LA fires updates: death toll rises to 25 amid new wildfire warnings and thousands still under evacuation orders

The day so far
About 88,000 people in Los Angeles county were under evacuation orders on Tuesday, with another 84,800 under evacuation warnings due to wildfires.
Here’s where the fires stand:
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Palisades fire: More than 23,700 acres burned, 17% contained.
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Eaton fire: 14,117 acres burned, 35% contained.
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Hurst fire: 799 acres burned, nearly fully contained at 97%.
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Auto fire: Fully contained; no evacuation orders remain in effect.
Southern California residents are bracing for new wildfire warnings and power outages as strong, fire-fueling winds sweep through the region. Some areas could see winds approaching hurricane force on Tuesday, peaking in the morning, easing briefly, and strengthening again later in the day.
Fire crews have been reinforced to tackle flare-ups or new fires. A week after the wildfires began, the flames have destroyed thousands of homes and killed at least 24 people.
Key events
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Death toll rises to 25
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Nearly 90,000 households without electricity in southern California
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The day so far
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California governor announces ‘fast-track’ recovery efforts for students and families
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Over 66,000 without power in southern California
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Over 40,000 applications received by FEMA for California fire aid
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Official urges mask use as high winds expected to blow ash from Palisades fire
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Winds still pose ‘tremendous threat’, LA officials say
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39 arrests made for burglary, curfew breaches and drone incidents
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Severe fire weather conditions will continue through tomorrow, fire officials say
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Eaton fire remains at 14,000 acres without increase in last two days
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More than 1,850 National Guard members involved in firefighting in California
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Pamo fire’s forward progress stopped in San Diego county, says officials
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Southern California braced for ‘extremely difficult fire conditions’ as life threatening winds pick up pace
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Red Flag weather warning issued with significant risk of rapid fire spread and life-threatening winds
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Firefighters ‘better prepared’ to face threat of fierce new winds, officials say
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Opening summary
Mayor Karen Bass of Los Angeles cautioned residents on Tuesday that the emergency isn’t over yet, but she wants them to start thinking about recovery and rebuilding if possible.
“While we’re going through what I hope is the final hours of this emergency, it’s also time to begin to talk about our recovery,” she said.
The Los Angeles county department of public health has issued a windblown dust and ash advisory due to strong Santa Ana winds expected to affect the region through Wednesday at 7pm.
The south coast air quality management district warned that these winds may stir up ash from recent fire burn scars and create dust, potentially affecting air quality across Los Angeles county.
Communities throughout Los Angeles county, especially those located downwind of burn scars, may experience the most significant impacts.
The California governor, Gavin Newsom, issued an executive order on Tuesday barring “opportunist speculators” from taking advantage of the victims affected by the Los Angeles-area fires with “unsolicited cash offers to buy their properties”.
“The last thing these victims need are greedy speculators taking advantage of their pain with low-ball offers,” Newsom said.
The order makes these types of offers illegal for three months in specific zip codes, which include the Altadena region.
A new fire was burning in Riverside county, between Indian Hill Road and the Santa Ana River.
The Scout fire has burned two acres, according to the California department of forestry and fire protection.
The flames began around 1.10 pm in the Santa Ana River bottom.
Death toll rises to 25
At 4pm the Los Angeles county medical examiner’s office confirmed the death toll from the wildfires ravaging the area has risen to 25.
Meanwhile, Brice Bennet, deputy state fire marshal, shared an update via X on Tuesday afternoon saying that the mountains of San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties will be under a red flag warning from 10pm Tuesday to 12pm on Wednesday. Bennet said:
The National Weather Service has issued their highest level of warning, called a particularly dangerous situation. Damaging winds with gusts between 55 and 70 miles per hour are expected across the affected areas through Wednesday morning. The winds have already begun to increase in Southern California and are expected to peak early this afternoon. These conditions create a high risk for large, rapidly spreading fires, extreme fire behavior and long range spotting.
Several Southern California parks have temporarily closed as fires continued to ravage the region on Tuesday.
Pyramid Lake, Los Alamos Campground, and Vista del Lago are temporarily shut until January 19, 2025.
Meanwhile, the Angeles National Forest will be closed from Jan. 14, 2025, at 12 a.m. through Sunday, January 19, 2025, at midnight.
Los Angeles county’s department of public health has announced a “windblown dust and ash advisory” for the region.
The department is recommending that people wear goggles and masks, use air purifiers and stay indoors as the Santa Ana winds increase into the evening.
As Los Angeles residents await the worst of the winds that have been forecast, the city is warning people against using items like leaf blowers and barbecue grills. In a post on X, Unified LA, the city’s outlet for emergency public information, said:
Strong Santa Ana winds pose a heightened fire risk. Please avoid using leaf blowers, grills, and any equipment that generates sparks during these winds. It only takes a small spark to ignite a major wildfire. Protect our community and stay safe.
Peak Santa Ana winds are expected between 3am and 3pm on Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service.
The Los Angeles county sheriff’s department announced the repopulation of communities affected by the Eaton fire effective on Tuesday, 14 January, at 3pm.
Evacuation orders have been lifted south of Canyon Crest Road and west of Lincoln Avenue in the Altadena region.
The remaining areas of the community are still closed.
The National Weather Service said on Tuesday afternoon that “winds are weaker than expected today, but looking for one more enhancement late tonight and Wednesday”.
“Not quite out of the woods yet,” read a post on X.
Forecast models showed that on Wednesday, winds may reach up to 70mph in the mountains and 30-50mph in coastal and valley areas.