- 400,000 customers have lost power and 360,000 people are under mandatory evacuation orders with more under evacuation warning.
- President Biden announced that the federal government will cover %100 of the costs of the fire for 180 days.
- Multiple groups in Canada have sent aid to California, including aircraft and tactical support.
Multiple wildfires in the Los Angeles area of Southern California are still burning out of control, destroying houses and other structures in their wake.
On Thursday afternoon, President Joe Biden gathered with federal agency leaders to give a briefing of the status of the fires as well as the efforts and resources being used to fight the wildfires.
Officials report that at least five people have died in the fires, according to NBC News.
There are at least five fires burning, covering more than 45 square miles. The biggest of the fires, the Palisades fire, is the most destructive fire in LA history. It remains entirely uncontained.
According to the Los Angeles Times, multiple school districts in the area have announced closures, with many schools closed on Thursday, and more expected to close on Friday.
The intense Santa Ana winds which escalated the fires have eased, but there are still strong wind gusts of 40-50 mph forecast for the rest of Thursday. Gusts of winds are expected to reach around 50-70 mph Friday morning, per NBC.
The fire in Hollywood Hills which started Wednesday night has been fully contained, according to Biden.
President Biden held a briefing on the status of the firefight
On Thursday afternoon, Biden gathered with Vice President Kamala Harris and leaders of the relevant government agencies to share status updates on the wildfires in California.
Biden announced that the federal government will be covering 100% of the costs of the fire for 180 days. This includes costs of debris and hazard removal, first responder salaries, temporary shelters and “all necessary measures to protect life and property.”
As part of the briefing Biden shared a message to the people of California expressing his support.
“We are with you, we’re not going anywhere.” Biden said, and Harris echoed the same message.
The president and vice president both praised and thanked the firefighters and others working against the wildfires. “You are heroes,” Biden said.
The chief of the Forest Service, Randy Moore, shared that there are 4,000 firefighters currently deployed in the area and there are 8,000 more on standby. This includes, federal, state, local and tribal firefighters.
In the last 24 hours there have been 50 starts that firefighters have stopped, according to Moore.
The cause of each of the fires is still unknown but are being investigated, containing the fires is the current priority.
Moore emphasized that the most concerning factor is the wind, which not only helps the fires spread but also makes the firefight more difficult. The wind makes it difficult to fly aircraft that aid in the firefight, and it causes retardant and water being dropped to be blown away before making an impact.
FEMA regional administrator Bob Fenton shared that one thing the organization is working on is bringing in mental health specialists to help those affected by the fires.
Harris and Fenton both addressed issues of gaps in insurance and insurance policies being canceled. FEMA is working on bringing in assistance from nonprofits, federal agencies and groups in the private sector.
Fenton added that debris removal will take months to a year to complete, workers will start with moving hazards and personal effects and then will working on removing the ash and other debris.
Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Charles Brown shared that there are 10 Navy helicopters and 10 National Guard helicopters deployed.
There have also been eight C130s deployed that are modified to drop water and flame retardant.
Biden also shared that the problem of fire hydrants not working isn’t because of a lack of water. According to the president, the problem is caused by utilities being turned off in an effort to prevent more fires being caused by power lines.
How big are the wildfires?
- As of Thursday morning, the Hurst fire was 10% contained and the Lidia fire was 40% contained, per CBS.
- The Palisades fire alone has covered almost 27 square miles, or 17,234 acres. It has destroyed over 1,000 structures and is completely uncontained, per NBC.
- The Eaton fire, the second largest one, has burned over 16 square miles, and has also destroyed hundreds of structures, per CBS. The fire is also completely uncontained.
- There are more than 400,000 customers without power, per Department of Energy deputy secretary Dave Turk.
- Around 360,000 people have been forced to evacuate from their homes, per Fenton. Hundreds of thousands others have received evacuation warnings.
- The Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department has arrested 20 people for looting since the fires started on Tuesday, per NBC.
- According to CNN, as many as 5,000 structures have been destroyed and over 60,000 are threatened.
- According to KSL.com, 64 firefighters from Utah are on their way to California to help in the firefight.
- The cost of the fires could reach $50 billion, becoming the most expensive blaze in U.S. history, per NBC.
- A new fire ignited near West Hills Thursday afternoon which has prompted more mandatory evacuation orders, according to The Associated Press.
Aid coming from Canada
On Thursday, the premier of Alberta, Canada, made a pledge to send resources to California to help in the firefight, per NBC.
Premier Danielle Smith said the government would be sending incident command team support, water bomber aircraft and helicopters with night vision capabilities.
“Our hearts go out to everyone in California who has been evacuated due to the devastating forest fires,” Smith wrote on X. “Good neighbours are always there for each other in times of need, and we will assist our American friends in any way they need during this crisis.”
She added that Alberta is working with the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre and the federal government to assess what additional aid California needs.
According to NBC, the government of Quebec sent two water bomber planes on Wednesday. A company out of British Columbia has also sent aircraft to California.
What events have been affected by the fires?
Because of the wildfires, multiple events in the busy LA area have been canceled, moved or postponed.
On Wednesday, an NHL game between the LA Kings and the Calgary Flames was postponed, per the LA Times.
The NBA has postponed a game between the LA Lakers and Charlotte Hornets that was set to take place on Thursday, according to the LA Times.
With the fire burning in the Los Angeles area, many Hollywood events, such as premieres, have been canceled. Premieres for “The Last Showgirl,” “Severance” and “Better Man” are among the events that have been canceled, per Indie Wire.
Awards shows such as the Critics Choice awards and the LA Film Critics banquets have been postponed. Upcoming awards shows have also delayed their nominations and voting periods.
According to Indie Wire, Oscar nominations were set to be released on Jan. 17 but have been postponed until Jan. 19.
If needed, an NFL playoff game between the Minnesota Vikings and the Los Angeles Rams set to be played at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, on Monday, may be moved.
The NFL announced on Wednesday that, if necessary, the game will be moved to State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.