structure, and then we quickly come back in after the fire is passed to secure the property."

He said that his employees β€” who, unlike first responders, are not focused on saving lives or containing the blaze β€” are "actively working" to help battle the fires in Southern California.

In addition to applying fire-blocking gels and getting rid of flammable materials, Wildfire Defense System's strategies include cleaning gutters and operating sprinkler systems, a company fact sheet says. The famed Getty Villa has so far survived this week's blaze in part because of similar fire-mitigation efforts.

Once a fire passes through a neighborhood, company personnel will return to insured homes to put out any simmering spot fires and assess other risks, Torgerson said. By law, his company can only protect homes covered by insurance policies that include its services, he said.

In recent years, insurance companies have cut back on coverage in California, largely because of wildfire risk. In 2023, State Farm said it was no longer accepting new homeowner insurance applications in the state. It also ended coverage for 72,000 homes and apartments last year, including some in the upscale Pacific Palisades neighborhood devastated by the most recent blazes.

Preliminary estimates have put insured losses at more than $20 billion, a record high for California. Real estate and insurance experts previously told BI that the current wildfires will likely exacerbate the state's insurance crisis.

Torgerson said that qualified insurance resources like his are part of the solution to coverage woes because they mainly try to mitigate the economic cost of a fire.

"Our job really is to help policyholders and insurance carriers keep insurance available in the marketplace," he said. "If wildfires are going to get steadily more intense and more frequent, the scale of our operations have increased."

With some of the nation's wealthiest ZIP codes on fire β€” in Pacific Palisades, for example, the average home price is $4.5 million, per Realtor.com β€” controversy has erupted around who has access to fire safety resources. When a Los Angeles-based investor and self-described entrepreneur posted a request on his X account to hire private firefighters for his home, many responded with outrage in the comments. The user, Keith Wasserman, has since suspended his X account.

Torgerson told BI that his services are very different from private firefighters, who he said comprise a tiny sliver of the market. Wildfire Defense Systems does not have contact with individual homeowners and protects properties based on risk, not home value. He also said his employees meet all the training requirements of the National Wildlife Coordinating Group and are members of the firefighters union.

"It only really comes up when the fires are occurring in Southern California, the LA basin," he said of private firefighters, who he said are not subject to the same training. Torgerson said his services are part of standard insurance policies with the affiliated companies, though he declined to disclose which insurers use his services.

In 2021, State Farm said in a press release that it was partnering with Wildfire Defense Systems and the service would be added to all non-tenant homeowner policies in California, Arizona, and Washington. Chubb also partners with Wildfire Defense Systems in California and other states, according to its website, and says that policyholders can opt to enroll in the protective services.

Representatives from State Farm and Chubb did not respond to a request for comment from BI.

Read the original article on Business Insider

Why some fire hydrants in LA had no water to fight the fires

12 January 2025 at 07:45
A fire hydrant burns during the Eaton fire in Los Angeles County, California, on January 8, 2025.
A fire hydrant burns in the Eaton fire in Los Angeles on January 8.

JOSH EDELSON / AFP

  • Some fire hydrants ran dry in LA due to enormous water demand and infrastructure problems.
  • President-elect Trump wrongly blamed a separate debate over water from northern California.
  • Here's what you need to know about the water supply problems in Los Angeles.

Some fire hydrants in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles ran dry this week after the wildfires overwhelmed the local water system.

The problem unleashed a flurry of criticism, including from President-elect Donald Trump. He accused California Gov. Gavin Newsom of refusing to sign a "water restoration declaration" that would have allowed water from northern California to flow into the areas burning in Los Angeles.

"He wanted to protect an essentially worthless fish called a smelt, by giving it less water (it didn't work!), but didn't care about the people of California," Trump wrote on January 8 on his social media platform.

But the reasons the water ran out were about local infrastructure, California officials and water policy experts told Business Insider. They also refuted the existence of a "water restoration declaration" and said Trump used the delta smelt as a scapegoat for a separate β€” and much more complex β€” debate over water allocations from a watershed in northern California.

A spokesperson for Newsom called Trump's claims "pure fiction," and accused Trump of politicizing the disaster. A spokesperson for Trump's transition team pointed to a plan his administration developed in 2019 directing water to the Central Valley and Southern California. But a Newsom spokesperson and California water policy experts said that plan is unrelated to water in fire hydrants in Los Angeles.

