Los Angeles:

Two devastating wildfires in Los Angeles were declared fully contained by firefighters on Friday after burning for more than three weeks, killing about 30 people and displacing thousands more.

The Palisades and Eaton fires in Southern California’s Los Angeles County were the most destructive in the history of the second-largest US city, burning more than 37,000 acres (150 square kilometers) and over 10,000 homes, causing damage estimated to cost hundreds of billions of dollars.

Cal Fire, the state’s firefighting agency, updated the figures on its website on Friday to show 100 percent containment of both fires, meaning their perimeters were completely under control.

Evacuation orders were lifted earlier, with the fires not posing a serious threat for days.

Both blazes started on January 7 and their exact cause remains under investigation.

But human-driven climate change set the stage for the infernos by reducing rainfall, parching vegetation, and extending the dangerous overlap between flammable drought conditions and powerful Santa Ana winds, according to an analysis published this week.

The study, conducted by dozens of researchers, concluded that the conditions fueling the blazes were approximately 35 percent more likely due to global warming caused by burning fossil fuels.

The two fires destroyed thousands of structures over more than three weeks in the affluent Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles and Malibu, and in the Altadena community in Los Angeles County, forcing thousands of residents to evacuate their homes.

“Our recovery effort is based around getting people back home to rebuild as quickly and safely as possible,” Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said in a statement Friday. “We are making sure that the Palisades will be safe as residents access their properties.”

City police chief Jim McDonnell said the presence of law enforcement officers in the area would be “more than 10 times” what it was before the start of the fires.

Private meteorological firm AccuWeather has estimated the damage and economic loss at between $250 billion and $275 billion.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Hollywood actress Meryl Streep had a tense escape from the Los Angeles wildfires, according to her nephew, Abe Streep. The 75-year-old actress was forced to cut a hole in her fence large enough to drive through while evacuating her home on January 8. The wildfires, which started a day earlier, spread rapidly across parts of the city, forcing many residents to flee.  

Abe Streep shared details of the incident in a New York Magazine article, highlighting the destruction caused by the fires. Emergency services have been working to contain the blazes, with officials urging residents to stay alert.  

“Evacuation mandates were sent across the city. My aunt Meryl Streep received an order to evacuate on January 8, but when she tried to leave, she discovered that a large tree had fallen over in her driveway, blocking her only exit,” Abe wrote in the New York Magazine.

“Determined to make it out, she borrowed wire cutters from a neighbour, cut a car-size hole in the fence she shared with the neighbours on the other side, and drove through their yard to escape.”

The wildfires, which have devastated large portions of the LA area, first ignited in Pacific Palisades and spread to Malibu and Santa Monica, with the Eaton Fire particularly impacting the Altadena-Pasadena area.

Numerous Hollywood stars have lost their homes in the wildfires, including Pratt’s ex-wife Anna Faris, Anthony Hopkins, Billy Crystal, Mel Gibson, Jeff Bridges, Mandy Moore, Milo Ventimiglia, Paris Hilton, Jamie Lee Curtis, Diane Warren, Cary Elwes, and more.

Powerful winds threaten to worsen the situation in Los Angeles where the raging wildfires have claimed at least 25 lives and destroyed hundreds of luxury mansions belonging to millionaires and Hollywood stars.

The Oscar nominations will now be announced on January 23.

At least 24 people have now been confirmed dead due to massive wildfires around Los Angeles with California Governor Gavin Newsom saying it could be the most devastating natural disaster in US history, which has also destroyed thousands of homes.

Los Angeles:

US officials warned “dangerous and strong” winds were set to push deadly wildfires further through Los Angeles residential areas Sunday as firefighters struggled to make progress against the flames.

At least 16 people have been confirmed dead from blazes that have ripped through the city, reducing whole neighborhoods to ashes and leaving thousands without homes.

Despite massive efforts, including precision sorties from aerial crews, the Palisades Fire continued to grow, spreading east towards the priceless collections of the Getty Center art museum and north to the densely populated San Fernando Valley.

“The winds are potentially getting dangerous and strong again,” Deanne Criswell, head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), told CNN.

“The biggest thing that people need to know is that this is still dangerous.”

