Gov. Gavin Newsom was slammed on Tuesday for posing for a photo opportunity shortly after it was revealed that two people perished in the wildfires ravaging Southern California.
Wildfires tore across the Los Angeles area with devastating force overnight after setting off a desperate escape from burning homes through flames, ferocious winds and towering clouds of smoke.
The flames from a fire that broke out Tuesday evening near a nature preserve in the inland foothills northeast of L.A. spread so rapidly that staff at a senior living center had to push dozens of residents in wheelchairs and hospital beds down the street to a parking lot.
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A traffic jam on Palisades Drive prevented emergency vehicles from getting through and a bulldozer was brought in to push the abandoned cars to the side and create a path.
The situation prompted the Los Angeles Fire Department to take the rare step of putting out a plea for off-duty firefighters to help.
Gov. Gavin Newsom posted on X early Wednesday that California had deployed more than 1,400 firefighting personnel to combat the blazes. "Emergency officials, firefighters, and first responders are all hands on deck through the night to do everything possible to protect lives," Newsom said.
Live coverage of LA wildfires coming to a close
Our live coverage of the wildfires ravaging Southern California is coming to a close. The Mirror US will still be following this major news event, so follow along for future coverage of the fires.
FAA bans all flights around LA wildfires to allow fire service crews to fly instead
The Federal Aviation Administration banned flights from entering airspaces or taking off or landing at airports near the Los Angeles wildfires, a federal bulletin to pilots obtained by CNN revealed.
The FAA notice reportedly says the restriction is meant "to provide a safe environment for fire fighting aviation operations."
All fire service planes, however, were grounded as of early Wednesday afternoon because of the severe winds battering the reigons around the fires — it simply isn't safe for them to take off.
The restriction is only temporary, and it begins just a mile north of the Santa Monica Airport. It's in effect through Jan. 21, and all flights up to 7,000 feet above sea level are banned.
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) operates an air tanker and helicopter attack base at Hemet-Ryan Airport east of Los Angeles, CNN reported, but it has been unable to take off due to the conditions.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom slammed for 'photo op' after 2 announced dead in wildfires
California Gov. Gavin Newsom was slammed online for allegedly taking the opportunity to snap a photo while he visited the scene of one of the wildfires ravaging Southern California on Tuesday.
He posted that he was on the ground that day as the fires spread through the region, but critics accused him of simply going for a photo opportunity and not to actually assess the situation or offer assistance.
The picture shows Newsom with his hands in his back pocket, looking out over the blaze, his face serious as he regards the damage.
Critics, however, accused him of being indifferent. @Breaking911, a popular X account known for its far-right conservative takes on current events, tweeted, "JUST IN: California Gov. Gavin Newsom has showed up to the scene of the Palisades fire to put his hands in his back pockets."
Others critiqued his response to the wildfires, stating that he and the rest of California wasn't prepared to deal with them — a product of his leadership, they believe.
Map shows areas worst affected by horror LA fires as residents in 6 Calif. counties in immediate danger
A map shows where five wildfires are currently burning in Southern California as residents in six counties are in immediate danger from additional blazes.
One of the five fires has already been contained, but the other four are burning with a passion, and they're rapidly expanding, aided by the intense winds of up to 100 mph that are gusting through the region.
The air is dry, the earth is dry, and the winds are easily able to carry the flames into different regions. Currently, those living in Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, Riverside, Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties are currently in the greatest danger from flames, according to the National Weather Service's fire map.
2 dead in Eaton Fire as blazes rip through LA, with more than 1,000 structures collectively destroyed
The Eaton Fire, which is located in the Angeles National Forest near Altadena and Pasadena, has resulted in the deaths of two individuals, L.A. County Fire Chief Anthony C. Marrone confirmed to NBC News.
That particular fire has already burned through more than 2,200 acres and continues to grow, with its containment at a dangerous 0%. The casualties were reportedly civilian in nature.
Several "significant injuries" have also been reported, and more than 100 structures have been destroyed from that fire alone. In total, across all the fires raging in L.A., there have been over 1,000 structures destroyed.
The cause of the Eaton Fire is still unknown and is under investigation, with more than 500 fire and other investigative personnel working on that one.
Kamala Harris' LA home under evacuation order
The Los Angeles home of Vice President Kamala Harris was under an evacuation orderon Wednesday as thousands of other Californians are forced to flee the rapidly intensifying wildfires in the region.