Newsom on Friday ordered an investigation into the cause of lost water supply and pressure in municipal systems. The order followed a report by the Los Angeles Times that a large reservoir in Pacific Palisades was empty and out of service as flames engulfed entire neighborhoods. The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power said it took the Santa Ynez Reservoir offline in February for repairs to meet safe drinking water regulations.

How water from the reservoir might have helped firefighters tame the blazes remains unclear.

Fire hydrants ran dry because of infrastructure

Janisse QuiΓ±ones, head of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, said urban water systems aren't designed to supply enough water to fight wildfires.

"We had crews trying to mitigate this, and they had to evacuate," QuiΓ±ones said during a January 8 press conference. "We're fighting a wildfire with urban water systems, and that is really challenging."

QuiΓ±ones said water demand was four times higher than usual for 15 hours straight as firefighters rushed to put out the flames. That depleted three 1 million gallon water tanks in Pacific Palisades between the afternoon of January 7 and early morning of January 8.

"Those tanks help with the pressure on the fire hydrants and the hills of Palisades," QuiΓ±ones said during a press conference. She explained that without enough pressure in the system, more water couldn't be pumped uphill into the tanks from a network of underground pipes and aqueducts, leaving hydrants dry. Officials couldn't refill the tanks fast enough as flames engulfed entire neighborhoods.

Jeffrey Mount, a senior fellow at the Public Policy Institute of California Water Policy Center, a nonpartisan think tank that tracks water use and storage data in California, characterized the water supply problems as an "infrastructure bottleneck."

"Water flows from the reservoirs into this very complicated network of pipes, pumps, and tanks that stretch all over LA. It's really like an electrical grid," Mount said. "Before the fire, the system was full, but then was drained."

However, the Santa Ynez Reservoir β€” which holds 117 million gallons of water β€” was empty. Had the reservoir been operable, water pressure in the Palisades would have lasted longer, Martin Adams, the former general manager of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, told the Los Angeles Times. He added that while it would have helped, it wouldn't have saved the day.

Newsom on January 8 said up to 140 additional water tender truckers were deployed to assist in fighting the Eaton and Palisades fires.

At a January 9 briefing, LA Mayor Karen Bass said fire hydrants aren't constructed to handle such massive devastation. The water shortage was compounded by the fact that planes couldn't perform water drops from the air because of the high-speed Santa Ana winds.

"That was the reason that the devastation was so bad," Bass said. "The unprecedented wind, the strength of the wind, and the fact that the air support could not go."

There isn't a water shortage in southern California

Trump accused Newsom of causing a water shortage around LA. But southern California has plenty of water, despite the issues with fire hydrants, sources told BI.

Most reservoirs in southern California are full, Mount said. As of January 10 the Castaic Lake reservoir β€” the largest State Water Project reservoir in Southern California β€” was at 77% of its total capacity, per the California Department of Water Resources.

Mount said this was due to two years of record rainfall and snowpack in the northern Sierra Nevada mountain range, which feeds many reservoirs that serve southern Californians.

Mike McNutt, a spokesman for the Las Virgenes Municipal Water District that serves 75,000 people in northwest LA β€” including in Palisades β€” told CalMatters on January 8 that the water supply was "looking pretty solid."

What does the delta smelt have to do with this?

A spokesperson for Newsom said Trump "conflated two entirely unrelated things: the conveyance of water to Southern California and supply from local storage." The spokesperson added that there was no "water restoration declaration."

Mount agreed, as did Mark Gold, the Natural Resources Defense Council's water scarcity director and a board member of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California.

"There is no connection between the delta smelt and the water challenges of fighting a fire in Southern California," Mount said.

Mount said Trump may have been referring to a separate debate over how to allocate water exported from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta β€” where water in northern California flows into the San Francisco Bay β€” to both agriculture and urban areas in the southern half of the state, including Los Angeles.

In December, the Biden administration and California officials finalized a plan that aimed to strike a balance among farmers, urban residents, and depleted fish populations including the delta smelt, CalMatters reported. The new regulations replaced those finalized during Trump's first term, which were litigated by Newsom's administration over concerns that the delta smelt, salmon, and steelhead trout would be pushed to extinction.

While Los Angeles does import water from the Bay Delta through the State Water Project, Gold reiterated there are no shortages in southern California.

The region also gets water from the eastern Sierra Nevada through the Los Angeles Aqueduct, the Colorado River, and groundwater.