A brief lull in the wind gave way to gusts that forecasters warned could reach up to 50 miles per hour (80 kilometers per hour) early Sunday, and feed the blazes for days to come.

The winds were due to weaken later Sunday before picking up again overnight, the National Weather Service said.

Nowhere to live

The Palisades Fire was 11 percent contained but had grown to 23,600 acres (9,500 hectares), while the Eaton Fire was at 14,000 acres and 15 percent contained.

Official figures show more than 12,000 structures burned, though Cal Fire’s Todd Hopkins said not all were houses and the number included outbuildings, trailers and sheds.

In some areas, the ferocious fire left streaks of molten metal flowing from burnt-out cars.

The sudden rush of evacuated people needing somewhere to live posed a growing problem for the city.

“I’m back on the market with tens of thousands of people,” said a man who gave his name as Brian, whose rent-controlled apartment has burned. “That doesn’t bode well.”

With incidences of looting and a nighttime curfew in place, police and National Guard mounted checkpoints to prevent people getting into the disaster zones.

Two people were arrested near Vice President Kamala Harris’s Brentwood house for violating the curfew order after police received reports of burglary.

A handwritten sign with “looters will be shot” was hung on one tree, next to the US flag outside a house in Pacific Palisades.

But the security checkpoints have left residents frustrated as they queue for up to 10 hours to try to get back in and see what, if anything, is left of their homes or check on family.

Prevented from entering an evacuation zone, Altadena resident Bobby Salman, 42, said: “I have to be there to protect my family, my wife, my kids, my mom and I cannot even go and see them.”

The queues left some people fuming about poor management, the latest gripe from a population already angry over hydrants that ran dry in the initial firefight.

City officials have put on a united front after reports of a behind-the-scenes row between the mayor and the fire chief.

But President-elect Donald Trump accused California officials of incompetence.

“This is one of the worst catastrophes in the history of our Country. They just can’t put out the fires. What’s wrong with them?” Trump said on his Truth Social platform.

Teams with cadaver dogs were combing through the rubble, with several people known to be missing and fears that the death toll will grow.

Among those known to have died in the tragedy was former Australian child star Rory Sykes, who appeared in British TV show “Kiddy Kapers” in the 1990s.

Climate impact

A huge investigation by federal and local authorities was underway to determine what caused the blazes.

California Governor Gavin Newsom told Meet the Press he was also launching a “Marshall Plan” for the state as it looks to rebuild.

“We already have a team looking at reimagining L.A. 2.0,” he said.

He also stressed the immediate problem of weather conditions, saying “the challenge is the winds. We’ve got these winds coming back this evening, Sunday night. We’ve got peak winds on Monday.”

While the ignition of a wildfire can be deliberate, they are often natural, and a vital part of an environment’s life cycle.

But urban sprawl puts people more frequently in harm’s way, and the changing climate — supercharged by humanity’s unchecked use of fossil fuels — is exacerbating the conditions that give rise to destructive blazes.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Los Angeles:

Health bosses warned people living in Los Angeles on Saturday to stay indoors because of dangerous wildfire smoke wreathing the area. Monster blazes tearing through America’s second-largest city are pumping toxic clouds into the air, blanketing a vast region with choking fumes.

“We are all experiencing this wildfire smoke, which is a mix of small particles, gasses, and water vapors,” Anish Mahajan of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health told a press conference.

Read: LA Wildfires To Be Costliest US Disaster, To Inflict $135 Billion In Losses

“It’s those small particles that get into our noses and throats and cause those sore throats and headaches. Everyone in the areas where there’s visible smoke or the smell of smoke, and even where you don’t see that, we know that the air quality is poor, so you should limit outdoor exposure as much as possible.”

Mr Mahajan said even healthy individuals should stay inside as much as possible, using some kind of air filtration system.

People who have to work outside should wear an N95 mask, which filters out small particles to stop them entering the body. But the young, the old and the sick should be especially careful at this time.

Read: “Miracles Never Cease”: Man On How His Los Angeles Mansion Survived Fire

“Those who are at higher risk for bad health effects… children, the elderly, those with respiratory and heart conditions, and people with immunocompromised states, they may have worse symptoms like shortness of breath, wheezing, cough and chest pain,” he said.