A statement posted to social media by her spokesperson, Ernesto Apreza, reads, "Last night, the Vice President’s neighborhood in Los Angeles was put under an evacuation order. No one was in her home at the time. She and the Second Gentleman are praying for the safety of their fellow Californians, the heroic first responders, and Secret Service personnel."
The second couple reportedly have a home in Brentwood, where they have returned many times over the past four years. They were slated to return to L.A. after leaving office, but they might not have a home to return to.
"The Vice President and President continue to closely monitor the wildfires, remain in touch with state and local officials, and have offered any federal assistance that is needed to help respond and recover from this terrible disaster," Apreza added.
Harris is reportedly currently in Washington, D.C., but there are usually Secret Service agents at the home anyway. They reportedly have an evacuation plan in place for such incidents, so are able to secure the home before it's possibly engulfed by flames.
Pictures of wildfires from plane coming into LAX shows scale of the inferno
Horrifying photos of the wildfires around Los Angeles show the scale of the devastation, as seen from the sky in a plane.
The pics show the fires blazing on the ground, bright against the night sky as the rest of the city and its lights shine around them. They appear almost apocalyptic in nature, showing a massive swath of land absolutely ravaged by the flames, which are yet being carried by intense winds.
Outrage as people enter wildfire evacuation zone to take selfies in front of blaze
Some people were photographed taking selfiees in front of the wildfires ravaging Southern California over the past couple of days, sparking online outrage.
One picture shows an indiviual smiling as they hold up their phone, snapping a pic of them and their friends, who look absolutely elated to be at the scene of the tragedy.
A fourth fire has broken out
As firefighters battle to contain the three existing fires, another has broken out.
Thankfully, at this stage, it is much smaller.
The Tyler fire in Riverside County is currently about 15 acres in size, tiny compared to the other ones burning in the LA area.
It broke out just after 3 a.m. local time with the cause currently under investigation.
Footage from space shows the scale of devastating fire
Haunting footage shows how the massive Palisades fire that ripped through Los Angeles can be seen from space.
The satellite images reveal smoke and flames rising from the celebrity neighborhood where hundreds of million-dollar homes have been torched by a massive inferno. There have also been multiple victims with burn injuries in the exclusive Malibu beach area, according to the New York Times and local papers.
Extreme winds initially whipped up the blaze, which then spread from 20 acres to cover 3,000 acres in a matter of hours. Now, three out-of-control fires are raging across the area - with scary pictures showing scenes of almost apocalyptic-level devastation.
Weather fanning the flames
The blaze is being pushed by Santa Ana winds topping 60 mph (97 kph) in some places Tuesday, increasing to 80 mph (129 kph) by early Wednesday, according to reports received by the National Weather Service. They could top 100 mph (160 kph) in mountains and foothills — including in areas that haven’t seen substantial rain in months.
Ongoing red flag warnings highlight extremely critical fire weather conditions due to a combination of strong wind gusts in some of the highest terrain Wednesday morning and exceptionally dry relative humidity levels, according to Peter Mullinax, a meteorologist with the weather service’s office in College Park, Maryland.
Resident describes moment helicopter dumps water on her house as fire closes in
Sheriece Wallace was unaware there was a fire burning around her in that area until her sister called at the moment a helicopter made a water drop over her house.
“I was like, ‘it’s raining,’” Wallace said. “She’s like, ‘No, it’s not raining. Your neighborhood is on fire. You need to get out.’”
“As soon as I opened my door, it was like right there,” she said. “The first thing I did was looked at the trees to see where the wind was blowing. Because it hit me. It blew me back.”
Thankfully she was able to escpape.
Dozens of schools have been forced to close due to the fires
As the fires bare down on Los Angeles, a number of schools have made the decision to close.
Several schools in LA will be closed on Wednesday due to the fires and high winds in the area. Some have said lessons will be moved online.
The full list of schools affected has been published here.
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry face urgent evacuation
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are at risk of needing to evacuate their home as the Los Angeles wildfire rages on.
The fires have been threatening neighborhoods known for their wealthy residents. The pair live in 13-bedroom property in the gated Montecito community.
Residents describe horror as fire consumes neighborhood
Residents have described the frantic evacuation as fire swept through the neighborhood.
Pacific Palisades resident Kelsey Trainor said the only road in and out of her neighborhood was blocked. Ash fell all around them while fires burned on both sides of the road.
