Los Angeles wildfires: 'Life-threatening,' powerful winds bring elevated fire risk

California Gov. Gavin Newsom, right, tours the downtown business district of Pacific Palisades as the Palisades Fire continues to burn on Jan. 8, 2025 in Los Angeles. (Eric Thayer)

California Gov. Gavin Newsom said efforts are being made to get teams into Los Angeles to remove debris from the wildfires.

“California is working closely with the federal government to get debris removal teams quickly into the areas of Los Angeles that have been devastated by the hurricane-force firestorms,” Newsom said in a post on X. “We’re clearing obstacles to ensure cleanup happens as soon as it’s safe for teams to move in.”

The post come after the governor’s office announced it was seeking at least $2.5 billion in emergency funding to help with disaster relief.

Just under half of the sought funds would come from the state’s emergency reserves account, while the other $1.5 billion would come from a climate bond voters approved in November. 

A helicopter drops water on the Palisades Fire in Mandeville Canyon, Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025, in Los Angeles. (Etienne Laurent)

California lawmakers called for unity amid the historic Los Angeles wildfires, while at least one fired off letters to Congress calling for federal investigations into Sacramento's fire preparedness and environmental policies.

Republican lawmakers also said at a news conference Monday that any talk of gaveling-in the special session with the express purpose of buttressing the state against President-elect Trump should be quashed.

Assemblymember Carl DeMaio, R-San Diego, said he is sending letters to members-designate of the new Trump administration and top oversight lawmakers, suggesting officials in Sacramento will not "get to the truth" on the blazes.

DeMaio said tragedies like wildfires are a rare issue that can unite Republicans and Democrats, adding Californians "stand united in wishing the best to these communities for a speedy recovery."

Read more about what California lawmakers are doing in response to the fires.

This is an excerpt from a story by Fox News Digital’s Charles Creitz.

California officials ordered an evacuation in Riverside on Tuesday afternoon as the Scout Fire began to spread toward a residential neighborhood.

According to the order, the vegetation fire poses an immediate threat to life north of Glenwood Drive, south of Buena Vista Avenue, east of Mount Rubidoux Drive and west of Mount Rubidoux Drive.

This is a lawful order to leave now,” the order read. “The area is lawfully closed to the public.”

FIRST ON FOX VIDEO: Police and residents of Azusa, California, a small city in Los Angeles County, teamed up Friday to stop a suspected arsonist in his tracks as at least three large wildfires threaten the region and winds are expected to pick up again.

With increased officers on patrol amid the wildfire emergency, Azusa Police Department Capt. Robert Landeros said the first responding officer quickly arrived on the scene at Pioneer Park around 11:30 p.m. after neighbors confronted the homeless suspect, who was still there when the first officer arrived.

"This was intentional," Landeros told Fox News Digital on Monday. "Some of the neighbors confronted him, stopped him from setting an additional fire in the park."

Video shows an Azusa officer handcuffing a man just steps from a billowing brush fire, which authorities say county firefighters quickly extinguished.

Police have identified the suspect as 39-year-old Jose Carranza-Escobar, "a transient" whose last known address was also in Azusa. They said he admitted to starting the brush fire.

Read more about the police department’s warning on arsonists.

This is an excerpt from a story by Fox News Digital’s Michael Ruiz.

A general view of the burned residential areas as wildfires continue to wreak havoc, reaching their fifth day and leaving extensive damage in residential areas in Los Angeles, California, United States on January 12, 2025. (Lokman Vural Elibol/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Landlords in Los Angeles have drastically raised the price of rents, sometimes even more than double the price previously listed, after fires erupted, according to reports.

The New York Times reported that LA-based real estate agent Samira Tapia said of more than 400 listings, nearly 100 properties raised rents over the 10% threshold allowed by law once a state of emergency has been declared.

She pointed to one rental property in North Hollywood that went from $800 to $5,700 overnight.