Multiple fires that have erupted around Los Angeles have laid waste to vast areas, reducing homes, businesses, cars, and vegetation to ash. That means plastics, chemicals, fuel, and building materials all went up in smoke, and now hang in the air across a densely populated region.

On Friday, Los Angeles County declared a public health emergency because of the smoke, and banned the use of machines like leaf blowers that can whip up dangerous ashes.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

The devastating Los Angeles wildfires are poised to become one of the costliest natural disasters in US history, with estimated losses already surpassing $135 billion. According to a preliminary estimate by private forecaster AccuWeather, the total losses could reach as high as $150 billion, making it one of the most expensive wildfires the country has ever seen, BBC has reported.

“These fast-moving, wind-driven infernos have created one of the costliest wildfire disasters in modern US history,” said AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist Jonathan Porter. The sheer scale of the destruction is staggering, with over 5,300 structures destroyed by the Palisades blaze and more than 5,000 structures destroyed by the Eaton Fire.

The insurance industry is bracing for a significant hit, with analysts from firms such as Morningstar and JP Morgan forecasting insured losses of over $8 billion. This could exacerbate the existing challenges faced by the industry, which has been struggling to cope with the increasing frequency and severity of natural disasters. As the full extent of the damage becomes clear, insurers will be forced to reevaluate their risk assessments and pricing strategies, potentially leading to higher premiums and reduced coverage options for homeowners in high-risk areas.

As a result, many people are turning to state government-backed insurance plans, which are often more expensive and offer less protection. In California, the number of policies offered through the state’s Fair plan has more than doubled since 2020, from around 200,000 to over 450,000 in September last year. Areas hit by the fires have seen some of the highest take-up rates, according to data from the program.

The long-term effects of the wildfires will be significant, with potential damage to property values, strain on public finances, and impacts on health and tourism. Denise Rappmund, a senior analyst at Moody’s Ratings, warned that the fires would have “widespread, negative impacts for the state’s broader insurance market.” She added that “increased recovery costs will likely drive up premiums and may reduce property insurance availability.”

The 2018 Camp fire in northern California currently holds the record for the highest insured costs, at around $12.5 billion. However, the Los Angeles wildfires are likely to surpass this total, given the high property values in the affected areas. Aon, a leading insurance company, has already indicated that this disaster is likely to rank among the top five costliest wildfires in US history.

However, the US and California government estimates on the damage are yet to be announced.
 

Film and television stars are among hundreds of people who have lost their homes in the Los Angeles wildfires that have ravaged parts of the world’s showbiz capital. This covers the homes of celebrities including Paris Hilton, Anna Faris, and Anthony Hopkins. But some notable stars, like Tom Hanks, were fortunate enough, and their homes remained safe or only partially damaged. Despite the destruction of the house above it, Tom Hanks’ large white mansion on a cliff in the Pacific Palisades survived the fire. Sadly, some homes were lost to the fire despite the firefighters’ best efforts to save many.

Also Read | Celebrities Who Lost Homes In Los Angeles Fires

According to The New York Post, Tom Hanks, 68, lives in the Pacific Palisades neighbourhood of Los Angeles, which has been decimated by the Palisades Fire that began burning on Tuesday morning.

In aerial photos taken on Wednesday and obtained by The Post, the “Cast Away” actor’s clifftop mansion appears unscathed. The home just above Hanks’ was not so lucky, though. Blackened and still smoking, the structure was hollowed out by flames.

That the star’s house has thus far survived the Palisades Fire is something of a miracle, given that whole streets were levelled by the blaze. On Tuesday, the “Philadelphia” actor and wife Rita Wilson’s son Chet, 34, shared his grief over the mass destruction. “The neighbourhood I grew up in is burning to the ground right now,” Chet wrote on his Instagram story.

Hanks had hardly any marks on his massive property, which looked fine. Even his broad green grass and roof were free of debris.The Oscar-winning Forrest Gump actor lives in the home with his wife, Rita Wilson. Hanks’ last film was Here with Robin Wright, whom he also worked with decades ago on Forrest Gump.