"The scapegoat for Trump has been the delta smelt because it's not exactly charismatic megafauna," Gold said, noting that endangered and threatened salmon, trout, and other fish are at risk.

January 12, 2024: This story has been updated to reflect the news that the Santa Ynez Reservoir has been offline since February last year, though it's unclear what effect that had on firefighting efforts.

Were you impacted by the Los Angeles fires and want to share your story? Email this reporter: Catherine Boudreau cboudreau@businessinsider.com

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A drone collided with one of the only Super Scooper planes fighting the LA wildfires, grounding a key resource

10 January 2025 at 08:44
A plane drops water on part of the Los Angeles wildfires in January 2025.
A Super Scooper drops ocean water on part of the Palisades fire in the Los Angeles area on Tuesday.

Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

  • A Super Scooper firefighting plane was grounded after hitting a drone in the skies over LA.
  • It's one of only two Super Scooper planes helping fight the wildfires ravaging the area.
  • The FAA has placed flight restrictions over much of LA's airspace since Thursday afternoon.

One of only two Super Scooper planes helping to fight the Los Angeles wildfires has been taken out of action after it collided with a drone on Thursday.

In a statement, the Federal Aviation Administration said that the aircraft landed safely, but LA County's fire chief, Anthony Marrone, said it was damaged in the encounter.

"A small drone hit the wing of our CL-415 Super Scooper aircraft" at the Palisades Fire, Marrone said at a press conference Friday.

"The pilots were unaware that they hit the drone until they landed," he said. Maintenance workers spotted a "fist-sized hole in the leading edge of the wing," Marrone said.

The LA Times had earlier reported the grounding, citing its own interview with Marrone.

The aircraft, named the Quebec 1, struck the drone at about 1 p.m. Thursday, according to the LA County Fire Department.

Marrone said at the press event that the plane was getting urgent repairs and ought to be flying again by Monday.

Fire services have been operating two Canadair CL-415 firefighting aircraft, known as Super Scoopers, as well as several other aircraft, to combat the massive wildfires ravaging Southern California.

The planes are fitted with tanks that skim large bodies of water to "scoop" water up and then drop it on fires from above.

california wildfire
A Canadair CL-415 Super Scooper firefighting plane dropping water on a California fire in 2014.

REUTERS/Jonathan Alcorn

"Flying a drone near a wildfire is dangerous and can cost lives," the FAA said in its statement, adding that it's a federal crime to interfere with firefighting efforts on public lands, punishable by up to a year in prison.

There's also a civil penalty of up to $75,000 for drone operators who interfere with emergency and wildfire responders during temporary flight restrictions, it said.

Marrone echoed that warning Friday, saying that flying a drone near the fire is "not only dangerous, it's illegal."

He said that if more drones are spotted, firefighters would have to ground their flights again, hampering their work.

At 4:18 p.m. local time on Thursday, the FAA issued the first of three Notice to Airmen flight-operating restrictions over large areas above the fires to allow firefighting aircraft to operate.

The FAA statement said: "When people fly drones near wildfires, fire response agencies often ground their aircraft to avoid the potential for a midair collision.

"Delaying airborne response poses a threat to firefighters on the ground, residents, and property in nearby communities, and it can allow wildfires to grow larger."

A home burns during the Palisades Fire in Pacific Palisades, California, on January 8, 2025.
A house burning during the Palisades fire on Wednesday.

AGUSTIN PAULLIER/AFP/Getty Images

Chris Thomas, a California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection spokesperson, told the military-news site The War Zone that the damaged Super Scooper was one of only two in Cal Fire's arsenal.

He added that other aircraft fighting the blazes had been temporarily grounded as well.

"This is creating a huge danger," Thomas added. "This is an unprecedented fire. When we ground all aircraft, it could be anywhere from 15 minutes to half an hour. You know how far a fire can spread in half an hour."

As of Friday, almost 36,000 acres were burning, according to official figures.

The drone operator has not been identified, but there has been speculation online, with many social media users pointing to photography accounts that have posted aerial images of the fires.

Marrone warned that federal officials were monitoring the area and had the ability to identify who was flying drones.

Consumer drones hit the headlines last month after a spate of drone sightings over the East Coast raised public anxiety, even after the White House and Pentagon said the drones didn't pose a threat.

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Hollywood was already struggling. The LA fires make it worse.

10 January 2025 at 13:24
Sunset Boulevard damaged by wildfires.
Sunset Boulevard was damaged by the wildfires that have devastated parts of Los Angeles.

