Los Angeles

YouTube, Google donate $15 million for Los Angeles wildfire relief

Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google and Alphabet, assured everyone in Los Angeles of his support

Southern California faces new wildfire warnings as winds regain strength

Weary and anxious from a week of massive blazes burning around Los Angeles, Southern California residents faced dire new wildfire warnings and power shutoffs Tuesday while they prepared to flee at a moment's notice as fire-fuelling winds blasted across the scarred landscape. The winds, predicted to reach near hurricane-force in some areas, were expected to peak Tuesday morning before easing and then regaining strength later in the day. A beefed-up firefighting force was in place to attack flareups or new blazes. A week after the first fires began, the flames have destroyed thousands of homes and killed at least 24 people. Life threatening and destructive and widespread winds are already here, LA city Fire Chief Kristin Crowley told a news conference. Residents gathered up their pets and family photos in case they had to make a hasty escape. In other developments, nine people were charged with looting, including a group that stole an Emmy award from a house that had been evacuated,

Hollywood's filmmaking continues despite massive LA wildfires: Report

Disney's movie assembly lines - like the rest of Hollywood's - have been almost completely unaffected

Here's how this $9 million mansion survived California's brutal wildfires

Amid California's Malibu wildfires, a $9-million mansion survived untouched. Its owner, a retired waste executive, calls it a 'miracle'

Los Angeles wildfires: Blaze claims 25 lives amid fierce Santa Ana winds

LA wildfires: New evidence suggests that the Palisades Fire, one of Los Angeles' most destructive blazes which started on January 7, may have reignited from a New Year's Eve fire in the same area

Lawsuit claims utility's equipment sparked Eaton Fire, probe underway

A lawsuit filed on Monday against Southern California Edison claims the utility's equipment sparked the deadly Eaton Fire burning just outside Los Angeles and Edison has acknowledged fire agencies are investigating whether its equipment may have started a smaller LA-area fire that broke out the same day. Authorities still haven't determined an official cause for any of the fires, which began last Tuesday amid hurricane-force winds and have killed at least 24 people in and around Los Angeles. A team from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is taking the lead on the investigations and whether there is a connection between any of them. Firefighters are still battling to contain the Eaton Fire that broke out near Pasadena, destroying at least 7,000 homes and other structures and laying waste to entire neighbourhoods. Attorneys representing a homeowner who lost their home said that it is their belief that Edison's equipment caused it. Video taken during the fire's earl

Here's what to know about pink flame retardants being used to slow LA fires

Aircraft battling fires raging through the Los Angeles area are dropping more than water -- hundreds of thousands of gallons of hot-pink fire suppressant ahead of the flames in a desperate effort to stop them before they destroy more neighbourhoods. The fires have killed at least 24 people, displaced thousands and destroyed more than 12,000 structures since they began last Tuesday. Four fires driven by strong Santa Ana winds have charred about 160 square kilometres, according to Cal Fire. Fire agencies say the suppressants -- most often used to fight forest fires -- are an invaluable tool. But what is in them and are they safe? Why they are being used in Los Angeles The fires are burning quickly through canyons and other rugged areas that are difficult for firefighters on the ground to reach, Cal Fire said. While fire suppressants can be very effective, they do have limitations, the agency said, "Strong winds can make it too dangerous to fly at the low altitudes needed for drops a

Los Angeles area in extreme fire danger as crews battle enduring blazes

More powerful winds were expected to trigger new wildfires that could set back the recent progress made in containing blazes in the Los Angeles area that have destroyed thousands of homes and killed at least 24 people. Much of Los Angeles area to remain under an extreme fire danger warning through Wednesday A large portion of southwest California spanning eight counties around Los Angeles is under a red flag warning for extreme fire danger through Wednesday. Certain areas of LA and Ventura counties, including valleys, foothills and mountains throughout the Santa Monica and Santa Susana ranges, were in what the National Weather Service calls a "particularly dangerous situation". The Palisades and Eaton fires are burning on the southern side of that area, and hurricane-force winds are forecast to return on Tuesday. The weather service urges residents to "stay aware of your surroundings. Be ready to evacuate. Avoid anything that can spark a fire". Interactive maps show locations of

Oscars push back nominations announcement amid California wildfires

The Oscar nominations are being pushed back almost a week from their original date amid the ongoing California wildfires. Nominations will now be announced on January 23, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences said Monday. We are all devastated by the impact of the fires and the profound losses experienced by so many in our community, Academy CEO Bill Kramer and Academy President Janet Yang said in a joint statement. The Academy has always been a unifying force within the film industry, and we are committed to standing together in the face of hardship. With fires still active in the Los Angeles area, the film academy also extended the nominations voting period for its members through Friday. Originally, nominations were to be announced that morning. The organisation that puts on the Oscars has also made the decision to cancel its annual nominees luncheon, an untelevised event best known for the class photos it produces annually. The Scientific and Technical Awards, previou

US-India is one of the greatest relationships: US ambassador Eric Garcetti

Garcetti, who was visibly nostalgic, said that the relationship of the US with India was one of the greatest relationships they have ever known

LA wildfires: 24 deaths, fire tornado & 12,000 damaged structures. Updates

Los Angeles fires: While the exact cause of the fires is yet to be determined, early estimates suggest that economic damages and losses could range between $135 billion and $150 billion

24 dead as fire crews try to corral LA blazes before winds return this week

Firefighters scrambled Sunday to make further progress against wildfires that have destroyed thousands of homes and killed 24 people in the Los Angeles area as forecasters again warned of dangerous weather with the return of strong winds this week. At least 16 people were missing, and authorities said that number was expected to rise. The National Weather Service issued red flag warnings for severe fire conditions through Wednesday, with sustained winds of 80 kilometres per hour and gusts in the mountains reaching 113 kilometres per hour. The most dangerous day will be Tuesday, said weather service meteorologist Rich Thompson. "You're going to have really strong gusty Santa Ana winds, a very dry atmosphere and still very dry brush, so we still have some very critical fire weather conditions out there," Thompson said at a community meeting Saturday night. Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony C Marrone said 70 additional water trucks arrived to help crews fend off flames spread by ..

