California governor says fires could prove the costliest disaster in U.S. history

By Chandelis Duster

Published January 12, 2025 at 12:12 PM EST

An emergency vehicle drives through a neighborhood devastated by the Eaton Fire, in Altadena, Calif. on Thursday.

Updated January 12, 2025 at 14:33 PM ET

This is a developing story. For the latest local updates head to LAist.com and sign up for breaking news alerts.

Firefighters are bracing for more Santa Ana winds as they continue to battle multiple fires in Los Angeles that have left several people dead and burned thousands of structures.

The gusty winds that helped propel the fires are forecast to continue through Tuesday and likely Wednesday across Los Angeles and Ventura Counties, with low humidity creating critical fire conditions, according to the National Weather Service.

"#SantaAnaWind combined with dry air and very dry vegetation will maintain high WILDFIRE RISK through Wednesday," the NWS Los Angeles office wrote in a post Saturday on X.

Red flag warnings have been issued through Wednesday, with 30 to 50 mph wind gusts expected and 50 to 75 mph wind gusts in wind-prone mountains and foothills through at least Tuesday, according to the NWS.

A red flag warning means there are conditions for an increased risk of fire: a combination of very low humidity, warm temperatures and strong winds.

At least 153,000 people have been forced to evacuate and another 166,000 people were under evacuation warnings as of Saturday, according to the L.A. County Sheriff's Department. On Saturday, Los Angeles County officials said they changed the county's alert and notification system to partner with the state's alert center while they investigate the cause behind the false evacuation alerts sent to more than 10 million Angelenos last week.

Kenneth Snowden, left, surveys the damage to his fire-ravaged property with his brother Kim, center, and Ronnie in the aftermath of the Eaton Fire in Altadena, Calif. on Friday.

What to know

Authorities are investigating at least 16 deaths from the fires — 11 from the Eaton Fire and five from the Palisades Fire. Search and rescue efforts for missing persons related to the fires began Saturday morning.
Roughly 40,000 acres have been burned in the Eaton, Palisades, Kenneth and Hurst fires, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Homes and businesses are among the more than 12,000 structures that have been destroyed — as are many houses of worship. Officials expect more in the coming days.
According to the latest figures from Cal Fire, the Eaton Fire has spread to more than 14,000 acres and is 27% contained. The Palisades Fire is at more than 23,000 acres and 11% contained. The Kenneth Fire was fully contained after burning more than 1,000 acres, while the nearly 800 acre Hurst Fire was 89% contained.

Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Deanne Criswell told Weekend Edition Sunday that over 24,000 people have already applied for disaster assistance. That number is expected to rise, Criswell said. Criswell also corrected a statement President-elect Donald Trump made last week on his Truth Social platform that FEMA had run out of money. "That is absolutely false," Criswell said.
During an interview on NBC's "Meet The Press", California Gov. Gavin Newsom said there are 14,000 people assisting with the fires, including the National Guard. Newsom believes the fires will be the worst natural disaster in the history of the U.S. "in terms of just the costs associated with it, in terms of the scale and scope." He also pushed back on Trump's comments and said "mis- and disinformation I don't think advantages or aids any of us."
A curfew is in place from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. inside the Palisades and Eaton fire evacuation zones until further notice in response to concerns of burglaries and looting in evacuated areas.

Several drinking water advisories have been issued. A "do not drink" order was issued for most of northern Pasadena after the Eaton Fire damaged pump stations and reservoirs. A "do not drink" notice was also issued for areas in the Pacific Palisades and communities north of San Vicente Blvd under evacuation orders.The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power said it issued the notice because of "the potential of fire-related contaminants that may have entered the water system." Parts of northern Pasadena have also been warned to not use tap water for drinking, cooking, hand washing or bathing until they've gotten a release from the water district, the city said on Saturday.

The California Newsroom is following the extreme weather from across the region. Click through to LAist's coverage for the latest.