Bellocqimages/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images

  • Fires in Los Angeles threaten to hamper the entertainment industry's recovery.
  • LA's share of film and TV jobs has declined, and some residents are thinking anew about leaving.
  • One producer and director said he felt he could improve his financial situation by leaving LA.

The fires tearing through Los Angeles are a new threat to an entertainment industry that has been trying to rebound from a studio spending slowdown and twin labor strikes.

"Survive till '25" was the mantra in Hollywood for much of 2024. Now, some in the entertainment industry are wondering whether they should stick around.

"If there's no longer a need to be in LA, the question arises: Do I stay here?" asked Adam Wood, a producer and director in North Hollywood. He said the shift during COVID to remote work had made it easier to build an entertainment career outside LA. Wood hasn't had to evacuate yet, but he helped a friend leave and is monitoring conditions.

"I could improve my lot financially by not being here," he said. "LA is the spiritual home of the industry, but at the same time, it's not loving me back."

Like many in entertainment, Wood works on a freelance basis. While he feels tied to the entertainment mecca, he said he's also counting the days of work lost to the fire.

Adam Wood, producer/director
The producer and director Adam Wood.

Adam Wood

Productions and premieres have largely been paused

The fires, which had killed at least 10 people as of Thursday night, paused production on shows including Amazon's "Fallout" and CBS Studios' "NCIS," while studios from Paramount to Universal canceled premieres.

Stars including Paris Hilton and Billy Crystal have lost their homes in the tony Pacific Palisades neighborhood, which is favored for its proximity to the studios. Countless others have lost or fled their homes, with thousands of structures reported destroyed.

FilmLA, the city's film permitting office, issued a statement Thursday warning that permits in or near evacuation zones could be canceled, while new applications to film in or near these areas would be denied.

It previously said the Los Angeles County Fire Department had ordered film permits to be revoked for the communities of Altadena, La Crescenta, La Canada/Flintridge, and Unincorporated Pasadena.

Hollywood was already hurting before the fires

Before the fires, the entertainment spending slowdown had already hit the industry's biggest market hard.

Los Angeles has also been hobbled by an exodus of productions and workers to other entertainment hubs in lower-cost places like Atlanta and Miami. Greater Los Angeles' share of US-produced TV and film projects declined from 23% in 2021 to 18% in 2023, according to FilmLA.

LA accounted for 22% of US film and TV jobs in August, down from 33% two years earlier, according to an analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics figures by Patrick Adler and Taner Osman of Westwood Economics & Planning Associates.

Despite the downturn, the producer Adam Fratto said he had been feeling pretty good about the state of the industry before the fires started.

"I was taking some projects out, and who knows if they're going to sell, but the fact that TV folks were open to pitches, that's good," he said. "Before a couple days ago, I felt a little upbeat about 2025."

While it's still early to say how far the destruction could spread, Fratto said he expected the fires to cause some people to reassess their commitment to the area and industry.

"I think there will be folks who just decide to take their chips off the table and do something else or relocate," he said.

Still, Adler, the economic researcher, said he doubted LA would lose its position at the top of the entertainment industry.

"In the likes of film, television, content creation, and video games, LA has been the place where major decisions have been made, where talented people collaborate, and where deals get done," he said. "This has remained true as the city has persevered through multiple earthquakes and riots, not to mention periodic industry downturns."

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Photos from the LA fires show how houses catch on fire — and how homeowners can protect their property

9 January 2025 at 15:52
a home engulfed in fire with bright orange and yellow flames shooting out of the windows and covering the roof
A home is engulfed in flames during the Eaton fire in the Altadena area of Los Angeles County.

Josh Edelson/AFP

  • The Los Angeles firestorms show how quickly wildfires can turn into urban fires.
  • Flying embers, not direct flames, often ignite homes first.
  • Homeowners can mitigate fire risk by maintaining a clear perimeter around their properties.

The firestorms razing Los Angeles show how quickly wildfires can turn into devastating urban conflagrations.

Two fire management experts say there's a common misunderstanding about how homes ignite under these conditions. Understanding how a brush fire becomes urban can help homeowners prepare their properties for future fires.

Take a look at the below photo. Not all the homes on this block are up in flames yet, and blazes in the distance appear to be spaced apart.

dark block with a one-story home up in a flames and more fires visible in the distance
Strong winds blow embers as the Palisades Fire burns homes on January 8.

