At least 25 people have died as multiple wildfires, fueled by severe drought conditions and strong winds, rage across the Los Angeles area.
Thousands of firefighters are battling wildfires across 45 square miles of densely populated Los Angeles County. About 88,000 people remain under mandatory evacuation orders and another 84,000 are under evacuation warnings.
The Palisades Fire, which began in the Pacific Palisades on Jan. 7, has destroyed about 5,000 structures. It's covered more than 23,000 acres and is at 18% containment.
The Eaton Fire north of Pasadena also began on Jan. 7 and has destroyed or damaged around 7,000 structures. It's burned over 14,000 acres and is at 35% containment.
Jan 13, 2025, 9:04 AM EST
Ukraine offers aid
Ukraine may send rescuers to help fight the devastating fires in California, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
"The situation there is extremely difficult, and Ukrainians can help Americans save lives," Zelenskyy tweeted. "This is currently being coordinated, and we have offered our assistance to the American side through the relevant channels. 150 of our firefighters are already prepared."
Firefighters from Mexico and Canada have also been deployed to California.
A Mexican military and fire aid team line up to board a plane bound for California to help fight wildfires, at Felipe Angeles International Airport in Zumpango, Mexico, Jan. 11, 2025.
Luis Cortes/Reuters
Jan 13, 2025, 8:10 AM EST
Edison International can’t rule out equipment role in wildfires, CEO says
Pedro Pizarro, the president and CEO of Edison International, told "Good Morning America" on Monday that the company cannot yet rule the possibility that its energy infrastructure played a role in sparking wildfires now raging around Los Angeles.
Southern California Edison workers service a utility pole in the aftermath of the Eaton Fire, on Jan. 12, 2025, in Altadena, California.
Ethan Swope/AP
Fire agencies are investigating whether Southern California Edison -- a subsidiary of Edison International -- infrastructure sites caused fires in areas devastated by the Eaton and Hurst wildfires.
"You can't rule out anything ever until you can get your eyes on the equipment," Pizarro said.
"Typically, when there's a spark created by equipment, we will see the electrical anomaly -- we haven't seen that," Pizarro said of a possible incident involving Edison infrastructure and the Hurst Fire burning outside of San Fernando.
"That said, we have not been able to get close to the equipment," he continued. "As soon as we can get close to it, we'll inspect and be transparent with the public."
"We may find something different," Pizarro added.
Pizarro said Edison also recorded damage to equipment at the site of the Eaton Fire in the mountains north of Pasadena. "We don't know whether the damage happened before or after the start of the fire," he said.
Pizarro said that Edison International will be shutting off power to some California residents as a precaution amid red flag warnings.
"We have about 450,000 customers who we've warned they may need to have their power shut off," Pizarro said.
Jan 13, 2025, 6:45 AM EST
High winds threaten explosive fire growth
Weather officials have issued a "Particularly Dangerous Situation" red flag warning for western Los Angeles County and most of Ventura County beginning on Tuesday at 4 a.m. into Wednesday at noon.
An ABC News graphic shows the fire forecast in Southern California on Monday, Jan. 13, 2025.
ABC News
Winds are forecast to be strong enough to potentially cause explosive fire growth.
A new Santa Ana wind event is forecast Monday through Wednesday with the strongest winds Tuesday into Wednesday.
On Monday morning and the rest of the day, winds will begin to pick up in the mountains and higher elevations, gusting 20 to 30 mph, locally as high as 50 mph.
By Tuesday morning at 4 a.m., when the "PDS" conditions begin, gusts in the mountains are expected to near 70 mph possibly and humidity could be as low as 8% for some of the area.
-ABC News' Max Golembo
Jan 13, 2025, 6:04 AM EST
68 arrested, many for burglary, in fire evacuation zones, police say
At least 68 people have been arrested in fire evacuation zones, according to law enforcement officials, as police work to secure devastated parts of Los Angeles and firefighters continue to battle wildfires.
Members of the Los Angeles Police Department watch over homes burned by the Palisades Fire on Jan. 12, 2025 in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, California.
Apu Gomes/Getty Images
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said it recorded 29 arrests -- 25 in the Eaton Fire area north of Pasadena and four in the Palisades Fire area in western Los Angeles.
The Santa Monica Police Department reported 39 arrests in evacuated areas in its jurisdiction on Saturday night, including 10 for burglary and six for possession of burglary tools. None of those arrested lived in the area, the department said.
