Eaton Fire: 5 Dead, Thousands Evacuated, 972 Buildings Destroyed

6:30 a.m. UPDATE: The Eaton Fire was reported at 10,600 acres with 0% containment on Thursday morning. Evacuation orders remain in place for those affected by the fire. A Red Flag Warning will remain in effect until 6 p.m. on Friday as gusty Santa Ana winds are expected to continue across the Southland into Friday.

ORIGINAL STORY

LOS ANGELES, CA — At least five people were killed and several others were injured trying to escape the explosive Eaton Fire that scorched 10,600 acres in the Altadena and Pasadena areas.

While the fire was still 0% contained going into Wednesday evening, authorities are optimistic that winds will not be nearly as devastating or intense overnight as they were on Tuesday evening.

But Pasadena Fire Chief Chad Augustine warned that conditions could be unpredictable.

"We are encouraging people to stay updated, as the weather can continue to change very rapidly. Please, if we issue an evacuation order, heed our request, be prepared, have your go-bag and immediately evacuate."

Authorities Wednesday afternoon updated the preliminary death toll to five lives lost in the Eaton Fire, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna confirmed to KNX News. There's no additional information available about the deaths. Several people remain missing, and several more were injured. Evacuation orders continued to expand Wednesday, and the rising death toll reflects the need to evacuate sooner than later due to traffic gridlock and fast moving flames.

Between 200 and 500 buildings have been destroyed and thousands of people remain under evacuation. Several residents and firefighters suffered burn injuries while trying to evacuate overnight, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

Pasadena's Humane Society has taken in more than 250 pets and is looking for foster volunteers to help lessen the shelter burden. Contact them here.

"Our hearts really go out to all the people who have lost their homes and their pets in this disaster," Humane Society President Dia DuVernet said at a Wednesday afternoon conference.

Firefighters and police are stretched thin battling four major wildfires in Los Angeles County. Crews are at drawdown, meaning every local firefighter has been called to duty. Crews were frequently overwhelmed by the flames overnight unable to get additional backup and dealing with low water pressure due to high water demand.

"There aren't enough firefighters in LA County to address four separate fires of this magnitude," said Los Angeles County Fire Department Chief Anthony Marrone.

Going into the evening, Pasadena Police Chief Gene Harris gave a staunch warning to those entering evacuation zones or neighborhoods that have been severely burned. Harris said that there will be 150 officers at any one time in and around the city handling patrol efforts to deter people from looting or tampering with homes.

"If you have a righteous reason to be there, declare that that reason to law enforcement and personnel will assist you," Harris said. "If you don't have a righteous or legal reason to be there, expect to be challenged, and we will deal with you accordingly.”

Officials confirmed that they have not received any reports of looting.

Pasadena City College also confirmed that the campus sustained minor damage. Classes will be canceled until Monday.

The fire expanded rapidly during the night and early morning hours — the strongest hours of a windstorm that began Tuesday morning and was set to continue into Thursday. The erratic winds grounded aerial firefighting assets, and ground crews were unable to keep pace with the flames' advance overnight.

Firefighting aircraft were able to resume flights Wednesday morning.

Around 1 p.m. Wednesday, Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger said between 200 to 500 structures had been destroyed, and another 13,000 structures were at risk.

As of Wednesday night, 972 structures have been destroyed and 84 structures have been damaged, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department. Another 37,438 were threatened.

The Pasadena Jewish Temple & Center was among the structures destroyed.

The Eaton Canyon Nature Center, Farnsworth Park's Davies Community Center, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Altadena Golf Course Club House and adjacent buildings were also destroyed, according to the Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation.

More than 32,500 residents were placed under evacuation orders in the nearby regions including Pasadena and Altadena, Barger said.

As of Wednesday morning, all of La Cañada Flintridge was under evacuation orders along with parts of Altadena, Sierra Madre and Pasadena and Monrovia. Authorities urged residents to heed evacuation orders because residents and first responders are getting trapped by the fast-moving fire, sometimes having to shelter in place in their vehicles as the inferno rages nearby.

Residents of La Cañada Flintridg were ordered to evacuate by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department at 5:30 a.m. Wednesday.

Soon after, the city of Glendale issued an evacuation alert for residents of Chevy Chase Canyon and Glenoaks Canyon, and an evacuation center was established at Pacific Community Center at 501 S. Pacific Ave, just east of Golden State (5) Freeway.

In a media briefing at 8 a.m. Wednesday, Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said two people -- described only as civilians -- died in the fire, but the circumstances of the deaths were unknown. Marrone said there were also "a number of significant injuries" due to the fire.

An evacuation center was established at the Arcadia Community Center at 375 Campus Drive. Pasadena officials ordered evacuations for residents north of Orange Grove/Rosemead Boulevard, east of Lake Avenue and west of Michilinda Avenue. An evacuation center for those residents was established at the Pasadena Civic Center, 300 E. Green St.

Residents along Kinneloa Canyon Road, Outpost Lane, Glen Springs Road, Coolidge Avenue, Roosevelt Avenue, Veranada Avenue, Kinclair Drive, Fox Ridge Drive, Canyon Close Road and Grand Oaks Avenue were all told to evacuate on Tuesday.

