Los Angeles fires: More than 10,000 homes and businesses destroyed, at least 10 dead

"A curfew order has been established for the Palisades and Eaton Fire areas in all mandatory evacuation zones," starting at 6 p.m. local time, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna announced Friday.

"This curfew will be strictly enforced and is being taken to enhance public safety, protect property, and prevent any burglaries or looting in the area that the residents have evacuated," Luna added, warning that "We are not screwing around with this."

Los Angeles county officials kicked off Friday's update on the wildfires with an apology for the false alarm sent to residents through the wireless emergency alert system.

"There is an extreme amount of frustration, anger, fear with regards to the erroneous messages," emergency director Kevin McGowan acknowledged. "I can't express enough how sorry I am for this experience. 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. I want to restate that right now as these alerts are being issued, they are not being activated or initiated by a person." 

McGowan stressed that technical specialists are working to identify the cause of the messages sent in error and fix the problem. He urged residents not to turn off their emergency alerts in the meantime, saying alert tools have saved lives during the fire emergency.

President Biden made what many considered a "disgusting" joke during his remarks on the ongoing Los Angeles wildfires Thursday.

Biden convened senior administrative officials to address the federal response to the Pacific Palisades wildfires that have continued to rage throughout the county, forcing the displacement of thousands of California citizens and destroying thousands of homes and buildings.

After briefing the public on the federal government’s plan to help local officials during the disaster, Biden gave the floor to Vice President Kamala Harris, who hails from California, and made a quick joke. 

"Madam Vice President, I know you're directly affected. So you fire away, no pun intended," Biden said.

X users were quickly shocked by the comment and began blasting the president.

"WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS DUDE," Redstate writer Bonchie exclaimed.

"Is the empathy in the room with you now?" Townhall.com video editor Kevin McMahon wrote.

Townhall.com columnist Derek Hunter wrote, "Most of the time, @JoeBiden is just a mean, vindictive person (has been his whole career), but in this case I think this can be blamed on his senility."

This is an excerpt from an article by Lindsay Kornick.

The devastating wildfires that have left 10 dead and more than 10,000 homes and businesses destroyed are still plaguing Los Angeles-area residents. In times of emergency, it is crucial to make sure you have public service numbers.

If you are in the Los Angeles area, these numbers could come in handy. You can also call 911 in case of an emergency.

LAFD’s General Public Info line: 213-978-3800

LAPD’s non-emergency line: 1-877-275-5273

City Services: 311

Animal services: 888-452-7381

Emergency Management Department: 213-484-4800

As firefighters work to contain the flames, there are ways that everyday people across the country can help those impacted by the fires. Join FOX Corporation, which has donated $1 million, in giving to the American Red Cross’ California Wildfire relief efforts to help those in need.

FOX Corporation’s donation will help the agency provide safe shelter, hot meals, emotional support, and resources to aid in recovery in the region.

To donate, visit GO.FOX/REDCROSS. 

A desperate Los Angeles mother confronted California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday about the city's raging wildfires, demanding answers about why fire hydrants ran empty and what he was going to do to fix communities that have been reduced to ash.

Pacific Palisades resident Rachel Darvish ran toward the governor as he was about to get into a black SUV, having surveilled some of the damage after several fires wreaked havoc on the once picturesque neighborhood known for its charming homes and sweeping coastline views.   

"Governor! I live here, governor! That was my daughter’s school, what are you going to do," Darvish, wearing a white industrial-style mask, said in the clip captured by Sky News. 

A softly spoken Newsom then says he was "literally talking to the president" to find out what he and President Biden could do for Darvish and her daughter. 

"Can I hear it, can I hear your call? ’cause I don’t believe it!" Darvish said, shaking her hands with deep skepticism. 

"I’ve tried five times, that’s why I’m walking around to make the call," Newsom responded, saying he had no cell phone coverage and was trying to get through to Biden. 

"I’m devastated for you I’m so sorry, especially for your daughter," an apologetic Newsom said. 

Darvish suggested they get cell service together, and she wanted to be there when Newsom got through to Biden, noting that local school children had lost everything. She demanded answers about why there was not enough water in the hydrants to douse the deadly flames.

"Why was there no water in the hydrants, governor? Is it going to be different next time?" she asked.

"It has to be, it has to be, of course," Newsom replied.

"What are you going to do?"

"I’m doing everything I can," the governor said. "I will do whatever I can."

"Fill the hydrants. I would fill them up personally, you know that," Darvish said before raising her voice, "I would fill up the hydrants myself. Would you do that?"

Newsom said he would do whatever it takes, but Darvish shot back and said, "But you’re not!"

This is an excerpt from an article by Michael Dorgan.

A new analysis by JPMorgan estimates that the overall economic losses and insured losses caused by the deadly wildfires impacting Southern California are likely to be the most costly in state history.

