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Allowing students who have been forced to leave their homes due to the raging wildfires in Los Angeles to attend schools outside of their district, and making it easier for schools damaged or destroyed by the fires to use temporary facilities, are among the provisions of an executive order signed Tuesday by California Gov. Gavin Newsom.
“The executive order I signed today will help bring back some sense of normalcy for our youth by eliminating barriers to getting them back learning in school.”
California Governor Gavin Newsom
The order also helps schools avoid minimum school year requirements and directs state government entities to develop a plan for helping students, rebuilding and moving forward.
“We will ensure that our school communities get the resources and flexibility needed to recover, rebuild and continue providing quality educational opportunities for every student,” California Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond said in a news release from the governor’s office.
The order achieves its goals by suspending various state rules, codes and regulations, waiving certain permits and extending funding deadlines.
Newsom declared a state of emergency on January 7 and signed an executive order Sunday suspending some requirements to build under state environmental laws in an effort to help fire victims rebuild faster.
Long-time Altadena resident Kimberly Winiecki, 77, has been identified as a victim of the Eaton Fire, her close friend Jeannette McMahon told CNN.
McMahon last saw Winiecki on January 6, the day before the Eaton Fire broke out, she said.
“We were good friends. On Monday night we had dinner, well, what we didn’t know was going to be our farewell dinner,” McMahon said.
McMahon told CNN she tried to help Winiecki evacuate when the fire broke out.
“The winds picked up on Tuesday and then around 8 p.m. I could see the fire from my home, so I texted Kim and said, ‘Kim, I need to come pick you up,” McMahon said. “She responded and said ‘I’m fine. I’m calm.’”
McMahon said she wasn’t able to get in touch with Winiecki after that day but eventually spoke with Winiecki’s brother who informed her officials had contacted him to notify him of Winiecki’s death.
“She was a very intelligent woman, just so sensitive and expressive. She was a writer and a delight to be with. It was such a joy to be around her,” McMahon said about her friend.
For the last 20 years, McMahon said she and Winiecki met at least twice a week.
“I had many parties; dinner parties and gatherings and Kim was a part of them. She didn’t like being in pictures, but she used to love taking photos of our gatherings and table settings and sending the photos to her sister. I’ll miss her insightfulness and wittiness.”
Republicans in Congress will consider “culpability” when approving any disaster aid for Democratic-led California, said House Speaker Mike Johnson Tuesday, as deadly wildfires ravage Los Angeles County for a second week.
“We’re all Americans, and the Americans there, that are affected, desperately need and deserve help,” Johnson said during a news conference, but noted “concerns” over how California is governed, at the state and local levels.
“To the extent that there is complicity involved in the scope of the disaster, then we think that’s something that needs to be carefully regarded.”
House Speaker Mike Johnson
Any wildfire aid package should have conditions, the speaker told reporters, including CNN’s Manu Raju, on Monday.
“If Gavin Newsom and local leaders made decisions that made this disaster exponentially worse — which it appears there were — should there be some consequence of that? Should there be some kind of safeguard on the funding?” Johnson told reporters. People in other states should not have to pay for “bad decisions” made in California, Johnson said.
While Johnson did not elaborate on potential conditions, he said Republicans do not intend to leave Americans behind.
“We may need to think carefully about safeguards,” Johnson added, pointing to the conditions on flood insurance included in the Hurricane Katrina aid package for his home state of Louisiana two decades ago.
Videos captured by nearby residents appear to show the moment the Eaton Fire began on Tuesday evening.
Pedro Rojas recorded video from the backyard of his Pasadena home around 6:24 p.m. on January 7 and told CNN that he and his family were evacuated within the next 20 minutes.
“It was a quiet night,” Rojas recalled. “After I was alerted by a neighbor about some flames in the back, I went to the backyard, took the video listening to the cracking of the fire, but never in my mind I thought it was going to grow that much to destroy the city.”
Rojas’ video shows flames at the base of an electrical transmission tower at 6:24 p.m. and by 6:41 p.m., he says he and his family evacuated.
Officials have not yet determined the cause of the ongoing fires, but they are investigating an electrical transmission tower in Eaton Canyon as the possible origin site of the Eaton Fire, according to the Los Angeles Times.
