Wildfires latest: An additional 84,000 people could be ordered to evacuate, officials warn

Firefighters around Los Angeles were preparing on Tuesday to attack flare-ups or new blazes. The National Weather Service issued a rare warning that dry winds combined with severely dry conditions created a '' particularly dangerous situation," indicating that any new fire could explode in size. The warning comes a week after two massive infernos destroyed thousands of homes and killed at least 25 people.

Here's the latest:

High winds are expected to cause extreme fire weather Wednesday, forecasters say

A newly-issued Particularly Dangerous Situation Red Flag Warning for Southern California's Los Angeles and Ventura counties will be in effect from 3 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service in Los Angeles.

Higher winds are expected to cause extreme fire weather. People should stay alert for the possibility of fast-moving fire, the weather service said in a social media post.

''Key message: We are not out of the woods yet,'' the post said. ''The winds underperformed today, but one more enhancement could happen tonight-tomorrow.''

Red Flag Warnings remain in effect across much of Los Angeles and Ventura counties, and parts of San Louis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties through Wednesday, the weather agency said on its website.

Paris Hilton has raised $800,000 for victims of the fires burning in and around Los Angeles.

Hilton's representatives say the socialite and entrepreneur has donated $150,000 specifically for families displaced by the Eaton Fire that destroyed large parts of the Altadena neighborhood.

She lost a home in the Palisade Fire and has been volunteering and raising money through her 11:11 Media Impact foundation to help those displaced since this weekend.

Hilton helped pack items for families for the charity Baby2Baby and also is volunteering time at Pasadena Humane Society, which has taken in many animals affected by the Eaton Fire.

LA poet Amanda Gorman pens ‘Smoldering Dawn' in tribute to fire victims

The Los Angeles native says she penned ''Smoldering Dawn'' to process her own fears and prayers in a recital that was viewed more than 212,000 times in one social media post on X since Friday. A companion online fundraiser is tied to the California Fire Foundation.

The poem opens with, ''All of our angels have gone. In this smoldering dawn we soldier on, we've proved ourselves strong.''

The 26-year-old former national youth poet laureate says she's fortunate to be safe after her own home held up with some damage as wildfire raced through Pacific Palisades.

Gorman gained national attention with her poetry performance at the 2021 inauguration of President Joe Biden.

Death toll rises to 25

As of Tuesday afternoon, officials have attributed one more death to the Eaton Fire. The Eaton Fire has killed 17 people, and the Palisades Fire has killed eight.

‘Sleeping with one eye open'

Javier Vega feels like he's been ''sleeping with one eye open'' since last Friday when the Palisades Fire began surging toward his Sherman Oaks neighborhood.

His girlfriend has been going to bed around 5 a.m. after keeping watch all night and will sleep during the day until her work starts at 2 p.m., while he takes over in the morning when he gets up for his job, he said.

''Typically on any other night, hearing helicopters flying overhead from midnight to four in the morning, that would drive anyone crazy,'' Vega said. ''But it was actually soothing for me to go to sleep knowing there's people actively holding to keep (the fire) from being in my neighborhood.''

And they have supplies in the car and a plan in place for how they'll evacuate their two cats, eight fish and leopard gecko — all part of their family, Vega said.

Octavia Butler imagined LA ravaged by fires. Her Altadena cemetery survived

Decades ago, the writer Octavia Butler had imagined a Los Angeles ravaged by fires.

The Altadena cemetery where the science fiction and Afrofuturism author is buried did catch fire last week but suffered ''minimal damage,'' according to a statement on the cemetery's web site.

The grave of Butler, who died in 2006 at 58, is marked by a footstone etched with a quote from ''Parable of the Sower,'' among her most famous novels.

''We had a fire today,'' reads a Feb. 1, 2025, diary entry in the book, referring to a small blaze that presages the destructive fires to come in the novel.

▶Read more about Octavia Butler and her works

Retro VW van miraculously survives deadly fire

A surprising photograph of an undamaged Volkswagen van surrounded by destruction from a Los Angeles wildfire has astonished viewers.

None was more surprised than Megan Krystle Weinraub, a surf and skate board designer who owns the 1977 vehicle. Friends went surfing with the vintage Volkswagen Type 2 on Jan. 5 and parked it in a Malibu neighborhood just before the Palisades fire ripped through.

▶Read more about the retro van ''Azul''

‘We need to start thinking about our recovery'

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has cautioned residents that the emergency isn't over yet, but she wants them to start thinking about recovery and rebuilding if possible.

She said she lived through previous disasters in Los Angeles in 1992 and 1994, so she knows the city will be able to rebuild.

''While we are going through what I hope is the final hours of this disaster, we need to start thinking about our recovery,'' Bass said.

One step Bass took this week should make 1,200 housing units available quickly. She said they were ready before the fires, but were caught up in getting regulatory approval.

2 disaster recovery centers set up to help Californians affected by the fires

Representatives from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Small Business Administration, the state and several charities are all there to meet with people.

''When we talk about recovery, it's really a whole community effort,'' said Robert J. Fenton, Jr., regional administrator for FEMA Region 9, on Tuesday.

The centers will be located in Pasadena and Los Angeles.