Here's all you need to know about devastation from Los Angeles wildfires

Fires ripping through the Los Angeles area have killed at least 16 people, displaced thousands of others and destroyed more than 12,000 structures while burning through an area larger than the city of San Francisco. The blazes started last Tuesday, fuelled by fierce Santa Ana winds that forecasters expect to kick back up through at least midweek. Cal Fire reported the Palisades, Eaton, Kenneth and Hurst fires had consumed about 160 square kilometres. Five deaths were attributed to the Palisades Fire along the coast and 11 deaths resulted from the Eaton Fire further inland, the LA County medical examiner's office said. At least 16 people were missing, and authorities said that number was expected to rise. While a cause for the fires has yet to be determined, early estimates indicate they could be the nation's costliest ever. Preliminary estimates by AccuWeather put the damage and economic losses at between USD 135 billion and USD 150 billion. Thousands remain evacuated or without ..

Wildfires burn Los Angeles' schools, destroy outdoor education sanctuaries

For Irina Contreras, a programme manager for Los Angeles County's Department of Arts and Culture, outdoor education was a refuge for both her and her daughter during the pandemic. Now, much of that refuge has been burned in the raging wildfires around Los Angeles. Her daughter Ceiba (7) hikes with a kids' adventure group called Hawks and attended Matilija, a bilingual forest school for preschool and kindergarten. Rain or shine, she and her friends would spend their days climbing, jumping, hiking, and swimming in places like Eaton Canyon Nature Area, a 190-acre preserve near Altadena, now destroyed by fire. Ceiba learned to ask plants for permission before taking samples to glue into her nature journal. Once, her group discovered a hidden path that led behind a waterfall. Ceiba couldn't stop talking about it for days. For parents like Contreras, the wildfires have been devastating not just because of the loss of life and thousands of homes. They are mourning natural and educational

LA wildfires: Death toll rises as crews battle heavy winds to save homes

The death toll from the wildfires ravaging the Los Angeles area rose to 16 as crews battled to cut off the spreading blazes before potentially strong winds return that could push the flames toward some of the city's most famous landmarks. Five of the deaths were attributed to the Palisades Fire and 11 resulted from the Eaton Fire, the Los Angeles County coroner's office said in a statement Saturday evening. The previous number of confirmed fatalities before Saturday was 11, but officials said they expected that figure to rise as teams with cadaver dogs conduct systematic grid searches in levelled neighbourhoods. Authorities have established a centre where people can report the missing. There were fears that winds could move the fires toward the J Paul Getty Museum and the University of California, Los Angeles, while new evacuation warnings left more homeowners on edge. By Saturday evening, Cal Fire reported the Palisades, Eaton, Kenneth and Hurst fires had consumed about 62 square

Trump calls California wildfires 'worst catastrophes' in US history

The Los Angeles County medical examiner's office confirmed the death toll from the wildfires ravaging the area has risen to 16. The total of confirmed fatalities stands at 16 victims, and the cases remain under investigation. Five of the deaths were attributed to the Palisades Fire, and 11 resulted from the Eaton Fire, the coroner's office said in a statement Saturday evening. The previous number of confirmed fatalities was 11, but officials said they expected that figure to rise as cadaver dogs search levelled neighbourhoods and crews assess the devastation. Authorities have established a centre where people can report the missing. Firefighters raced to cut off spreading wildfires before potentially strong winds return that could push the flames toward the world famous J. Paul Getty Museum and the University of California, Los Angeles, while new evacuation warnings left more homeowners on edge. A fierce battle against the flames was underway in Mandeville Canyon, home to Arnold ..

Firefighters race to contain LA fires with menacing winds likely to return

Firefighters raced on Saturday to cut off spreading wildfires before potentially strong winds return that could push the flames toward the world famous J Paul Getty Museum and the University of California, Los Angeles, while new evacuation warnings left more homeowners on edge. A fierce battle against the flames was underway in Mandeville Canyon, home to Arnold Schwarzenegger and other celebrities not far from the Pacific coast, where swooping helicopters dumped water as the blaze charged downhill. Firefighters on the ground used hoses in an attempt to beat back leaping flames as thick smoke blanketed the chaparral-covered hillside. At a briefing, CalFire Operations Chief Christian Litz said a main focus would be the Palisades Fire burning in the canyon area, not far from the UCLA campus. County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath said the LA area "had another night of unimaginable terror and heartbreak, and even more Angelenos evacuated due to the northeast expansion of the Palisades ...

Families in shock begin to visit charred homes in Los Angeles area

Many watched their homes burn on television in a state of shock. Now four days since the flames erupted in and around Los Angeles, many residents have returned to their still smoldering neighbourhoods even as the threat of new fires persisted and the nation's second- largest city remained unsettled. For some it was a first look at the staggering reality of what was lost as the region grapples with the gargantuan challenge of overcoming the disaster and rebuilding. Metropolitan LA and its 13 million residents, who haven't seen rain in more than eight months, woke up Friday to another day of strong winds that later eased, enabling firefighters to start gaining some control of the biggest blazes. Bridget Berg, who was at work when she saw on TV her house in Altadena erupt in flames, came back for the first time with her family on Thursday just to make it real. Their feet crunched across the broken bits covering what had been their home for 16 years. Her kids sifted through debris on

How the Palisades fire became the worst in Los Angeles' history

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