See the moment captured on video here:
“We just took important documents and a few clothes and took off,” he said.
umes of smoke can be seen billowing out of the area as gusts of wind are heard throughout the video.
“When we got in the car, I told my wife to turn around and look at the house because this is the last time we were going to see it,” Rojas said.
Luckily, that wasn’t the case for the family. Rojas said his house and a few of his neighbors’ houses survived the fire, but houses a few streets over were destroyed and are gone.
Rojas said he and his family are now in Azusa, staying at a hotel until they can get back to their neighborhood and their home.
Altadena residents Jennifer and Marcus Errico took photos around 6:15 p.m. of a similar scene at Eaton Canyon. The Erricos told CNN’s Anderson Cooper on Friday they spotted a small blaze underneath the transmission line that runs through the canyon.
Listen to The Erricos interview here:
“I saw a glow in the hillside right above our house,” Marcus told Cooper. “And as I got closer, I could see right across from us on the hillside in Eaton Canyon, there are a series of transformer towers with power lines stretching up into the mountains. And at the base of one, there was just a small ring of flames around the whole base.”
Footage by another Altadena resident shows flames at the base of the tower around 6:19 p.m.
Jeffrey Ku recorded video from a distance of the electrical tower on fire and told CNN’s Erin Burnett on Monday night that he did whatever he could to save his home.
“As she (his wife Cheryll) got closer to the house, sure enough, it was burning bright and it was the base of the tower on fire,” Ku told Burnett.
Ku continued to record videos of the fire as it rapidly grew by the minute. By the time he and Cheryll left their house at 6:53 p.m., the sky was filled with an orange haze and smoke as they drove away.
Listen to The Kus recap their experience here:
CNN’s Sarah Dewberry contributed to this report.
About 88,000 Los Angeles County residents are under evacuation orders, county Sheriff Robert Luna said Tuesday during a news conference.
More than 84,000 residents are under evacuation warnings, he added.
An evacuation order is mandatory, while a warning is meant to prepare residents who may soon need to evacuate. People at least should start getting ready to leave when an evacuation warning is issued, Luna said.
“Actually, we recommend you go,” he said. “Don’t wait ‘til the order is given.”
The Eaton and Palisades fires that have ravaged Los Angeles County over the past week now rank among the deadliest and most destructive in California’s history, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
The Eaton Fire is now the second most destructive fire and the fifth deadliest, according to CalFire. The fire has burned more than 14,000 acres and 7,000 structures, according to the agency’s count.
The Eaton fire has killed 16 people, according to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s office.
CalFire ranked the Palisades Fire as the fourth most destructive and 14th deadliest, with more than 23,000 acres and 5,000 structures burned. The county medical examiner’s office has confirmed the Palisades Fire killed eight people.
The Camp Fire, which devastated Northern California’s Butte County in 2018, still stands as the deadliest and most destructive fire in the state’s history, according to Cal Fire. The fire burned more than 153,000 acres and 18,000 structures and caused 85 deaths, the agency says.
Federal Emergency Management Agency assistance is now available for people impacted by the wildfires in Los Angeles County, FEMA Region 9 Administrator Robert Fenton Jr. said Tuesday during a news conference.
FEMA has expedited delivery of Serious Needs Assistance, which provides people with money to pay for emergency supplies including water, food, medication and fuel for transportation, Fenton said.
Those impacted by the fires can also apply for other forms of assistance through FEMA, including help with temporary housing, transportation costs, medical bills, personal property and even funeral costs, he said.
“FEMA assistance is intended to really cover your basic needs and help jump start the recovery process,” Fenton said.
President-elect Donald Trump has been invited to tour the areas of Los Angeles hard-hit by wildfires, the city’s mayor said.
“I have talked to key members of the incoming administration,” Mayor Karen Bass told a group of reporters shortly after the conclusion of a formal news conference on the fires. “He has absolutely been invited.”
Trump has been withering in social media comments against California officials — especially Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom — accusing them of not properly managing fire dangers and the water supply.
Bass declined to weigh in on second-guessing the city’s response to the disaster but said she would “evaluate everything” once the immediate danger is over.
“Well, I mean, you know, everything could be better,” said Bass. “There is no question about that.”
Still, the mayor said she has been told by fire officials that the scale of the disaster would have overwhelmed any effort to throw more resources at it.