Los Angeles:

A-list actors, musicians and other celebrities were among the tens of thousands of people affected by terrifying wildfires in Los Angeles this week that killed at least five people. Over 70,000 people were evacuated from Los Angeles and the Greater Los Angeles areas of California in the last 24 hours due to four to five major fires that remain uncontained as the wind speed is very high in Palisades, Eaton and Hurst areas. 

Los Angeles is fighting the largest blaze in its history amid water and firefighting shortages. A state of emergency has been declared in the area, with Washington sending help to bring the situation under control. Retired firefighters with experience in firefighting, have been called for help. More than 1,000 buildings have burned in fires that have broken out around America’s second-biggest city, forcing tens of thousands of people from their homes. The situation remains tense in the areas, with a blanket of smoke covering the skies. 

Firefighters Struggle To Contain Situation

Hurricane-force winds whipped up fireballs that leapt from house to house in the upmarket Pacific Palisades area, incinerating a swathe of California’s most desirable real estate favoured by Hollywood celebrities. Gusty winds pushed the flames, pushing embers hundreds of meters and sparking new spot fires faster than firefighters could quell them.

According to Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone, his crews were overwhelmed by the scale and speed of the unfolding disasters.

“We’re doing the very best we can. But no, we don’t have enough fire personnel in LA County between all the departments to handle this,” he told AFP.

The blaze raging in Pacific Palisades had consumed around 16,000 acres as of Wednesday afternoon, taking 1,000 homes and businesses with it. A separate 10,600-acre fire was burning around Altadena, north of the city, where flames tore through suburban streets.

Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said an earlier death toll of two had now increased, with more deaths feared. “Unfortunately, it’s grown to five as we continue through this area,” Luna told radio station KNX.

“And remember, this is still a very fluid situation, there’s zero containment on this fire. I’m really praying we don’t find more, but I don’t think that’s going to be the case,” he added.

Evacuation orders were in place for about 70,000 people across the area. A large number of people who did not heed warnings to leave had suffered “significant injuries,” Marrone said.

Water Shortage

As a pall of dark smoke hung over Los Angeles, hydrants were drying as the water supply dropped in the area. Los Angeles Department of Water and Power chief executive Janisse Quinones pleaded with people to save water after hydrants in Pacific Palisades ran dry.

“We’re fighting a wildfire with urban water systems, and that is really challenging,” she said.

Joe Biden, who was in Los Angeles with California Governor Gavin Newsom, was briefed on what the president called an “astounding” situation.

“We’re doing anything and everything, and as long as it takes to contain these fires,” Biden told reporters.

Hollywood Screeched To A Halt

The showbiz capital has been besieged by multiple out-of-control blazes, with Hollywood events including a glitzy awards show and a Pamela Anderson film premiere among those cancelled as firefighters battle flames in hurricane-force winds.

Hundreds of homes were destroyed in the swanky Pacific Palisades area, a favourite spot for celebrities where multimillion-dollar houses nestle on beautiful hillsides, while other infernos sprang up across the north of the city.

Tesla boss Elon Musk showed the aftermath of the fire in one of the suburban areas in LA with cars, homes and trees completely charred.

A friend in LA just took this video pic.twitter.com/WJBWCHmCUs

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 8, 2025

Mandy Moore, the singer and “This Is Us” actress, told followers on Instagram she had fled with her children and pets from the path of a blaze that had left her Altadena neighbourhood “levelled.” 

“My sweet home. I am devastated and gutted for those of us who’ve lost so much. I’m absolutely numb,” she wrote, in a caption to footage of the destruction.

Emmy-winning actor James Woods posted a video on X showing flames engulfing trees and bushes near his Pacific Palisades home as he got ready to evacuate, and shortly afterwards said all the fire alarms were going off.

“I couldn’t believe our lovely little home in the hills held on this long. It feels like losing a loved one,” Woods said.

“Star Wars” star Mark Hamill told followers on Instagram that he had fled his Malibu home with his wife and pet dog, escaping down a road flanked by active fires.

Oscar winner Jamie Lee Curtis was also forced to evacuate, later writing on Instagram: “Our beloved neighbourhood is gone. Our home is safe. So many others have lost everything.”

Meanwhile, next week’s unveiling of the Oscar nominations was pushed back until January 19, to give Academy members affected by fires more time to cast their ballots this week.