JPMorgan's insurance analysts released a report on Thursday that looked at the exposure of homeowner's and commercial property insurance lines in light of the wildfires that have devastated communities in the Los Angeles area, including Pacific Palisades and Altadena. At least five people have been killed in the fires and over 2,000 homes, businesses and other structures have been damaged or destroyed.

The report noted that nearly 30,000 acres have been impacted by the fire and nearly 15,000 houses and buildings are considered to be at risk as of Thursday — up from 13,000 as of Wednesday morning. Firefighters have struggled to contain the wildfires, which are being driven by strong Santa Ana winds.

"Expectations of economic losses stemming from the fires have more than doubled since yesterday to closer to $50 billion, and we estimate that insured losses from the event could exceed $20 billion (and even more if the fires are not controlled)," JPMorgan analysts wrote. "This would make this event significantly more severe than the 2018 Butte County Camp fires, the highest insured loss wildfires in California's history previously (with insured losses of roughly $10 billion)." 

"Insured losses in the Butte Camp fire were close to two-thirds of economic losses (about $15 billion). That event impacted over 150,000 acres and affected over 18,000 houses/buildings," the report said. 

The 2018 Camp Fire devastated the town of Paradise and several nearby communities and caused 85 fatalities. It was caused by a downed utility transmission line during a high wind event.

This is an excerpt from an article by Eric Revell.

Southern California homes and businesses are still ablaze tonight and there doesn’t seem to be an end in sight.

Celebrities are taking to social media to express their disappointment at the loss of their homes and flashy cars, but one family in Altadena is mourning the loss of something much more.

In an interview with FOX 11 LA, 6-year-old Henry, of Altadena, stands next to his mother and brother. In the background, you can see the mangled siding and bricks of what looks like a former home, along with the burnt wreckage of many other homes that were lost. 

Henry seems to keep his composure as he recounts the frightening moments leading up to the loss of his home – all while clutching the only two things he has left in this world. 

"And then – the power went out … and then we were going to get our dad, but he was coming. Then we had power, flashlights, they're so good, and I went and they woke us up, me and my brother. And then we left our house," said Henry.

He said items in the house were burned, including his prized 3D printer. 

"It was so special to me and it's going to make me a little sad, but, I don't know why, but this is what happened to our house," Henry said. "And a lot of stuff that I love is gone. And now, and everything is broken, and it's all lost its color and stuff. And these are the only things that I have."

In the interview, Henry, who is visibly disappointed, shows the reporter the remnants of his parents' bicycles and says that he wanted to come to the site of his former home to confirm what was broken and see what was left.

"I wanted to check on it and see if it was not broken and my dad took a video that it was broken," he said. "We went here for today, so we know what happened and that was our chimney where Santa comes and now it's gone. Now we can't get presents here anymore."

This is the case for thousands as the wildfires continue to rage throughout the area. 

This is an excerpt from an article by Christina Shaw.

Victor Shaw, 66, was identified by KTLA as one of the fatalities from the devastating Eaton Fire centered around the city of Pasadena. 

Shaw's remains were found reportedly clutching a garden hose in his hand while trying to defend his family home of more than 50 years. 

His sister Shari told the station that Victor said he wanted to stay behind Tuesday night to try to fight the flames, but a family friend said his body was discovered the next day on the side of a road with a hose. 

"They just told me that he was lying on the ground and that he looked serene, as if he was at peace," Shari Shaw told KTLA. 

The five wildfires active in Los Angeles County on Friday – the Palisades Fire, Eaton Fire, Kenneth Fire, Hurst Fire and Lidia Fire, have so far burned more than 30,000 combined acres, according to Cal Fire. 

The agency says the largest – the Palisades Fire – has scorched nearly 20,000 acres and is only 6% contained. Across the county, more than 10,000 homes and businesses have been burned. 

Milo Ventimiglio is mourning the loss of his Malibu home - a safe space he and his pregnant wife, Jarah Mariano, were expecting to introduce their new baby to in just a few days. 

During an interview with CBS News, the "This Is Us" actor, 47, opened up about the "heavy" reality that has hit his family due to the Los Angeles wildfires.

"You start thinking about all the memories in different parts of the house and what not, and then you see your neighbors' houses and everything kind of around and your heart just breaks," a visibly upset Ventimiglia said while walking through the rubble of what is left of his home. 

Ventimiglia, who evacuated on Tuesday, revealed he and his wife watched their home burn to the ground through their security cameras. 

"I think there's a shock moment where you go, 'Is this real and is this happening?' At a certain point we just turned it off. We accepted the loss."

With Mariano set to give birth any day now, Ventimiglia revealed the baby's nursery was complete. 

