Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

10 people have died in the wildfires spreading across Southern California

Fire crews battle the Kenneth Fire in the West Hills section of Los Angeles, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025.
Ethan Swope
/
AP
Fire crews battle the Kenneth Fire in the West Hills section of Los Angeles, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025.

This is a developing story. For the latest local updates head to LAist.com and sign up for breaking news alerts.


Fires continue to rage on in Southern California, as tens of thousands of acres of land have been decimated, and the flames have been partially contained.

What you need to know

  • Ten people have died due to the fires, the Los Angeles Medical Examiner's Office confirmed. Identification may take several weeks, the examiner said.
  • About 180,000 people have had to evacuate and another 200,000 people are under evacuation warnings, the LA County Sheriff's Department said.

The latest on the fires | What's been lost | The forecast | How to stay safe

Keep reading for more information, and check back throughout the day for updates.

The fires

More than 35,000 acres have been burned, with the Palisades and Eaton fires driving the destruction, according to the California Department of Forestry & Fire Protection, or Cal Fire.

The latest on:
➡️ The Eaton fire
➡️ The Hurst fire
➡️ The Kenneth fire
➡️ The Lidia fire
➡️ The Palisades fire
➡️ The Woodley fire

"Unfortunately I think the death toll will rise," LA Sheriff Robert Luna said. "I hope I'm wrong. But I think it will rise."

About 8,000 personnel are responding to the fires from local, state, out-of-state and federal agencies, California Gov. Gavin Newsom said.

The Los Angeles Unified School District closed its schools throughout the week, and will continue to do so Friday.

The NBA has postponed a game between the Los Angeles Lakers and Charlotte Hornets to an unannounced date, while the NFL has moved a game between the Vikings and Rams from Inglewood, Calif., to Glendale, Ariz.

Twenty people have been arrested for looting in LA, a number Luna said is likely to go up.

The forecast

Wind speeds have slowed down some but are "will still be strong enough to be of concern" in the next few days, with a range of 20 to 60 miles per hour until Friday morning, the National Weather Service said.


The latest on the fires | What's been lost | The forecast | How to stay safe


The losses so far

More than 10,000 structures have been destroyed, according to Cal Fire.

➡️ Photos: See the California wildfires' destructive force, in satellite images

On Thursday, AccuWeather, a commercial company that provides data on weather and its impact, increased its estimate of total damage and economic loss to the region at between $135 billion to $150 billion.

How to help and stay safe

Resources to help stay safe:
➡️ Trying to stay safe in a wildfire? There's an app that can help
➡️ What to do — and not do — when you get home after a fire evacuation
➡️ How to keep yourself safe from wildfire smoke

Ways to support the response and recovery:
➡️ Resources for SoCal fire victims, evacuees and first responders
➡️ Got loved ones affected by LA Fires? These wildfire resources may help


The California Newsroom is following the extreme weather from across the region. Click through to LAist's coverage for the latest.

Copyright 2025 NPR

Ayana Archie
[Copyright 2024 NPR]