Apu Gomes/Getty Images

"These are scattered ignitions. It's not this wave of destruction," Jack Cohen, a former fire research scientist at the US Forest Service, told Business Insider.

Cohen isn't in Los Angeles, but he studied wildland-urban fires for more than 30 years, both in the lab and in the field. The magnitude of the LA fires is unprecedented, he said, but the process by which they burned down homes probably is not.

It's not a wall of flame or radiative heat from a wildfire that overtakes neighborhoods, he said. Often it's flying embers landing in flammable spots on and around homes.

embers fly around a small white church with flames in the background at night
Embers fly around the Pacific Palisades Presbyterian Church during the Palisades Fire.

Apu Gomes/Getty Images

These "spot ignitions" are like kindling. Embers accumulate on roofs or in yards. Soon ornamental plants, leaf-filled gutters, firewood piles, or deck chairs are up in flames.

house under orange smoky haze with small fire burning in shrubby front yard
Yard vegetation burns outside a house in the Pacific Palisades as the Palisades Fire spreads.

David Swanson/AFP/Getty Images

If those little fires are close enough to the house, the flames can start to overtake the building.

A person uses a garden hose to extinguish flames in front of a home as palm trees burn nearby
A person uses a garden hose to extinguish flames in front of a home as palm trees burn nearby during the Palisades Fire.

Mario Tama/Getty Images

How homeowners can reduce future fire risk

Homeowners can help prevent future fires from spreading to their homes by maintaining a five-foot perimeter of no flammable materials β€” no mulch, no ornamental plants, no layers of fallen pine needles, and no piles of wood.

Even better is a 30-foot perimeter that's "lean, clean and green," according to FEMA. If you have that much space around your house, keeping it clear of dead branches and keeping trees and bushes well-spaced can help.

tesla parked in the driveway of a standing house next to a burning house
The Palisades Fire burns a structure in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles.

AP Photo/Etienne Laurent

"You are where the rubber meets the road. The things you do on your house and around your house are going to make the difference," Pat Durland, a wildfire-mitigation specialist and instructor for the National Fire Protection Association with 30 years of federal wildfire management experience, told Business Insider.

With the proper perimeter, Cohen said, even homes caught in conflagrations like the Palisades and Eaton fires could survive.

However, photos from the aftermath so far in the Palisades don't seem to show surviving houses unique amid burned blocks.

two chimneys and a brick patio sit among ashen rubble and charred trees under an orange smoky sky
The remains of a destroyed home, lost in the Palisades Fire.

Jay L. Clendenin/Getty Images

Cohen noted that trees are still standing in some of those areas, which is visible in live news coverage, showing the fires didn't move through neighborhoods like a wall of flames.

Because embers can travel far, spot ignitions can crop up in various, seemingly random locations throughout a wildfire-adjacent neighborhood. Suddenly a house is on fire here, and another one over there.

Then the houses spread the fire to each other.

Sometimes that happens when a burning house's roof collapses, Cohen said, which sends a convective column up into the wind, which can then push flames into other houses.

Alternatively, the wind can loft burning material from a house and carry it to other homes, igniting new fires.

The extreme winds that have buffeted LA this week spread those embers and bits of burning debris far and wide.

Some houses are close enough to their neighbors that, if the next house has flammable siding β€” made of wood, perhaps β€” the mounting flames can quickly overtake it.

firefighter spraying window full of flames on the side of a burning house
A firefighter works from a deck as the Palisades Fire burns a beachfront property in Malibu.

AP Photo/Etienne Laurent

Even when houses are close together, building with non-flammable materials can help.

Once houses are up in flames in a place like the Palisades, Cohen and Durland said, it's no longer a wildfire. It's an urban fire.

With thousands of homes ablaze and powerful winds stoking the flames, firefighters have been unable to contain the fires in Los Angeles.

To stop things from getting to that point β€” before fires ever start β€” it's crucial for cities and communities to clear dry, highly flammable grasses and brush, whether through controlled burns, livestock grazing programs, or other means.

"This is a team sport, okay? Nobody can solve this alone," Durland said. "It is going to take community planning and it's going to take leadership at the political level and the community level and the state level."

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Kelly Stafford shocked over devastation of California wildfires: β€˜It doesn’t feel real’

9 January 2025 at 14:18

Kelly Stafford, the wife of Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford, is praying weather conditions calm down as the deadly wildfires in Los Angeles continue to rip through Southern California. 