“We looked across and the fire had jumped from one side of the road to the other side of the road,” Trainor said. “People were getting out of the cars with their dogs and babies and bags, they were crying and screaming.”
Another Palisades resident Will Adams said he immediately went to pick his two kids up from St. Matthews Parish School when he heard the fire was nearby. Meanwhile, he said embers flew into his wife’s car as she tried to evacuate.
“She vacated her car and left it running,” Adams said. She and many other residents walked down toward the ocean until it was safe.
Adams said he had never witnessed anything like this in the 56 years he’s lived there. He watched as the sky turned brown and then black as homes started burning. He could hear loud popping and bangs “like small explosions,” which he said he believes were the transformers exploding.
“It is crazy, it’s everywhere, in all the nooks and crannies of the Palisades. One home’s safe, the other one’s up in flames,” Adams said.
Abandoned cars on highway prevents emergency vehicles getting through
The traffic jam on Palisades Drive has prevented emergency vehicles from getting through.
A bulldozer had to be brought in to push the abandoned cars to the side and create a path, according to the LA Fire Department.
Sections of Interstate 10 and the scenic Pacific Coast Highway were closed to all non-essential traffic to aid in evacuation efforts. But other roads were blocked. Some residents jumped out of their vehicles to get out of danger and waited to be picked up.
Ben Affleck looks on in horror as he returns to Los Angeles home amid advancing wildfire
Ben Affleck seemed shocked as he arrived at his home to find a huge wildfire engulfing part of Los Angeles.
Thousands of LA residents have evacuated their homes as wildfires continue to rage through the Pacific Palisades neighborhood. Ben was pictured returning to his bachelor pad on Tuesday evening after a day in the office.
19 million people at risk as winds of up to 100mph fuel fire
The Palisades, Eaton and Hurst wildfires are set to grow as 100mph winds fuel the inferno.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who was in Southern California to attend the naming of a national monument by President Joe Biden, made a detour to the canyon to see “firsthand the impact of these swirling winds and the embers,” and he said he found “not a few — many structures already destroyed.”
Extreme winds driving wildfires could last until Thursday
The howling 60mph winds that have been key to the spread of the devastating wildfires could last up until Thursday.
An update from the LA Fire Department reads: "2921 acres 0% containment. Extreme fire behavior, short & long-range spotting, continues to challenge firefighting efforts for the Palisades Fire. Winds gusts up to 60 MPH are expected to continue through Thursday."
Nursing home evacuated as resident screams 'I can't breath' amid thick smoke
Residents at a Pasadena nursing home have been evacuated as the nearby fire grows.
Police and ambulances are helping residents at the Pasadena Park Healthcare & Wellness Center evacuate. This comes as the nearby Eaton Fire grows, KNBC reports.
Some patients are in severe condition and one resident was screaming that he couldn't breath due to the thick smoke.
Worst is yet to come, governor warns
High winds are driving the fire forward.
The winds were expected to increase overnight and continue for days, producing isolated gusts that could top 100 mph (160 kph) in mountains and foothills — including in areas that haven’t seen substantial rain in months.
“By no stretch of the imagination are we out of the woods,” Newsom warned residents, saying the worst of the winds are expected between 10 p.m. Tuesday and 5 a.m. Wednesday. He declared a state of emergency on Tuesday.
The blaze began around 10:30 a.m., shortly after the start of a Santa Ana windstorm that the National Weather service warned could be “life threatening” and the strongest to hit Southern California in more than a decade. The exact cause of the fire was unknown and no injuries had been reported, officials said.
Pictures show the fire tear through homes
Terrifying pictures from the frontline of the wildfire show the blaze rip through the Pacific Palisades neighborhood.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who was in Southern California to attend the naming of a national monument by President Joe Biden, made a detour to the canyon to see “firsthand the impact of these swirling winds and the embers,” and he said he found “not a few — many structures already destroyed.”
Officials did not give an exact number of structures damaged or destroyed in the Pacific Palisades wildfire, but they said about 30,000 residents were under evacuation orders and more than 13,000 structures were under threat.
30,000 ordered to evacuate as sky choked with smoke
At least 30,000 people have been ordered to leave their homes as the wildfires continue to spread.
Los Angeles' iconic Sunset Boulevard was gridlocked as residents tried to flee the wealthy neighborhood of Pacific Palisdes.
Vice President Kamala Harris’ Los Angeles home is in the eastern part of the evacuation zone.