FEMA offers up to $770 to help cover immediate needs during the evacuation, but its larger grants of up to $43,600 generally aren't available until after insurance companies pay out.

Someone who receives a maximum grant from FEMA might be eligible for another $10,000 grant from the state.

For other needs beyond what insurance and FEMA cover, the Small Business Administration offers low-interest loans to individuals and businesses. Businesses can borrow up to $2 million while homeowners can borrow up to $500,000 for rebuilding and another $100,000 for personal property.

Bass says she's ‘keeping an open mind' about working with Trump administration

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said on Tuesday she believes President-elect Donald Trump may try to visit Los Angeles sometime next week after his inauguration.

''The nation's second-largest city has got to succeed,'' she said.

How the fires have temporarily paused awards season

Hollywood's awards season has all but come to a rare halt as the wildfires continue to disrupt life and work in the Los Angeles area.

There are near-daily updates from the Hollywood guilds and organizations that put on awards shows as the industry navigates the ongoing crisis. The Oscar nominations have been delayed twice and some guilds have postponed their announcements without rescheduling.

The only major show to push thus far is the Critics Choice Awards, which will now be held Jan. 26.

1. Jan. 23 — Oscar nominations

2. Feb. 2 — Grammy Awards

3. Feb. 23 — Screen Actors Guild Awards

4. March 2 — Academy Awards

▶ Read more on what's happening with awards season

Flush with her $1.25 winnings at the bingo tables, Sharon Tanner retired to a room off the dining hall to discuss the top worry for the residents council at her senior living community: what to do about people leaving their laundry in the washing machines and dryers.

Dinner service at the Terraces at Park Marino in Pasadena, California, was about half over, and residents were gathering in the lobby for the night's movie feature: ''Scent of a Woman.'' Tanner and Carlene Sutherland, the council vice president and secretary, were discussing the laundry scofflaws when something caught their attention.

''I smell smoke,'' Tanner said.

''So do I,'' remarked Sutherland.

High above in the surrounding hills, a fire was burning. But staff had decided they were in no immediate danger, and the women figured they were smelling a distant fire.

The space was filling up with people, many of them agitated. Outside, the wind was howling.

Then the power went out.

▶ Read more about how a senior home evacuated before burning down

Lucy Walker made a searing film about wildfires in 2021. Now, people may be more inclined to listen

When Lucy Walker debuted her harrowing documentary about California wildfires, ''Bring Your Own Brigade,'' at Sundance in 2021, it was during peak COVID. Not the best time for a film on a wholly different scourge.

That could change. Walker thinks people may now be more receptive to her message, given the devastating wildfires that have wrought havoc on Los Angeles itself the past week.

▶ Read more about the film's portrayal of two devastating 2018 wildfires in California

Search efforts for those reported missing enter another day

At least two dozen people have been reported missing in the two largest wildfires, and sheriff's deputies are searching or them. But that number changes often.

Conditions remain dangerous throughout the burned areas and the threat of additional fires is real.

''I don't want people to start thinking everything's OK now. Everything's not OK yet,'' Luna said. ''We'll get there together, but again the wind's blowing and it's going to continue to blow.''

Officials are helping residents access medications and other help

Anish Mahajan, Chief Deputy Director, Los Angeles County Department of Public Health said there is help for residents who need refills on medications they may have left behind or new prescriptions.

Mahajan said there is also a program available that can provide medication to people who are receiving opioid addiction treatment.

The high winds are expected to create air quality problems in the Los Angeles area as ash from the wildfires is picked up in the winds. Mahajan urged everyone to wear an N-95 or P-100 protective mask if they have to be outside in an area with poor air quality.

Some 40,000 people have already applied for assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which has provided over $8 million so far for immediate needs, said Robert J. Fenton, Jr., regional administrator for FEMA Region 9.

But Fenton said at a news conference on Tuesday that everyone will need to file insurance claims. FEMA aid is designed to help with unmet needs — after insurance claims are paid.

Fenton said the maximum amount of aid FEMA can provide is $43,600.

President Joe Biden has said the federal government would pay 100% of the firefighting and recovery costs in the first 180 days, but Fenton noted that doesn't mean FEMA will cover 100% of individual families' costs.

Bass says damage from the wildfires is devastating to see

Bass said seeing the destruction drove home the enormity of the situation, and described the aftermath of the wind-driven infernos as a ''dry hurricane.''

Bass said she wants to begin thinking about how Los Angeles will rebuild from the massive destruction.

She added that she has taken steps to reduce the bureaucracy residents may face when they start to recover from the fires and has also signed an order to clear the path for debris removal.

All eyes are on FEMA, county supervisor says

LA County Supervisor Kathryn Barger said the Federal Emergency Management Agency is the agency designed to help people at their darkest moment, but residents need clear answers about exactly what help they can expect.

3 people have been arrested since Sunday on suspicion of arson

Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell said all three were arrested on suspicion of arson.

One person was using a barbecue lighter to start fires. Another person lit a trash can on fire. The third person was caught lighting brush on fire. Those small fires were all quickly extinguished.