Kelly shared an aerial view of the devastating wildfires that burned through the coastal neighborhood of Pacific Palisades to her Instagram story Thursday. 

In a follow-up post, Kelly shared her shock at the aftermath of the once-picturesque neighborhood devastated by wildfires. 

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

"Watching this over and over because it doesn't seem real," she wrote in the post. "These fires still rage with firefighters working around the clock. praying for slower winds and safety." 

Thousands of California residents have been displaced after being evacuated as fierce wildfires fueled by powerful Santa Ana winds tore through Southern California beginning Tuesday. At least five people are dead as the fires continued to burn more than 27,000 acres Thursday. 

NFL ANNOUNCES CONTINGENCY PLAN IF SOFI STADIUM CAN'T BE USED FOR RAMS-VIKINGS PLAYOFF GAME DUE TO WILDFIRES

The NFL is monitoring the situation with the Rams scheduled to host the Minnesota Vikings in the wild-card round Monday night at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood. If the stadium can’t be used, the game will be moved to a different venue. 

"The NFL’s priority is the safety of the Los Angeles community," the league’s statement said. "We are grateful for the tireless efforts of the first responders. Our hearts are with Los Angeles and everyone affected by the fires."

State Farm Stadium, the home of the Arizona Cardinals in Glendale, will be the backup location for the wild-card game. 

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

7 statistics that put the devastation of the Los Angeles wildfires into perspective

9 January 2025 at 12:20
A brush fire burns near homes in Pacific Palisades, California on January 7, 2025.
A brush fire burns near homes in Pacific Palisades, California on January 7, 2025.

DAVID SWANSON/AFP/Getty Images

  • At least five separate wildfires are ravaging Los Angeles and Southern California.
  • The Palisades Fire alone has burned through over 17,000 acres of land in two days.
  • For context, the entire island of Manhattan is 14,600 acres.

A series of wildfires have battered Los Angeles and other surrounding areas of Southern California since Tuesday, killing at least five people, burning through tends of thousands of acres of land, and destroying at least 1,000 structures.

The damage so far is estimated to be in the tens of billions of dollars.

When natural disasters strike, numbers like these β€” that reach the thousands, millions, and even billions β€” can become difficult to comprehend.

To put the wildfire destruction in California into perspective, here are seven statistics to help understand the damage they have inflicted.

The Palisades Fire alone has burned through 17,000 acres. That's larger than the entire island of Manhattan.
A home burns during the Palisades Fire in Pacific Palisades, California, on January 8, 2025.
A home burns during the Palisades Fire on January 8, 2025.

AGUSTIN PAULLIER/AFP/Getty Images

That makes the fire, which started on Tuesday morning, the most destructive fire in Los Angeles' history, according to multiple reports.

The island of Manhattan in New York is roughly 15,000 acres.

In total, more than 26,978 acres had been burned as of 1:45 a.m. Thursday, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection reported.

Officials ordered 130,000 to evacuate, a number that's greater than the population of Kansas' capital city.
A resident rides through smoke from a brush fire pushed by gusting Santa Ana winds on January 7, 2025 in Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles, California
A resident rides through smoke from a brush fire pushed by gusting Santa Ana winds on January 7, 2025, in Pacific Palisades.

VCG/VCG/Getty Images

That number is more than the population of Topeka, the capital of Kansas, which has a population of 125,457, according to 2023 population estimates by the US Census.

Los Angeles' total population is just under 4 million people. That means around 3% of the city's population has been displaced.

More than 420,000 people are estimated to be without power. That's roughly the population of Minneapolis, the largest city in Minnesota.
A home burns during the Eaton fire in the Altadena area of Los Angeles County, California on January 8, 2025.
A home burns during the Eaton fire in the Altadena area of Los Angeles County, California on January 8, 2025.

JOSH EDELSON/AFP/Getty Images

The number comes from PowerOutage.us, which has been tracking power outages across California.

One estimate puts damage and economic losses at $52 to $57 billion, making it one of the costliest natural disasters in US history.
The sun is seen behind smoke above charred structures after the passage of the Palisades Fire in Pacific Palisades, California, on January 8, 2025. At least five people have been killed in wildfires rampaging around Los Angeles, officials said on January 8, with firefighters overwhelmed by the speed and ferocity of multiple blazes.
The sun is seen behind smoke above charred structures after the passage of the Palisades Fire on January 8, 2025.

AGUSTIN PAULLIER/AFP/Getty Images

That preliminary estimate, from forecasting service Accuweather, could increase if the fires spread to further areas.