“Doug and I are praying for our fellow Californians who have evacuated, and we are thinking of the families whose homes, businesses, and schools remain in harm’s way,” the VP said in a statement. “We are deeply grateful for the heroic first responders who are risking their own safety to fight the flames and help keep communities safe.”
Deserted red carpet as SAG Awards 2025 reveal moved online
As the wildfires continue to rage out of control, the organizers of the prestigious SAG Awards have made the difficult decision to cancel the celebration.
Instead the winners will be announced online and the celebration postponed until February.
“In an abundance of caution for the safety of our presenters, guests, and staff, the live in-person 31st Annual SAG Awards nominations announcement has been canceled due to the wildfires and adverse wind conditions in Los Angeles,” the SAG shared in a statement they shared on social media Tuesday night.
“Nominees will be unveiled tomorrow at 7:30am PT via press release and the SAG Awards website,” the statement further read.
The statement concluded with: “We look forward to celebrating these incredible actors and their work at the SAG Awards ceremony on February 23. In the meantime, we urge everyone to stay safe, and thank you for your continued support.”
Read the full story here.
Third fire breaks out in Los Angeles County just north of 210 freeway in San Fernando
CALFire officials confirmed on their website that a third wildfire had broken out at around 10:30 p.m. Tuesday evening around where Interstate 5 and Interstate 210 meet in San Fernando. The Slymar Fire has so far burned 50 acres, according to CALFire.
Mandatory evacuation orders have been issued for areas north of the 210 Freeway from Roxford to the Interstate 5 U.S. Route 14 split, CALFire said on their website.
SAG Awards nomination ceremony canceled amid major LA wildfires
The Screen Actors Guild announced late Tuesday night that it would be cancelling their award nomination ceremony, which was scheduled to take place on Wednesday evening. SAG said in a statement posted on X that in lue of an in-person ceremony the nominations will be posted Wednesday morning at 7:30 a.m. PST via press release on it's website
SAG cited an "abundance of caution" for the wildfire and extreme wind conditions as the reason for the canceling.
The award ceremony is scheduled to take place on Feb. 23.
31st Screen Actors Guild Awards® Nominations Announcement Update pic.twitter.com/v7dvzIQtc0
— SAG Awards® (@SAGawards) January 8, 2025
Multiple civilian injuries reported in Malibu as people seen walking out of neighborhood with burns
Multiple burn victims were found walking out of a Malibu neighborhood towards Duke's beachfront at around 9 p.m. on Tuesday night, The New York Timesreported citing Erik Scott, a spokesman for the Los Angeles Fire Department.
These are the first reported injuries from either the Eaton or Palisades Fire. KCAL News reported that the victims were from a neighborhood in Malibu that were under mandatory evacuation orders. Scott told the times that the LAFD directed emergency personnel to treat them.
A 25-year-old female was also reported to have suffered a serious head injury at around 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday evening, according to Scott. The conditions of the civilian victims as well as the firefighter were not immediately made available.
Ember raining down in Pacific Palisades as winds reach peak gusts overnight
The peak of the once in a decade wind storm is about to arrive as two separate fires burn out of control in the greater Los Angeles area. Embers can be seen being thrown by the wind as homes and foliage are engulfed by the flames. So far the Palisades Fire has burned nearly 3,000 acres and the Eaton Fire near Pasendena has burned 400 acres, according to CALFire.
The National Weather Service reported that areas near the fire are seeing gusts of 50-70 mph Tuesday night and those are not likely to subside
Over 30,000 residents are under a mandatory evacuation order, but that number is expected to rise as the Eaton Fire continues to move east towards Glendora, near the 210 Freeway.
Vice President Harris' Los Angeles home in evacuation zone
Vice President Kamala Harris' Los Angeles home is now in the evacuation zone as a result of the Palisades fire. NBC News reported that the home was in the eastern portion of the evacuation zone but did not specify where the home is.
Harris is currently in Washington D.C. Over 30,000 residents are under mandatory evacuation orders from both the Palisades FIre and the Eaton Fire.
Los Angeles County power outages reach nearly 100,000
The number of customers without power in Los Angles County Tuesday night has now climbed to 96,000 homes and businesses, according to the tracking website poweroutage.us. This is up the 42,000 reported by the site earlier today. The worst of the Santa Ana winds is expected to begin at 10 p.m. this evening and peak overnight, lightening up, but not stopping, at around 5 a.m. Wednesday morning. Red Flag warnings for much of Southern California will be in effect until Thursday afternoon.