In another case, a five-bedroom home in Santa Monica that was listed last February at $12,500, was raised to $28,000 per month, Inside Edition reported.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass was asked on Tuesday about price gouging during a press briefing.

“Anybody that would take advantage of the desperation that people feel right now, I just think it’s shameful,” she said.

Bass explained that the district attorney and city attorney are going to be on the lookout for price gouging, and the city council plans to address the issue.

“It’s something that we really have to look into because we just can’t allow that to happen,” she said. “First of all, the rents are too expensive to begin with, and the idea that somebody would gouge folks at this point in time, I think, is shameful.”

Bass further explained that on Monday she signed an executive directive to make 1,200 housing units that were “stuck in the bureaucracy,” available for occupancy in the next week or so.

The California Capitol July 17, 2022, in Sacramento, Calif. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

A special state legislative session in Sacramento, California, originally slated to “Trump-proof” the state for when President-elect Trump is inaugurated, has been expanded to include efforts to help the Los Angeles area recover from devastating wildfires, according to reports.

Initially the special session was scheduled to take place on Tuesday, but it was canceled because of the wildfires.

Sacramento-based KCRA reported that a spokesperson from Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office announced Monday that additional disaster relief would include a proposal of at least $2.5 billion in emergency funding to help increase wildfire preparedness and help schools rebuild.

The funding would be comprised of $1 billion from the state’s emergency reserves account, and the other $1.5 billion would come from a climate bond voters approved in November.

State Democratic leaders reportedly said they expect the incoming Trump administration to reimburse the state at least $1 billion.

The proposal for the funds will come at the same time state lawmakers vote on setting aside $50 million in preparation for the incoming Trump administration. The proposed funds would be used to fight legal battles against the administration and help with immigration and legal services.

Apple Valley Fire District Captain Manuel Lafarga, center, and firefighter James Lyons hose down hotspots in the aftermath of the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, on Monday, Jan. 13. (AP/John Locher)

Cal Fire said Tuesday that “firefighters continue to make progress in containing the wildfires impacting the Los Angeles area.” 

As of midday, there are two active wildfires in Los Angeles County – the Palisades Fire and the Eaton Fire, according to the agency. 

Both fires, since they began last Tuesday, have burned nearly 40,000 combined acres. 

Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said at a news conference Tuesday that "good news is that for the last two days, we've had no increase in acreage at the Eaton Fire and it remains, estimated at 14,117 acres, with 35% containment." 

Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Kristin Crowley said the Palisades Fire “is now at 23,713 acres, with 17% containment, with 5,200 personnel that are assigned to the incident.  

“Firefighters will continue to work tirelessly throughout the day to increase containment lines, prevent further spread, and address any flare ups,” she added. 

A car at right destroyed by the Eaton Fire stands next to an intact car, on Jan. 9 in Altadena, Calif. (AP/Chris Pizzello)

Firefighters found a homeowner’s lost wedding ring while combing through the ashes and rubble of a property in Altadena that was destroyed by the Eaton Fire, a report says. 

The ring belongs to Victoria Desantis, who accidentally left it behind while evacuating, according to NBC Los Angeles. 

“I took off all of my rings because it was so dry,” Desantis told the station. “I just kept putting hand lotion on and my rings were starting to slide off and I thought, 'I don’t need to look for that if the power goes off. I’ll just set it by the front door with my keys so I can grab it on the way out.'” 

Desantis said she later asked firefighters if they could help her find the missing ring. 

“They’re just like hands and knees digging through the ash, and one of the guys says, 'I found a ring, but it’s not gold,’ and I said, ‘Oh my God, that’s my wedding band,’” Desantis told NBC Los Angeles. "I could not for the life of me believe that this little tiny thing was found amongst ashes and debris.” 

“It’s our love,” Desantis added. “We lost everything. But we have each other.” 