For comparison, the total GDP of the country of Libya is $48 billion, according to the IMF.

If this was a hurricane, that'd make it the 10th-costliest storm in history, right below 2012's Hurricane Sandy.

More than 7,500 LA firefighters have been deployed, but that's still not enough.
Firefighters battle the Eaton Fire in strong winds as many homes burn on January 7, 2025 in Pasadena, California
Firefighters battle the Eaton Fire in strong winds as many homes burn on January 7, 2025, in Pasadena, California

David McNew/Getty Images

Governor Gavin Newsom is sending in the state's National Guard, and more firefighters are coming from Nothern California. The Los Angeles Times reported Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone requested aid from fire departments in Oregon, New Mexico, Washington, and Utah.

Wind gusts have reached 90 mph. That's equivalent to a Category 1 hurricane.
Workers attempt to remove a tree that fell on a car due to high winds in Glendale, California, on January 8, 2025
Workers attempt to remove a tree that fell on a car due to high winds in Glendale on January 8, 2025.

ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images

The powerful winds contributed to the quick spread of the fires and hampered firefighting efforts.

For comparison, Category 1 hurricanes have wind speeds of between 74 and 95 mph, and they can do a lot of damage. Hurricane Florence was a Category 1 storm when it made landfall in North Carolina in September 2018, and was one of the costliest hurricanes in history.

Universal Studios was forced to close for the first time since COVID-19 in 2020.
Hollywood, UNITED STATES: The entrance of Universal Studios in Hollywood is pictured 09 April 2007
The entrance of Universal Studios in Hollywood.

GABRIEL BOUYS/AFP/Getty Images

Universal Studios said in a statement it closed its gates on Wednesday "out of an abundance of caution" due to the high winds and fires, closing for the first time since the park shut down in March 2020, per People. It remained closed on Thursday.

Disneyland, located in Anaheim, has been able to remain open.

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Before-and-after photos show iconic Los Angeles locations impacted by wildfires

9 January 2025 at 21:19
The Hollywood sign is on Mount Lee. Further up the mountain behind it is a huge tower covered in satellite dishes.
The Hollywood sign was surrounded by smoke from the Los Angeles wildfires.

AaronP/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images

  • Multiple fires are devastating the Los Angeles area with over 100,000 people told to evacuate.
  • Landmarks such as the Hollywood sign and the Getty Center were undamaged but engulfed in smoke.
  • The Griffith Observatory will be closed until further notice.

The Los Angeles wildfires have devastated portions of the city and surrounding areas.

The Palisades fire, which started on January 7, has left more than 19,000 acres burning. In total, wildfires have burned over 29,000 acres.

Over 100,000 residents have been ordered to evacuate, and many more β€” including celebrities β€” have lost their homes.

Here's how the fires have impacted some of the most famous landmarks in Los Angeles.

The Griffith Observatory offers free public telescopes and sweeping views of downtown Los Angeles.
The Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles.
The Griffith Observatory.

dszc/Getty Images

The structure, which spans 67,000 square feet, includes a planetarium, observatory, and exhibits about the cosmos.

The observatory's telescopes were rendered useless due to thick clouds of smoke.
Smoke from wildfires hangs in the sky over Griffith Observatory.
Smoke from wildfires in the sky over Griffith Observatory.

Andy Bao/AP

The Griffith Observatory wrote on Instagram on Wednesday that it will be closed until further notice due to the current weather and fire conditions.

The Hollywood sign, visible from the Griffith Observatory, is the most famous landmark in Los Angeles.
The Hollywood sign
The Hollywood Sign.

AaronP/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images

The Hollywood sign has been featured in countless TV shows and movies over the years as the most iconic location in the city.

As fires blazed across the city, the normally blue skies turned gray with smoke and ash.
The Hollywood sign is on Mount Lee. Further up the mountain behind it is a huge tower covered in satellite dishes.
The Hollywood sign was surrounded by smoke from the Los Angeles wildfires.

AaronP/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images

As of Thursday, the sign was not located in an evacuation warning area, but the site is closed due to damage from surrounding fires.

After false images of the sign burning began to circulate on social media, the Hollywood Sign clarified in a Facebook post that it "continues to stand tall!"

Sunset Boulevard boasts luxury shops, restaurants, and nightlife.
Sunset Boulevard.
Sunset Boulevard.