Pasadena directed all residents not to drink the tap water due to the Eaton Fire. They should not even boil the water, just drink bottled water only. In the Palisades water zone, the boil water order applies just to the 90272 zip code and the adjacent community north of San Vicente.

As of Wednesday, businesses in the commercial corridor along Altadena's Lake Avenue were burning.

Also as of Wednesday morning, several blocks of homes around West Harriet Street in Altadena were engulfed in flames with few homes spared, KTLA reported. Much of the community is engulfed in a cloud of black smokes. Heavy wind gusts are sending flames up and down residential streets, with gusts carrying embers as far as a mile away. Homes, cars, trees and telephone poles were burning in every direction Wednesday morning.

As of 10:45 a.m. Wednesday, flames had spread to homes in the area around Glen Avenue in Pasadena, and residents are evacuating. A major danger is burning tree limbs and telephone poles, which can pose a threat to evacuating residents.

Altadena resident Carl Jones is one person who did not evacuate because he wanted to try to save his home, but he lost it anyway.

"I tried to do what I could. I tried to stay and save it, but I couldn't," he told KTLA as tears trailed down the ash on his cheeks. "But my mom wanted her dad's picture off the wall, and I got it."

The Los Angeles Fire Department put out a plea for off-duty firefighters to help, and weather conditions were too windy for firefighting aircraft to fly, further hampering the fight. Fire officials hoped to get the flights up later Wednesday.

SEE ALSO: CA Fire Photos: Thousands Flee Homes As Deadly Fires Rage

The fast-moving brush fire broke out in the Eaton Canyon area Tuesday and quickly exploded to 3,000 acres amid powerful Santa Ana winds. The blaze, dubbed the Eaton Fire, spread so rapidly that staff at a senior care center had to push dozens of residents in wheelchairs and hospital beds down the street to a parking lot where they waited in their bedclothes for ambulances and other vehicles to take them to safety.

It forced evacuation orders for the hills above Altadena, Pasadena, Sierra Madre and Arcadia Tuesday and evacuations expanded to La Cañada Flintridge and Monrovia Wednesday. It quickly destroyed homes Tuesday night.

There were multiple reports of crews responding to people who were trapped within the burn area.

The fire was reported at about 6:20 p.m. near Altadena Drive and Midwick Drive in the Altadena foothills, according to Cal Fire.

"High winds are driving rapid fire growth, posing a significant threat to nearby communities and making containment efforts challenging," CalFire reported. "Firefighters are working aggressively to slow the spread and protect critical infrastructure under extreme conditions. The combination of low humidity, dry fuels, and shifting winds has heightened the potential for spot fires and rapid expansion. Residents are urged to remain alert and follow instructions from local authorities as the situation evolves."

Conditions worsened overnight as gusts in the San Gabriel Mountains and foothills reach 60 to 100 mph, according to the National Weather Service.

Shortly after 8 p.m., firefighters had to ground their water and fire retardant-dropping helicopters at both the Eaton Canyon and Palisades fires due to powerful wind gusts, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.

As of 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, mandatory evacuation orders were in place for issued for the area north of New York Drive, east of Altadena Drive and west of Sierra Madre Villa Avenue, according to Angeles National Forest officials. Authorities were working to establish an evacuation center.

MANDATORY EVACUATIONS

As of 10:30 p.m. Tuesday residents in the following areas are ordered to evacuate:

All residents living north of Sierra Madre, east of Allen and west of Santa Anita Drive
North of New York Drive, East of Altadena Drive, West of Sierra Madre Villa Ave
East Altadena Dr
Kinneloa Canyon Rd
Outpost Lane
Glen Springs Rd
Coolidge Ave
Miranda
Roosevelt Ave
Veranda
Kenclare
Fox Ridge Dr
Canyon Close Rd
Grand Oaks Ave

La Cañada Flintridge

Sierra Madre

Portions of Monrovia

Click here to see evacuation order updates.

Evacuation Shelters

• El Camino Real Charter High School 5440 Valley Circle Blvd, Woodland Hills, CA 91367

• Pasadena Convention Center 300 E Green St, Pasadena, CA 91101

• Westwood Recreation Center 1350 S Sepulveda Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90025

Animal Evacuation Shelters

• Los Angeles Equestrian Center 480 W Riverside Dr, Burbank, CA 91506

• Pierce College Equestrian Center 7100 El Rancho Drive, Woodland Hills

• Agoura Animal Care Center 29525 Agoura Rd, Agoura Hills, CA 91301

It was unclear how many people were impacted by the orders.

The Terraces at Park Marino, a senior center in Altadena, has been evacuated due to the Eaton Fire, leaving many residents stranded in a parking lot near a 7-Eleven. Several medical vehicles and buses are being used to move the seniors out of the area. According to CBS, authorities used a SWAT bus to quickly get people out of danger.

Crews from the U.S. Forest Service, Los Angeles County and Pasadena were working to slow the flames.

Crews were also working to protect what was described as 150 pounds of chlorine gas cylinders stored within the fire area by the Pasadena Water and Power Department.

The fire broke out as emergency crews were already stretched thin due to a massive blaze burning in the Pacific Palisades area.

As a result of the fire, classes were canceled Wednesday for schools in the Pasadena, Glendale, Alhambra, South Pasadena, San Marino, La Cañada, Burbank, Arcadia and Monrovia unified school districts.

City News Service and the Associated Press contributed to this report.