A man seen in a viral video being confronted and apprehended by Los Angeles residents, and who was eventually arrested by police with an alleged blowtorch, is an illegal immigrant from Mexico, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) sources tell Fox News.

Los Angeles police took the man into custody after a group of local residents grabbed him near the Kenneth Fire, allegedly carrying a blowtorch, according to video from Fox 11 Los Angeles.

He is shown holding a torch head and a yellow fuel tank, before being tackled to the ground by at least five residents.

ICE sources tell Fox that he is a Mexican illegal immigrant named Juan Manuel Sierra-Leyva. He is in custody due to a probation violation and has not been charged with arson. 

ICE intends to place a detainer request on him – a request that ICE be notified on any release so he can be transferred into their custody and potentially deported. However, they do not expect it to be honored as California is a "sanctuary" state that largely limits local and state law enforcement cooperation with the agency.

Fox News' Bill Melugin contributed to this report.

President Biden said the federal government will provide one-time payments of $770 to people impacted by the ongoing California wildfires, so they can pay for essentials like baby formula, prescriptions, clothes and food.

Biden made the announcement Thursday evening during a briefing from the Oval Office on the situation in Southern California. According to the president, nearly 6,000 people had been approved to receive the payments thus far, leading to a total of $5.1 million that has already gone out through this program.  

"We're not waiting until those fires are over to start helping the victims. We're getting them help right now," Biden said from the Oval Office.

The president approved California's disaster declaration on Jan. 8, opening up federal funding to affected individuals in Los Angeles for the purposes of temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the wildfires. Additionally, the president pledged that the federal government would cover 100% of the cost of California's disaster response for a period of six months.

A worker surveys the damage from the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, on Monday, Jan. 13. (AP/John Locher)

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said Tuesday that the “massive destruction” caused by the wildfires is “unimaginable until you actually see it” in person. 

“We did an aerial tour and I was able to see -- it's one thing to see it on television. It's another thing to see it from air. The massive, massive destruction is unimaginable until you actually see it. So, I think of the families, I think of the community members that have experienced that and I just have to say that we are going to continue to stand with you,” she said. 

FEMA Region 9 Administrator Robert Fenton added that “FEMA's assistance is now available, for individuals and households impacted by the fires within the L.A. County area.  

“FEMA has expedited delivery of serious needs assistance. We've already had over 40,000 applications and provided over $8 million,” he said. 

“The serious needs assistance is a one-time payment program to help survivors cover costs such as water, food, infant formula, gas, etc. that you may have had, since having to be evacuated for the fire,” Fenton also said. 

Police pass a commercial building destroyed by the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles on Sunday, Jan. 12. (/Noah Berger)

Los Angeles Police Department Chief Jim McDonnell described Tuesday three arrests of possible arson suspects. 

“On Sunday night, our North Hollywood officers responded to a call of a possible arson suspect who was using a barbecue lighter to light fires. Officers arrived on the scene, and the suspect was arrested for an outstanding felony warrant for arson and booked into Van Nuys jail,” he said. 

“On Monday, two additional arrests related to the fires. The first took place at 5700 Van Nuys Boulevard at approximately 1630 hours. Our West Valley officers responded to a radio call for an arson suspect who had ignited nearby brush. Upon arrival, lAFD was at scene extinguishing the fire and directed the officers to the possible suspect who was taken into custody there,” McDonnell continued. “The suspect was booked for arson, again at Van Nuys jail.  

“Our second arrest took place at, 11820 San Vicente Boulevard in West L.A. area. Officers responded to a radio call of an arson suspect at the location, who had ignited a nearby trash can, which was extinguished by the L.A. City Fire Department,” McDonnell added. “Citizens directed the officers to the suspect location, where he was then taken into custody without incident. Video from local businesses showed footage of the suspect starting fires in that area. He was booked into our jail for arson.” 

Los Angeles County Sheriff's deputies stand near the destroyed Altadena Community Church, on Thursday, Jan. 9, in Altadena, Calif. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said the number of people his department has arrested in wildfire evacuation areas has risen to 39. 