ANDREY DENISYUK/Getty Images

The famous 1.7-mile-long Sunset Strip along Sunset Boulevard is located between Hollywood and West Hollywood.

Part of Sunset Boulevard has been hit hard by the wildfires.
Sunset Boulevard damaged by wildfires.
Sunset Boulevard damaged by wildfires.

Bellocqimages/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images

Part of Sunset Boulevard, which spans 25 miles, is located in Pacific Palisades. The Palisades fire caused heavy damage, and many buildings along the famous street have burned down.

The Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena is home to the UCLA Bruins college football team.
Rose Bowl Stadium.
Rose Bowl Stadium.

Kirby Lee/Getty Images

The stadium also hosts its namesake Rose Bowl Game annually on New Year's Day.

Aerial views of The Rose Bowl were obscured by smoke.
The Rose Bowl obscured by smoke from wildfires.
The Rose Bowl covered in smoke from wildfires.

PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images

Some sports games have been postponed due to the wildfires. On Wednesday, the National Hockey League delayed a match between the Los Angeles Kings and Calgary Flames that was supposed to take place at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.

The Getty Center, a giant museum complex in the Santa Monica Mountains, spans 110 acres.
An aerial view of the Getty Center in Brentwood, California.
An aerial view of the Getty Center in Brentwood, California.

Michael Rosebrock/Shutterstock

Designed by architect Richard Meier, the Getty Center houses collections of paintings, manuscripts, photography, and sculptures from Europe and the US.

The effects of the wildfires could be seen in the distance behind the museum on Wednesday at sunset.
The Getty Center Museum shrouded in smoke from fires.
Fire and smoke behind the Getty Center.

PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images

Clouds of smoke billowed around the complex, but the museum was undamaged.

The Getty Villa, situated on a 64-acre estate, houses Greek and Roman antiquities.
The Getty Villa.
The Getty Villa.

Arellano915/Shutterstock

The Getty Villa, built by J. Paul Getty, is located about 11 miles from the Getty Museum.

Wildfires scorched the grounds of the Getty Villa, but the building itself remains safe.
The Getty Villa sign with fires in the background from the Palisades Fire in California
Buildings and trees around the Getty Villa went up in flames.

David Swanson / Contributor / Getty Images

Katherine E. Fleming, president and chief executive of the J. Paul Getty Trust, said in a statement to the Los Angeles Times that the organization "had made extensive efforts to clear brush from the surrounding area as part of its fire mitigation efforts throughout the year."

"Some trees and vegetation on-site have burned, but staff and the collection remain safe," she said.

Located near the Getty Villa, the Kauffman Estate has appeared in music videos such as "Paparazzi" by Lady Gaga and "Haunted" by BeyoncΓ©.
The Villa de Leon, known as the Kauffman Estate, is seen in Malibu, California.
The Villa de Leon, known as the Kauffman Estate, is seen in Malibu, California.

GABRIEL BOUYS/AFP via Getty Images

Also known as the Villa de Leon, the French Revival estate was built in Malibu in 1927 for wool merchant Leon Kauffman.

The 12,000-square-foot mansion was barely visible in the orange sky.
The Villa de Leon, known as the Kauffman Estate, engulfed in smoke during fires in California.
The Kauffman Estate was threatened by the flames of the wind-driven Palisades Fire.

DAVID SWANSON/AFP via Getty Images

Winds of up to 90 miles per hour made the California wildfires difficult to control.

The Kauffman Estate, now a private residence, appeared to still be standing as of Tuesday evening, but the extent of the damage is unclear.

Will Rogers State Historic Park in the Santa Monica Mountains was once the luxury residence of one of the highest-paid actors of the 1930s.
An old barn at Will Rogers State Historic Park.
The old horse barn at Will Rogers State Historic Park.

trekandshoot/Shutterstock

In the 1920s, Rogers built a ranch on the 359 acres of land he owned featuring a 31-room house, stables, and a golf course. His widow donated it to the California State Parks system in 1944.

The Palisades Fire destroyed "multiple structures" including Will Rogers' historic home, according to California State Parks.
Will Rogers' house at Will Rogers State Historic Park was destroyed by the Palisades Fire.
Will Rogers' house at Will Rogers State Historic Park was destroyed by the Palisades Fire.

Β© California State Parks, all rights reserved

"California State Parks mourns the loss of these treasured natural and cultural resources, and our hearts go out to everyone impacted by the devastating fires in the Los Angeles area," California State Parks director Armando Quintero said in a statement.

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