"The whole thing was set up," he said. 

Ventimiglia, whose character Jack Pearson died of smoke inhalation after his home burned down in "This Is Us," said he is fully aware of the irony. 

"It's not lost on me, life imitating art," he said.

This is an excerpt from an article by Christina Dugan Ramirez.

Wildfires across Southern California continue to displace thousands of Los Angeles residents, including celebrities.

A wildfire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, driven by strong Santa Ana winds, began in the Santa Monica Mountains late Tuesday morning and quickly engulfed 200 acres within an hour, surging to nearly 3,000 acres by sunset, FOX Weather reported.

Three subsequent fires - Eaton, Hurst and Sunset - have erupted in various parts of the city.

A photograph shows actress Anna Faris' Pacific Palisades multi-million-dollar home, charred and completely destroyed by the wildfire. "Anna and her family are safe and very grateful," a representative for the actress told Fox News Digital.

A distraught Molly Sims wept on camera, describing the depressing status of her neighborhood. "Wanted to give everyone an update," she said, stifling back tears. "Our community is beyond devastated. We are all pulling together. A lot of my friends have lost their home[s]. I'm waiting to see if our home will be there. Right now it's just a waiting game. But I just want you to know I appreciate all the texts and DMs," she said, before urging people to donate. "All we can do is wait."

In a statement to Fox News Digital, Billy Crystal and his wife, Janice Crystal, said they are mourning the loss of their family home. 

"Words cannot describe the enormity of the devastation we are witnessing and experiencing," the couple said in a joint statement. "We ache for our friends and neighbors who have also lost their homes and businesses in this tragedy. Janice and I lived in our home since 1979. We raised our children and grandchildren here. Every inch of our house was filled with love. Beautiful memories that can't be taken away. We are heartbroken of course but with the love of our children and friends we will get through this."

"We pray for the safety of the firefighters and first responders," the statement continued. "The Pacific Palisades is a resilient community of amazing people and we know in time it will rise again. It is our home."

This is an excerpt from an article by Elizabeth Pritchett, Tracy Wright, Caroline Thayer and Christina Dugan Ramirez.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis called out a reporter on Thursday for the lack of blame being placed on California leaders for the devastating wildfires, pointing out that it's in stark contrast to how Republican leaders are often treated in the wake of disasters.

DeSantis, and all other Republican governors, had just wrapped up a dinner with President-elect Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago on Thursday evening when the heated exchange with a reporter took place.

The reporter appeared to be asking another governor if it was appropriate for Trump to criticize Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom as deadly wildfires rage throughout the state.

The question prompted DeSantis to step forward and ask, "Is it appropriate for people in your industry to try to create division and to try to create narratives any time these things happen?"

"Now, you're not as interested in doing that because Newsom is a D. If Newsom was a Republican, you guys would go try ... you would have him nailed to the wall for what they're doing over there," he continued.

The Florida governor, who has managed multiple disasters during his tenure, said he has often been criticized for things that were out of his control and has been blamed for incidents before the facts came out, referencing the 2021 Surfside condominium collapse.

"I think your track record of politicizing these things is very, very bad," DeSantis said.

He said Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass would be treated much differently for her trip to Ghana while fires were high risk if she were a Republican.

"You should have been there preparing and doing that, and yet I don't see a lot of heat being directed [toward her]," DeSantis said. "I'd like to see some balance on how this is done. You can criticize the president-elect, but you also have to hold these other people accountable, and I have not seen that."

Steve Guttenberg is continuing his efforts to help first responders and those affected by the Los Angeles wildfires. 

During an interview with Fox News Digital, the actor, best known for his roles in "Police Academy" and "Three Men and a Baby," shared footage of damage to the Pacific Palisades neighborhood from the flames and explained why he thinks the catastrophe is a "great equalizer."

"It's a great equalizer because it doesn't matter how much money you have, the big house you have, your own fancy car you have," he said. "At the end of it, you're just walking down the street with a small little suitcase looking to evacuate and looking for somebody to help you get to where you're going. That's all you got."

Earlier this week, Guttenberg sprang into action to help firefighters and moved cars stranded on Sunset Boulevard by residents fleeing the fire, he exclusively told Fox News Digital.

"It's kind of like Zombieland, you know. There's all these abandoned cars all over the street," the star explained Tuesday. 

Guttenberg urged people who were leaving their vehicles behind while evacuating to also leave their keys so crews could make their way through to the fire.

"What people do is that they abandon their cars, and it's a crisis. And they don't leave their keys in their cars," Guttenberg told Fox News Digital Jan. 7. "What happens is, the fire trucks can't get up the street because they have all these abandoned cars with no ability to move them. So, what I was doing was helping out move cars and put them up on the hill and clear the way for the fire department."

