Crews Gain Ground Containing LA Fires; 11 Dead As Curfews Continue

Updated, 8 a.m. Saturday

LOS ANGELES, CA — Calmer winds on Friday helped fire crews throughout Los Angeles County gain some control over a series of devastating blazes that have destroyed neighborhoods, consumed thousands of structures and claimed at least 11 lives.

Officials have said at least 5 people have died in the coastal Palisades Fire while the inland Eaton Fire has left at least five dead.

As of Saturday morning, the Palisades Fire was 11 percent contained while the Eaton Fire was at 15 percent containment, according to Cal Fire.

While the wind cooperated with firefighting efforts late Friday night, north-to-northeast winds are expected to gradually increase Saturday, peaking in strength Saturday evening into the overnight hours.

A fire weather watch affecting parts of the county will begin at 6 p.m. Saturday and will remain in effect through 6 p.m. Sunday night. Moderate to strong Santa Ana winds are likely to return Tuesday and Wednesday, officials said, creating critical fire weather conditions.

On Friday night, the deadly Palisades Fire took a turn to the Northeast, forcing the evacuation of the Getty Center and parts of Encino. It also put Bel Air on edge and prompted UCLA to warn students to be ready to evacuate.

SEE ALSO: Palisades Fire Map: See Fire Perimeter, Evacuation Areas Updated

The financial impact of the fires is expected to be devastating as the number of structures destroyed is still being tallied. An estimate from AccuWeather, a private firm that provides weather data, estimated the toll to be about $135 billion to $150 billion. Government officials haven't given a damage estimate yet.

Meanwhile, the entire community of Altadena is now closed to the public amid toxic and hazardous conditions, officials announced at a 4 p.m. Eaton Fire meeting. Previously, residents had been told that they could enter with identification, but Supervisor Kathryn Barger clarified that, for now, that is no longer the case.

Authorities said they are creating a website for those impacted by the Eaton Fire that will let residents know whether their homes are still standing.

"It looks like a war zone. I’ve never seen anything like it," Barger said of the Eaton Fire. "You can go blocks where there are no homes. Then you go a block where you see a little bit of smoldering gon a tree, but none of the homes have been impacted."

SEE A MAP OF ALL EVACUATION ORDERS AND WARNINGS HERE.

Amid the chaos, law enforcement enacted a strictly enforced curfew from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the evacuation zones on Friday to prevent perpetrators from looting. Authorities have warned of severe consequences for violators.

"For the people who have already been arrested, please know this is not going to end well," Hochman said.

Meanwhile, an erroneous 4 a.m. evacuation alert that followed another the previous day spurred panic for a county already on edge. Officials say the mistakes were not human-made. Still, residents are urged not to disable the alert.

"This is extremely frustrating, painful and scary, but these alert teams have saved lives during this emergency," said Kevin McGowan, LA County's emergency management director.

SEE ALSO: CA Fire Photos: LA Battles One Of Worst Disasters In County History

What to know as of 4:40 p.m.

• Altadena is now closed to the public. READ LATEST.
• The Walt Disney Company has pledged $15 million to help in wildfire recovery.
• Supervisor Kathryn Barger says FEMA applicants getting denied is likely a glitch. Wildfire victims should continue to apply: "It's a glitch that they are fixing."
• Gov. Gavin Newsom orders investigation into LA's public water infrastructure due to complications while firefighters battled destructive wildfires. READ LATEST.

"The ongoing reports of the loss of water pressure to some local fire hydrants during the fires and the reported unavailability of water supplies from the Santa Ynez Reservoir are deeply troubling to me and the community," Newsom wrote in a letter. "We need answers to how that happened."

• 5 death investigations from the Palisades Fire are being conducted with 6 more being looked into from the Eaton Fire.
• 18 people have been arrested between the Eaton and Palisades fires. Charges include possession of narcotics, possession of burglary tools, burglary, identity theft and looting. One suspect was on active parole and was also charged with possession of a concealed firearm, according to Assistant Sheriff Myron Johnson on Friday afternoon.
• A man reported missing was last seen in the Palisades burn area in Malibu. READ LATEST.
• The spread of the Kenneth Fire has been halted. READ LATEST.
• At least 153,000 residents are under evacuation orders. 166,800 residents are under evacuation warnings across LA County.
• A curfew is enforced from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. within the evacuation zones of the Palisades and Eaton fires. Violators could be arrested and fined.
• A brush fire has broken out near Granada Hills-Porter Ranch. READ LATEST.
• 278,000+ homes without power across LA County.
• Wildfire losses are estimated to be about $135 billion to $150 billion, according to Accuweather.
• Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara uses moratorium power to stop all insurance non-renewals and cancellations for one year for the Palisades and Eaton fires, among other actions.
• Newly elected District Attorney Nathan Hochman issues a stern warning Friday morning for looters, those who violate the curfew, take part in online scams targeting fire victims, those who fly drones over fires and more.
• Another evacuation warning text sent in error to an unknown number of LA County residents at 4 a.m. READ LATEST HERE.
• Fire victims and residents are urged to be aware of GoFundMe and other online scams.