Eleven of those arrests were linked to suspected burglaries in the Eaton Fire area, he said. 

“We're not just looking for burglars and looters committing crimes on the street, but we're also focused on anybody who's involved in any kind of scam,” Luna added. “Whether you're asking for donations for pets or whatever you think you're doing to make money off of the poor people that involved, we're telling you, don't do it. If you think you're a victim of this, notify us immediately.” 

A large tree lays on its side after being rooted out by strong winds at a home in the Mandeville Canyon neighborhood of Los Angeles, on Monday, Jan. 13. (AP/Richard Vogel)

Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Kristin Crowley said that “Life threatening and destructive and widespread winds” are in Los Angeles County Tuesday.

“We are carefully managing our operations to ensure that we can quickly respond to any new fires,” she said. 

“I urge and everybody here urges you to remain alert as danger has not yet passed,” Crowley also said. “Please follow all evacuation warnings and orders without delay and prioritize your safety.” 

Spots of the Eaton Fire still burn after the fire swept through the mountains of the Angeles National Forest near Mount Wilson Observatory, north of Pasadena, on Thursday, Jan. 9. (AP/Etienne Laurent)

The Angeles National Forest is now “temporarily closed” due to “critical fire danger.” 

“The entire Angeles National Forest is temporarily closed for public safety and the protection of natural resources from Jan. 14, 2025, at 12 a.m. through Sunday, January 19, 2025, at 12:00 midnight. This closure is tied to critical fire danger,” the U.S. Forest Service wrote on X. 

“The Angeles National Forest uses a system of graduated fire danger levels to indicate fire risk and corresponding restrictions for visitors, recreational cabin owners, and concessioners,” the U.S. Forest Service also said on its website. “A violation of the law can result in a $5,000 fine and/or six months in jail. Anyone causing a wildfire is liable for all costs of suppressing the fire.” 

Patricia Heaton slammed California leadership, claiming officials "dropped the ball" regarding the response to the Los Angeles fires.

Heaton, who has teamed up with LA Dream Center to help residents in need, said city leaders were not prepared and questioned where taxpayer money had gone in an interview with Fox News Digital.

The "Everybody Loves Raymond" star called for change after the "very harsh lesson."

Heaton explained Los Angeles didn't seem prepared for the fires, which began burning on Jan. 7 in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood. Since then, multiple fires have burned in different areas of the star-studded city, destroying thousands of homes and businesses. The actress emphasized a need for forestry management and reservoirs actually filled with water.

"I know some of the officials were saying, ‘Well, the system was overwhelmed.’ Well, in case of a huge fire, of course it's going to be overwhelmed," she told Fox News Digital. "You should know that and have been prepared for that. So, I think there's a lot of money spent in L.A. and we can't figure out where it's going."

Elon Musk personally delivered mini Starlinks to first responders and volunteers in California on Jan. 12. (Grey Bull Rescue)

FIRST ON FOX: SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk is donating Starlinks to those in need of Wi-Fi in California amid devastating wildfires that have left residents without internet or cellphone service.

Nonprofit rescue group Grey Bull Rescue met with Musk and first responders over the weekend to help set up the Starlink devices, which connect to satellites, in the Los Angeles area.

"Effective communication is essential in any crisis, war, or disaster—especially in remote and devastated areas where communication infrastructure is destroyed like we see here in California," Grey Bull Rescue Chair Bryan Stern told Fox News Digital in a Monday statement. "Yesterday, Grey Bull Rescue was honored to assist the Los Angeles County Fire Department (LACFD) by securing Starlink mini units to provide them with critical communications in areas devastated by wildfires."

Stern noted, however, that LACFD and other emergency services agencies in California "have been asking for Starlink for quite some time for expressly this type of scenario," but red tape got "in the way of this mission-critical need of effective disaster communications for first responders."

