California fires live updates: At least 10 fire-related deaths, medical examiner says

The fire which ignited Thursday afternoon is spreading in the West Hills area.

ByRiley Hoffman, David Brennan, Kevin Shalvey, Nadine El-Bawab, Meredith Deliso, and Leah Sarnoff
Last Updated: January 10, 2025, 12:26 AM EST

At least 10 people are believed to be dead -- with the LA County sheriff saying he expects that number to rise -- as a series of devastating fires grow uncontained across Southern California amid dry and windy conditions, leaving officials scrambling to contain the historic destruction.

Thousands of firefighters are battling at least five sprawling wildfires spread around the Los Angeles area. The largest, the Palisades Fire, in Pacific Palisades, has scorched over 19,000 acres, destroyed thousands of structures and remains zero percent contained. The Eaton Fire, in Altadena, now stands at more than 13,000 acres and zero percent contained. More than 180,000 people have been ordered to evacuate as the infernos spread.

President Joe Biden on Wednesday approved a federal major disaster declaration for Los Angeles County.

Key Headlines

Here's how the news is developing.
Jan 08, 2025, 1:27 PM EST

Nearly 2 dozen school districts close due to fires

Twenty-two of Los Angeles County's 80 school districts are closed Wednesday due to fires and weather conditions in the region, according to the Los Angeles County Office of Education.

Sparks fly from the wheel of a burned school bus as the Eaton Fire moves through the area on Jan. 8, 2025, in Altadena, Calif.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

These school districts are reporting closures, according to the office:

  • Alhambra Unified School District
  • Arcadia Unified School District
  • Azusa Unified School District
  • Baldwin Park Unified School District
  • Bonita Unified School District
  • Burbank Unified School District
  • Duarte Unified School District
  • El Monte City School District
  • Glendale Unified School District
  • Glendora Unified School District
  • La Canada Unified School District
  • Las Vírgenes School District
  • Monrovia Unified School District
  • Mountain View School District
  • Pasadena Unified School District
  • Rosemead School District
  • San Gabriel Unified School District
  • San Marino Unified School District
  • Santa Monica Malibu Unified School District
  • South Pasadena Unified School District
  • Temple City Unified School District
  • Valle Lindo School District

Additionally, several schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District are closed, officials said.

Jan 08, 2025, 1:23 PM EST

Newsom cancels trip to Carter's funeral

California Gov. Gavin Newsom canceled his trip to Washington D.C., for former President Jimmy Carter's memorial service amid the continued spread of multiple fires in Southern California.

President Joe Biden spoke to Newsom by phone on Wednesday to "receive the latest update on the wildfires across Los Angeles." Biden is still expected to get a briefing later from Cal Fire officials.

FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell also spoke with Newsom to get an update on the wildfires, according to a FEMA spokesperson. FEMA's regional office in California is in constant communication with California Office of Emergency Services and the agency has deployed a FEMA liaison to their offices as the agency continues to monitor the situation closely.

The regional administrator for FEMA Region IX approved Fire Management Assistance Grants for the Palisades Fire to support the state with the control of the fires.

Jan 08, 2025, 1:04 PM EST

Vice President Harris' LA neighborhood under evacuation order

Vice President Kamala Harris' Los Angeles neighborhood is under an evacuation order, according to her office.

No one was in the home at the time, Ernie Apreza, a spokesperson for her office, said.

"She and the Second Gentleman are praying for the safety of their fellow Californians, the heroic first responders, and Secret Service personnel," Apreza said on X.

Harris and her husband, Doug Emhoff, own a home in Brentwood, which Emhoff purchased in 2012 for $2.7 million.

-ABC News' Molly Nagle

Jan 08, 2025, 12:56 PM EST

Actor Steve Guttenberg says he's moving cars to allow fire trucks in

Actor Steve Guttenberg told "GMA3" he's been moving abandoned vehicles to allow fire trucks in as the fire ravages the Pacific Palisades.

"It's like a parking lot," Guttenberg said. "When people abandon their cars, you've got to leave your keys in there, so guys like me can move them."

Actor Steve Guttenberg speaks on "GMA3" about the fires in California on Jan. 8, 2025.
ABC

Guttenberg said he's been staying at a friend's house, where they have no electricity but is otherwise "doing OK."

"It's just the biggest fire I've ever seen in my life," Guttenberg said. "I got a lot of smoke in my lungs."

While in the Palisades on Tuesday, he said it looked like there was a "volcano" on the sides of the hills.

"Now I never think I'm going to die, but this is one of those moments where I said, 'Oh man, these could be the place I'm going to go,'" he said.

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