The arson arrests were in addition to nearly 40 arrests for looting, flying drones illegally that could interfere with firefighting aircraft, curfew violations and other things, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said.

About 85,000 people have been warned they might face evacuation orders

About 88,000 people remained under evacuation orders Tuesday morning because of the fires. But another 84,800 have been warned that they might be ordered to evacuate.

Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna encouraged people to consider leaving when they get a warning without waiting for an order.

Luna pointed out that his deputies had to rescue many people who waited until the last minute when evacuations were ordered last week.

Nearly 3 dozen arrests have been made

Authorities have made nearly 40 arrests for looting, flying drones illegally that could interfere with firefighting aircraft, curfew violations and other things, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said.

Sheriff's officials said Tuesday they are investigating at least two dozen missing persons cases — 18 in the Eaton Fire and six around the Palisades.

‘It is still very dangerous for the next 24 hours,' sheriff says

LA County Sheriff Robert Luna urged people to leave as soon as evacuation warnings are issued.

He added that despite the progress that's been made in some areas, people need to be vigilant.

''I don't want people to start thinking everything's OK now. Everything's not OK yet,'' Luna said. ''We'll get there together but again the wind's blowing and it's going to continue to blow.''

Some 88,000 people are currently under evacuation orders, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said on Tuesday at a morning news conference.

Luna warned that number could go up over the next 24 hours with the wind threat.

''Life-threatening and destructive and widespread winds are already here,'' LAFD Chief Kristin Crowley said.

Thousands are currently without power

About 85,000 customers were without power Tuesday morning in southern California, according to PowerOutage.us website that tracks outages nationwide.

Southern California Edison warned about 450,000 customers Monday that their power may be shut off temporarily because of the expected high winds.

The National Weather Service said Tuesday that strong winds were expected to resume in the morning and continue at least through mid-morning before slowing in the afternoon. The Santa Ana winds this week are expected to follow a more typical pattern with the strongest winds in the mornings.

FEMA says misinformation about government assistance after the fires is being spread deliberately

The head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency says officials have seen the deliberate spreading of misinformation related to government assistance after the wildfires in Los Angeles in ways similar to what occurred following Hurricane Helene's devastation in North Carolina last year.

''We are seeing that,'' FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell said when President Joe Biden asked about misinformation during a White House briefing on the wildfires.

Criswell said that, if winds intensify overnight and exacerbate still-burning fires, state and county officials have systems that send alerts to the cell phones of people in evacuation zones.

Small airborne embers play a big role in the spread of wildfires

While authorities still don't know what sparked the deadly fires in the Los Angeles area, they do know one clear way the flames have spread: embers.

Contrary to popular belief, experts say most homes destroyed by wildfires aren't overcome by a racing wall of flames, but rather burn after being ignited by airborne embers.

Wind allows embers to burn harder and release more energy, becoming a more potent ignition source, said James Urban, an assistant professor in the Department of Fire Protection Engineering at Worcester Polytechnic Institute. The burning pieces of debris then accumulate and sort of work together, gathering between the slats of wood fences or in shrubbery and igniting new fires.

Contaminated drinking water is a growing concern for cities facing wildfires

As fires continue to burn across Los Angeles, several utilities have declared their drinking water unsafe until extensive testing can prove otherwise.

A warmer, drier climate means wildfires are getting worse, and encroaching on cities — with devastating impact. Toxic chemicals from those burns can get into damaged drinking water systems, and even filtering or boiling won't help, experts say.

Last week, Pasadena Water and Power issued a ''Do Not Drink'' notice to about a third of its customers for the first time since it began distributing water more than a century ago. With at least one burned pump, several damaged storage tanks, and burned homes, they knew there was a chance toxic chemicals had entered their pipes.

''Out of the abundance of caution, you kind of have to assume the worst,'' said Stacie Takeguchi, chief assistant general manager for the utility.

▶ Read more about how the fires are impacting drinking water

High winds have worsened California wildfires. What makes them?

High winds have been a key ingredient in the devastating wildfires around Los Angeles.

Southern California's winds typically flow onshore from the Pacific, carrying moist air onto land. The Santa Ana winds are warm currents that move in the opposite direction.

Santa Ana winds typically occur from September through May, and they are so dry that they've been linked with some of the worst wildfires the region has ever seen, in part because the lack of humidity in the air contributes to vegetation quickly drying.

Here's where things stand on Tuesday morning

A beefed-up firefighting force was staged around Los Angeles to attack flare-ups or new blazes and anxious residents prepared for more fire danger as winds began to build Tuesday, a week after two massive infernos destroyed thousands of homes and killed at least 24 people.

Dry winds gusted early Tuesday to 40 mph (64 kilometers per hour) in coastal and valley areas and 50 miles per hour (80 kph) in the mountains, said meteorologist Todd Hall of the National Weather Service. Gusts up to 65 mph (105 kph) were forecast to continue through midday Wednesday.

The weather service issued a rare warning that the winds combined with severely dry conditions created a ''particularly dangerous situation'' indicating that any new fire could explode in size. Hall said the conditions could lead to extreme fire behavior that could spread embers 2 to 3 miles (3 to 5 kilometers) ahead of flames or even cause fire tornadoes.