The National Weather Service said wind gusts topping 70 mph have been recorded Tuesday in the Los Angeles area. 

The strongest gust recorded was 72 mph along the Magic Mountain Truck Trail located east of Santa Clarita. 

A 60-mph gust was recorded on Sandstone Peak near Thousand Oaks. 

The Santa Ana winds returning to the region today are forecast to bring an elevated fire threat. 

A member of the National Guard stands in front of a road closed due to the Eaton Fire on Monday, Jan. 13, in Altadena, Calif. (AP/Carolyn Kaster)

Police have arrested a suspected looter in Altadena after she was spotted on a neighbor’s security camera, according to Fox 11 Los Angeles. 

An unidentified woman had showed up at Liliana Sayegh’s home after it was spared by the Eaton Fire, the station reported. 

"She came back, she started to break in," Sayegh told Fox 11 Los Angeles. "The neighbors called the police, the police came by, and she was arrested. I feel blessed, but at the same time, seeing this -- I just can’t fathom that we’re going through our darkest times, and someone wants to take advantage of that.” 

Sayegh’s family reportedly lost multiple homes and businesses in the fire. 

"We lived on one block, and now my family — we’re separated," Hannan Sayegh told Fox 11 Los Angeles.

Sara Trepanier, who lost her home in the Palisades Fire, told "Fox & Friends First" on Tuesday that she saw “50 to 100-foot flames” coming from the blaze before it ravaged her community. 

“In order for it to hit our houses it would have to burn the whole town down and there was some disbelief the town would be consumed,” she said. 

Trepanier added that it has been a challenge to find new housing. 

“It has been extremely difficult. Everywhere you go to find there are eight or nine families trying for the same,” she said.  

“Last night we found an apartment that is a 2-bedroom apartment that we finally got and were able to sign,” Trepanier added.  

Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie slammed California Gov. Gavin Newsom and other leaders for their lack of wildfire preparedness, calling the response an "enormous failure" as thousands of structures were destroyed and at least 24 people lost their lives across Los Angeles County. 

Christie called out Newsom for refusing to take accountability for the crisis during "The Brian Kilmeade Show," accusing him, and local leaders, of mismanaging the state's response to the historic fires. 

"It's an enormous failure, Brian, and an enormous disappointment for the people of California and now a tragedy for all those families that have been affected," Christie told Kilmeade on Monday. "And when you're the governor of a state and a natural disaster happens, there is no one more accountable than you. There can be no one who the public is relying upon more than you."

"You can't sit there and say, 'Jeez… I don't know. Let me find out.' You have to be on top of it right from the beginning," he continued. "These fires started. We knew they were coming. We knew they were expanding."

A California homeowner whose property was one of the few spared by the Eaton Fire in Altadena says he doesn’t expect to return there for weeks to months due to the conditions being “unlivable.” 

“Even though our main house is still there, it’s unlivable. We will not be able to get back there for weeks or months because there is no power, there is no water, there is no gas service and it will take them a long time to get those utilities back,” Mark Turner told “Fox & Friends” on Tuesday. 

“We’ve robbed our own house, we have gone in and taken all the valuables out of our own house and in subsequent trips just to protect it because we know it’s going to be sometime until we can get back there. And that is just a really weird thing to say, but that is what we’ve done,” he added. 

Turner said the fire “tore through the backyard like a flamethrower, ripped out the garage and all our memories. 

“Everything we put in our garage to protect it from the windstorm was destroyed,” he added. 

Turner’s wife Claire Wavell told “Fox & Friends” that Turner used buckets of water from the pool to protect against the flames. 

“The hardest part of all of this was facing our neighbors on the street when we saw them over the subsequent days, that had lost everything,” Turner said. “Some of them intend to rebuild, some of them have lived in those houses for 50 years and are unsure whether they should rebuild or leave it to someone else to rebuild. We really hope they do.” 

