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 09, 2025, 6:28 PM EST

National Guard called in to assist

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Office has requested the support of the California National Guard for securing evacuation zones, traffic control and to prevent looting, Sheriff Robert Luna said during Thursday's press briefing.

"For the last 24 hours or so, we have had approximately 400 National Guard members throughout the state ready to support us, and as I just stated, they will be coming in," he said. "We expect that they may be on site as soon as tonight."

Jan 09, 2025, 6:23 PM EST

Evacuation order issued for new LA County fire

The Los Angeles Fire Department has issued a mandatory evacuation order due to the new Kenneth Fire, which has burned 50 acres in West Hills.

The immediate evacuation has been issued for Vanowen south to Burbank Boulevard County Lane Road and east to East Valley Circle Boulevard.

Traffic backs up as residents evacuate ahead of the Kenneth Fire, on Jan. 9, 2025, in Calabasas, Calif.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Jan 09, 2025, 6:23 PM EST

Eaton Fire grows to 13,690 acres

The Eaton Fire has grown to 13,690 acres and is 0% contained, LA County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said during the briefing.

"We now have a confirmation that we have a potential for over 4,000 to 5,000 structures damaged or destroyed in the fire," he said.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation, he said.

Burnt vehicles are seen as the wildfires burn in the Los Angeles area, at the Eaton Fire in Altadena, Calif., Jan. 9, 2025.
Ringo Chiu/Reuters

Jan 09, 2025, 6:14 PM EST

Curfew eyed for impacted areas

Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said he wants to implement a curfew for areas impacted by the Palisades and Eaton fires, though it is not yet official.

Luna said the goal is to implement a curfew between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. by Thursday or Friday.

The curfew would be to "send a stronger message" against looting and to keep people out of impacted areas, he said during a press briefing.

There have been reports of between 12 to 16 arrests for looting, he said.

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