“They would have needed 26,000 engines in order to address this fire, and there’s not 26,000 engines in the state of California,” Bass said.
The time has come for Los Angeles to think about “moving forward” and planning for how to rebuild, restore and bounce back from the devastation caused by the still-burning wildfires that ravaged the City of Angels, Mayor Karen Bass said Tuesday.
“We’re going to make it through these next few days, but we want to begin to think about how we rebuild,” Bass said at a news conference.
Bass issued an executive order Monday to speed up the rebuilding efforts.
“We don’t want people burdened by red tape and bureaucracy, so my executive directive addresses that. It addresses streamlining the debris removal. It talks about actually immediate action that we can take to make 1400 units of housing available … then establishing a framework to secure additional regulatory relief and resources,” Bass said.
The mayor called for making the process of achieving these goals easier.
“Given what we’re dealing with now, that process has to go,” she said.
Bass also announced the opening of the Disaster Recovery Center on Tuesday, where victims of the Palisades and Hurst fires can seek help if they’ve lost vital records such as birth certificates, driver’s licenses, and Social Security cards, or assistance applying for Disaster Relief Loans if they’ve experienced loss or damage to their homes.
The center will open at 1 p.m. Tuesday at the UCLA Research Park, and 9 a.m. until 8 p.m. every day starting Wednesday, Bass said.
People in areas impacted by ash from the wildfires should wear proper respiratory masks to help protect against potential health problems, Dr. Anish Mahajan, chief deputy director for Los Angeles County’s public health department said Tuesday during a press conference.
Residents in areas impacted by the ash are advised to wear proper respiratory masks, like N95 or P100 masks, Mahajan said.
“These masks are specifically designed to reduce the exposure to harmful fine particles found in the ash and smoke, which can penetrate deep into your lungs and cause serious health problems,” he said.
Other face coverings, like cloth masks, medical masks or bandanas, will not provide adequate protection against ash and fine particles, he added.
The South Coast Air Quality Management District issued a windblown dust advisory due to the high winds expected as the wildfires rage on, Mahajan noted.
The high wind warning around the Los Angeles wildfires is putting thousands of people at risk of losing their power supply.
Over 20,000 households are facing power outages due to Public Safety Power Shutoffs.
Los Angeles County Supervisor Lindsey P. Horvath
The Public Safety Power Shutoff program cuts off electricity in areas where power lines could be toppled by high winds in order to prevent sparks or electric arcs from creating more fires.
“Please take this moment now to charge your phones, your batteries and devices to make sure you have backup,” said Horvath.
“I ask all Los Angeles County residents in wildfire-prone areas to understand that the necessary Public Safety Power Shutoffs are going to prevent our next fire from starting if we have downed power lines,” Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony C. Marrone said.
Nearly 40 arrests have been made by deputies from the LA County Sheriff’s Department patrolling the Los Angeles County neighborhoods impacted by the Eaton and Palisades fires, the sheriff said Tuesday.
“We are up to 39 (arrests). That’s 33 in the Eaton Fire area and six in the Palisades area.”
LA County Sheriff Robert G. Luna
The sheriff’s numbers don’t include arrests made by the Los Angeles Police Department or other agencies.
“We have nine curfew arrests and two for drone incidences – please do not fly drones in these impacted areas – and 11 were for burglary in the Eaton area,” Luna said of the latest overnight arrests. “For Palisades, we have six arrests: three for curfew and three for burglary.”
Curfew in areas under evacuation orders remain in effect from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m., Luna said.
He said they’ve made arrests for curfew violations and carrying a weapon, but also are on the lookout for “white-collar crimes.”
“We’re not just looking for burglars and looters committing crimes on the street. But we’re also focused on anybody who’s involved in any kind of scam,” Luna said. “Whatever you think you’re doing to make money off of the poor people who’ve been involved, we’re telling you, don’t do it. If you think you’re a victim of this, notify us immediately.”
All Malibu schools in the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District will remain closed, while all Santa Monica campuses will be open today amid the ongoing wildfire emergency, LA County Supervisor Lindsey P. Horvath said Tuesday morning.
“I’ve been in touch with Santa Monica Mayor Lana Negrete this morning, and she is closely monitoring the situation,” Horvath said.
Residents in the area of the Palisades Fire should “get prepared now to evacuate,” Los Angeles County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath said during a news conference Tuesday morning.