The potential for fire weather in Southern California for Tuesday and Wednesday. (FOX Weather)

The National Weather Service is forecasting “critical to extremely critical fire weather conditions” for Southern California through Wednesday “due to moderate to locally strong Santa Ana winds.” 

Although the winds aren’t expected to be as powerful as last week’s, they will be strong enough to hamper ongoing firefighting efforts and could potentially cause new and existing blazes to spread rapidly, according to FOX Weather. 

Wind gusts are forecast to reach up to 70 mph. 

“Winds are expected to oscillate in magnitude over the next 48 hours but the environment is expected to be remain extremely dangerous, favorable to very rapid fire growth if a fire does start,” the National Weather Service warned in a Tuesday morning advisory. 

There are currently three active wildfires in Los Angeles County stemming from last week’s winds: the Palisades Fire, the Eaton Fire and the Hurst Fire. 

California Gov. Gavin Newsom, center, surveys damage in Pacific Palisades with Cal Fire's Nick Schuler, left, and State Sen. Alex Padilla on Wednesday, Jan. 8. (Jeff Gritchen/MediaNews Group/Orange County Register via Getty Images)

The California State Senate Minority Leader lambasted Gov. Gavin Newsom for "lumping together" a special session about suing President-elect Trump with wildfire relief.

Newsom "recently expanded the current special session that was focused on suing the Trump administration to also include Los Angeles wildfire relief," according to State Sen. Brian Jones, R-Calif.

“I’m encouraged that Governor Newsom heard our calls to take action on the LA wildfires in a special session," Jones said in a statement. "However, lumping this emergency response together with a politically motivated special session to sue Trump is unnecessary and, frankly, insulting to those struggling through this disaster."

"Fire victims deserve a response that is both respectful and non-partisan, but instead, Newsom is politicizing a tragic crisis that should focus solely on aiding those in need," the Republican added. "Sadly, these special session bills will likely include inappropriate provisions targeting the incoming federal administration alongside vital disaster relief for Californians."

Journalist and former first lady of California, Maria Shriver, warned "LA residents deserve better" than their current Democratic leadership.

Many people, including celebrities, have lost their homes in the Pacific Palisades area due to the wildfires in Los Angeles County.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has faced condemnation for her trip to Ghana last week, which meant she was thousands of miles away from her city during the initial day of the destruction on Tuesday.

The mayor also faced a blistering critique from LA Fire Chief Kristin Crowley, who said as she spoke with Jake Tapper on CNN, that "Over the last 3 years, we have been clear that the fire department needs help", and emphasized how "understaffed, under-resourced, and underfunded the LAFD is." She claimed, "I rang the bell that these additional cuts could be very very devastating for our ability to provide public safety."

As mismanagement of the response to the fire has put California’s Democratic leaders in the spotlight, some of the party’s more well known donors have turned on them.

Shriver, the ex-wife of former California Governor and movie star Arnold Schwarzenegger, shared Crowley's remarks, declaring that California’s future "has to be different."

"LA cannot go forward with the status quo. LA is no longer what it was. It has to be different. It has to prioritize the safety of its citizens, police, fire, schools. LA residents deserve better. Chief Crowley is saying LA cannot sustain itself. It needs more help," Shriver wrote.

A helicopter drops water while fighting the Auto Fire in Ventura County, Calif., on Monday, Jan. 13. (AP/Noah Berger)

Firefighters in Ventura County have stopped forward progress on the Auto Fire, a small wildfire that broke out Monday night.

The Ventura County Fire Department's public information department made the announcement at 10:45 p.m. local time, approximately three hours after the fire ignited in a river bottom off North Ventura Boulevard. No structures were threatened by the flames.

The fire burned 55.7 acres, according to VCFD, and is 0% contained.

Crews from VCFD, Ventura City Fire, Oxnard Fire and Federal Fire Ventura County are at the scene extinguishing hotspots and working to increase containment.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.