As of 4 p.m., here's the latest on each fire burning:

• Palisades Fire: 21,317 acres burned, 8% containment. Evacuations in place. More than 5,000 structures destroyed. 3,370 personnel assigned. Multiple nearby spot fires contained in the area. Family Assistance Center set up for families to help locate missing people from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at 2551 Motor Ave. Some 210 LAPD officers are patrolling areas to deter crime. Death toll rises. READ LATEST.
• Eaton Fire: 13,956 acres burned, 3% containment, at least 7,000 structures have been damaged or destroyed. Evacuations in place. 1,527 firefighting personnel assigned. One firefighter remains hospitalized but in stable condition after suffering a fall on Thursday. READ LATEST.

"We expect to gain significant containment in this area this afternoon and this evening...when the Red Flag Warning expires," Don Fregulia, an operations section chief for the California Department of Forestry said on Friday afternoon.

• Archer Fire: Almost 20 acres burned.
• Kenneth Fire: 960 acres burned, 35% containment. READ LATEST.
• Hurst Fire: 771 acres burned, 70% containment.
• Lidia Fire: 394 acres burned, 75% containment. Forward progress has been stopped.

As LA's most destructive fires on record continue to rage from the coast to the mountains this week, officials were also fighting the spread of disinformation.

As the Sunset Fire started tearing through the Hollywood Hills on Wednesday night, sending people fleeing from their homes and triggering massive traffic jams, an image began circling online of the famed Hollywood sign ablaze.

The photo was AI-generated. Read more about that here.

PREVIOUS UPDATES:

State Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara has halted insurance non-renewals and cancellations for one year in areas affected by the Palisades and Eaton fires, Lara announced Friday morning.

"We need to put money in people's hands," Lara said. "This measure is critical to protecting homes and improving long-term resilience against wildfire risk."

Newly elected District Attorney Nathan Hochman also issued a stern warning Friday morning for online scammers, looters, curfew breakers and drone pilots in fire zones. He said all violators will be arrested and prosecuted to the maximum extent of the law.

READ MORE: LA Fire Crackdown Targets Looters, Curfew Violators, Drones, Scammers

As of Friday morning, Firefighters have made progress containing the Palisades Fire, while the Kenneth Fire was confirmed as arson.

Thousands of firefighters were still on the ground, now joined by the National Guard, to fight five active wildfires against persisting gusty winds.

"Thanks to the increased number of resources assigned the region is in a much better posture than we were earlier this week," LAFD Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said Friday morning.

READ MORE: Big Bear Offers Housing Through Airbnb Program For LA Evacuees

PREVIOUS UPDATES:

At 4 a.m. Friday, residents, already on edge, were woken by yet another erroneous evacuation alert that was sent to possibly tens of thousands of people. News reports say an unknown amount of people from Long Beach to Marina Del Rey received alerts.

"An EVACUATION WARNING has been issued in your area," A text read, accompanied but a loud alarm. Millions of residents received a similar text at 4 p.m. on Thursday.

Hours later, the county confirmed it was sent in error.

"We are aware of the reports of erroneous messages, and we apologize for the disruption. We are working with FEMA to investigate the issue, and for the most current status of evacuation orders and warnings please review the map of evacuations on Alertla.org," reads a message on the county's website.

"I can't express enough how sorry I am for this experience," said Kevin McGowan, LA County's emergency management director. "First of all, I want to clarify. This is not human-driven. There is no one sitting at a desk right now initiating emergency alerts."

PREVIOUS UPDATES

• Firefighters gained a small level of containment over the Palisades fire after a multi-day effort. READ LATEST HERE.
• The Kenneth Fire was arson. READ LATEST HERE.
• 500 LA Sheriff's deputies are assisting with evacuations and security patrols.

LA Wakes Up To Orange Skies But No New Fires

Despite fierce winds persisting in some areas, no new fires have ignited in Los Angeles County since the Kenneth Fire sparked in the San Fernando Valley. It moved into neighboring Ventura County, but a large and aggressive response by firefighters stopped the flames from spreading. The fire was determined to be arson and burned almost 1,000 acres.

Firefighters are hoping for calmer weather on Friday, but a Red Flag Warning is still in effect until 6 p.m. on Friday in both Altadena and Pacific Palisades, where both of the largest and most dangerous fires were still burning out of control.

National Guard troops on the ground in Altadena

National Guard troops were patrolling the streets of Altadena before dawn on Friday after being called in to help protect property in the fire evacuation zone.

Troops in camouflage were posted at intersections in the city hard-hit by the Eaton Fire near Jeeps, Humvees and other military vehicles.

At least 20 arrests have been made for looting and other thefts in areas where the fire raged.
Los Angeles County officials say they plan to put an overnight curfew in place that would make it easier to make arrests.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

SEE ALSO:

• Spread of Kenneth Fire in West Hills Halted
• Another Evacuation Alert Sent In Error Across Los Angeles County
• LA Mayor Karen Bass Faces Scrutiny Over Fire Response, Trip Abroad
• Palisades Fire Gains 6% Containment; Over 20,000 Acres Burned
• Eaton Fire Grows To Nearly 14K Acres, Gains 3% Containment
• Queen Mary Offering Discounted Lodging For Those Impacted By LA Fires