California fires updates: Death toll in Los Angeles fires rises to 24

Thousands of firefighters are battling the sprawling wildfires across LA.

ByJon Haworth, Emily Shapiro, Nadine El-Bawab, Meredith Deliso, Ivan Pereira, David Brennan, and Bill Hutchinson
Last Updated: January 12, 2025, 8:26 PM EST

At least 24 people are believed to be dead and more than a dozen others remain unaccounted for as multiple fires, fueled by severe drought conditions and strong Santa Ana winds, continue to rage across Southern California, leaving fire crews scrambling to contain the historic destruction.

Thousands of firefighters are battling several sprawling wildfires across 45 square miles of densely populated Los Angeles County. The largest, the Palisades Fire, in Pacific Palisades, has scorched nearly 24,000 acres, destroyed thousands of structures and is 11% contained. The Eaton Fire, in Altadena, now stands at more than 14,100 acres and is 27% contained. The Hurst Fire near Sylmar has burned 799 acres and is 89% contained.

About 105,000 people remain under mandatory evacuation orders and another 87,000 are under evacuation warnings.

Key Headlines

Here's how the news is developing.
Jan 24, 2:20 pm

Tracking ongoing California wildfires

The Palisades Fire, which began in the Pacific Palisades on Jan. 7, has destroyed or damaged more than 6,000 structures. It's covered more than 23,000 acres and is at 87% containment.

The Eaton Fire north of Pasadena also began on Jan. 7 and has destroyed or damaged more than 10,000 structures. It's burned over 14,000 acres and is at 95% containment.

Jan 11, 2025, 2:26 PM EST

ATF now lead investigator into cause of fires

The ATF is leading a taskforce investigating the cause and origin of the fires, officials announced at a press conference Saturday.

The task force is made up of local, state and federal partners designed to investigate the cause of these fires and to see if there's any connection between them.

ATF-certified fire investigators arrived on the scene on Friday and additional ATF personnel are coming in to assist in the investigation, an ATF official told ABC News earlier.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass speaks at a press conference on Jan. 11, 2025, in Los Angeles.
KABC

"When the fires are out, make no mistake, we will have a full accounting of what worked, and especially what did not," LA Mayor Karen Bass said at a press conference Saturday. "So let me be clear about something, the fire chief and I are focused on fighting these fires and saving lives, and any differences that we might have will be worked out in private. But right now, our first and most important obligation to Angelinos is to get through this crisis."

When asked about the taskforce by ABC News, California Attorney General Rob Bonta said, "We're very confident that we have the best and the brightest that our nation has to offer working on this."

-ABC News' Jennifer Watts and Jack Date

Jan 11, 2025, 11:57 AM EST

13 missing, 11 dead in LA County

At least 13 people are missing and 11 are dead in Los Angeles County as the fires continue to burn.

It remains unknown if any of the missing persons are included in the death count.

Fire Crews battle the Palisades Fire in Mandeville Canyon, on Jan. 11, 2025, in Los Angeles.
Jae C. Hong/AP

The sheriff's department has committed 40 members of its specialized search and rescue teams to work jointly with our partners at Los Angeles County Fire urban search and rescue team with the corners office for LA County, FEMA, the Office of Emergency Services and the use of cadaver dogs to search for remains and reunite families.

Jan 11, 2025, 11:32 AM EST

27 arrests in Palisades, Eaton Fires

Twenty-seven people were arrested amid the Palisades and Eaton Fire areas, most of them people who were not where they were supposed to be, county and city officials said.

"They had no business being there," Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna told reporters on Saturday about the people arrested.

Twenty-two people were arrested by LA County while five others were arrested by the city.

Those arrested include two people who were arrested and booked for curfew violations. Most of the arrests were for burglary, looting and possession of narcotics.

Jan 11, 2025, 10:10 AM EST

Palisades Fire reaches 11% containment, currently covering nearly 22,000 acres

The Palisades Fire has reached 21,596 acres with 11% containment, currently the biggest fire in California. Winds are expected to gradually increase going into the evening on Saturday.

The Eaton Fire has also reached 14,117 acres and is currently at 15% containment.

The Kenneth Fire currently stands at 1,052 acres with 80% containment.

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