Strong winds are expected over the next 24 hours and could cause new, extreme fire behavior as firefighters work to contain several fires in Southern California.
“This is a particularly dangerous situation. From now through tomorrow, the strongest winds will be this evening, and we ask everyone to get prepared now to evacuate.”
Lindsey Horvath, Los Angeles County Supervisor
The Palisades Fire is now at 23,713 acres with 17 percent containment, Los Angeles City Fire Chief Kristin Crowley said Tuesday.
More than 5,000 fire personnel are responding to the Palisades Fire alone, Horvath said. “We are giving this fire everything we’ve got,” she said.
Three individuals have been taken into custody after being caught lighting fires in the city of Los Angeles since Sunday, according to LA City Police Department Chief Jim McDonnell.
On Sunday night, North Hollywood officers responded to a call of a possible arson suspect, who was using a barbecue lighter to light fires. When officers arrived on the scene the suspect was arrested for an outstanding felony warrant for arson and booked into jail, McDonnell said.
On Monday, police made two additional arrests related to fires. West Valley officers responded to a radio call for an arson suspect who had ignited a nearby bush, which the Los Angeles Fire Department was able to extinguish.
The suspect was taken into custody and booked for arson, according to McDonnell.
A second arrest took place in the West LA area on Monday, where officers responded to a radio call of an arson suspect who had ignited a nearby trash can, which was extinguished by the LA City Fire Department. McDonnell said citizens directed the officers to the suspect, who was then taken into custody and booked for arson. Video from local businesses showed footage of the suspect starting fires in that area, McDonnell added.
Tens of thousands of people have lost personal possessions in the Los Angeles wildfires, and for some, that includes essential medicine. Evacuees at disaster recovery centers will soon get help in dealing with lost prescription medication.
“Starting today, there will be four to five nurses and one physician (at) each site from Public Health,” said Public Health Chief Deputy Director Dr. Anish Mahajan.
Medical personnel will help evacuees contact their doctor or pharmacist to get a new supply of their medications, Mahajan said.
“If refills are unavailable or if they face challenges in connecting, the nurses at each site will connect with the physicians and pharmacists that we have at the Department of Public Health telehealth service to provide new prescriptions to bridge families until they can connect with their usual source of care,” he said.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department continues to conduct search and rescue operations Tuesday in the areas of the Palisades and Eaton fires, county Sheriff Robert Luna said.
“The good news was that no other remains were found yesterday. Hopefully, that happens again today.”
Robert Luna, Los Angeles County sheriff
The sheriff’s department is also working 24 missing person cases: “18 in the Eaton area, six in the Malibu area,” Luna added during a news conference Tuesday morning. All those missing are adults, he said.
Local law enforcement agencies responding to the wildfires are getting help from hundreds of people being loaned from outside agencies, the Los Angeles County sheriff said.
“We have approximately 234 officers from the California Highway Patrol,” said Sheriff Robert G. Luna. “We also are being assisted by 16 agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration. They’re not working narcotics. They are here assisting us.”
The sheriff said the National Guard is also on the ground.
“We have well over 600 National Guard personnel that are deployed not only to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department areas of responsibility, but the Los Angeles Police Department, Pasadena, Santa Monica and other places, as well,” said Luna.
The Palisades Fire is now at 23,713 acres with 17 percent containment, LA City Fire Chief Kristin M. Crowley said Tuesday morning.
“Firefighters will continue to work tirelessly throughout the day to increase containment lines, to prevent further spread and address any flare-ups,” Crowley said.
The Hurst Fire is now at 799 acres with 97 percent containment, Crowley said.
The City and County of Los Angeles have received an “outpouring of support” from communities across the globe, according to Los Angeles City Fire Chief Kristin Crowley.
“Yesterday, I also had the opportunity to meet with our international partners from Mexico To express our heartfelt gratitude for their assistance,” Crowley said during a news conference Tuesday.
The outpouring of support from both near and far is, I tell you, is absolutely remarkable,” Crowley added.
More than 15,000 first responders are helping fight the fires across Southern California, California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection Director Joe Tyler said at a Monday news conference.
The number includes first responders from all over California as well as the West, Midwest and central United States and Canada and Mexico, Tyler said.