Guttenberg noted the inferno was "the biggest fire that we've ever seen in the Palisades. It's enormous."

This is an excerpt from an article by Christina Dugan Ramirez and Larry Fink.

As deadly wildfires spread and thousands of Los Angeles County residents flee for their lives, there are brave Americans who are going toward the danger to fight the flames.

John Mixson, a retired U.S. Coast Guard helicopter search and rescue aircraft commander, knows the risks posed to the crew members battling the fires. Crews resumed flights Wednesday after being grounded since Tuesday evening.

"There's several different hazards involved that's unique to the operation that they do," Mixson told Fox News Digital. "One of the most apparent ones is the low altitude above hilly terrain in high wind conditions, which is what they're battling now."

Air crews working to contain the wildfires are grappling with several obstacles as well. Mixson pointed out that through the smoke these crews must also avoid other aircraft, terrain and everyday hazards such as radio towers.

In addition to the stressful conditions, operators in firefighting aircraft also have to handle populated areas carefully. This means navigating how to put out the blaze while dealing with not only "personal property, but personnel and life."

Despite the high stress of the job, which Mixson admits is "challenging and very hazardous," he expressed confidence in those who are fighting the devastating fires.

"The crews that do it are all extremely, extremely highly trained specifically for the specialized mission," Mixson said. "This isn't a secondary mission for the Cal Fire folks or any of the DoD or Forest Service firefighting folks. Just like the U.S. Coast Guard, they are very, very specialized in what they do. It is very, very hazardous, it's very challenging. But they're also very, very highly trained, uniquely to the specific task."

This is an excerpt from an article by Rachel Wolf and Ashley Papa.

Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan Hochman warned residents of looters and vowed to punish them Wednesday amid reports of looting in the county as firefighters struggle to contain multiple wildfires raging in Southern California, including the massive Pacific Palisades fire.

"While the community rallies to support one another, we are also aware of the individuals who are targeting vulnerable victims to preying on this misfortune, seeking to exploit the vulnerability of those who have already endured so much," the DA said in a statement.

"Let it be clearly known that those who seek to illegally profit from the pain and suffering of others—whether through looting, fraud, theft, burglary, or any other form of criminal activity—will not go unpunished."

At the same time, private security firms are struggling to meet the increased demand as flames and looters alike threaten upscale Los Angeles neighborhoods.

"We are slammed," said Herman Weisberg, the managing director of SAGE Intelligence, which works with Hollywood stars and other prominent individuals. "Can’t get guys there, and housing them is near impossible."

Hotels are packed with displaced families and first responders, he said. Even one of his friend's houses burned down. Rental cars are scarce, even if security personnel could stay outside town.

"We've already pretty much committed all the assets I have in California to various assignments, but we're trying to mobilize some more out of towners, which has its own issues," he said. "Everybody that we have is former law enforcement, but not everybody is licensed in the state of California." As for Hochman, he and other authorities have vowed to hold thieves and other criminals accountable to the fullest extent of the law.

"To those who are enduring hardship, please know that you are not alone," he said. "Thank you to our brave first responders who are working tirelessly to protect our community from this devastation. We appreciate you and everything you are doing."

Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said at a news briefing Thursday that at least 20 people had been arrested on looting charges and warned potential copycats to stay out of evacuated homes.

This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News Digital's Michael Ruiz.

Los Angeles officials say multiple wildfires remain uncontained across the city and urged residents to comply with ongoing evacuation orders on Thursday.

Mayor Karen Bass delivered the message alongside police and firefighting leaders at a press conference on Thursday. Police said they have already arrested 20 people for looting and burglary in evacuation areas, and more arrests are expected.

"This is absolutely an unprecedented historic firestorm," Bass said. "But we are all hands on deck. We need to continue to cooperate. We need to evacuate when asked to do so. We need to help others, help our neighbors. And first and foremost, we need to stay united."

The mayor faced sharp questions from reporters following the briefing, with inquiries highlighting that she was out of the country when the fires began.

"Do you think your leadership was effective in responding to this disaster?" a reporter asked.

Bass argued her focus was on saving lives, but said there would be time to investigate how Los Angeles was prepared for the crisis at a later date.

Bass also responded to criticism of her slashing the fire department’s budget last year, saying "there were no reductions that were made that would have impacted the situation that we were dealing with over the last couple of days." 

From the 2023-2024 to the 2024-2025 budgets, the LAFD’s budget was reduced by over $17 million from $837,191,237 to $819,637,423.  

Bass had proposed a larger budget cut to the LAFD, about $23 million, but it was not adopted. 

This is an excerpt from an article by Anders Hagstrom.

The Los Angeles Police Department arrested a man on Thursday who was allegedly “attempting to light a fire,” as wildfires continued to ravage the area.

Officers responded to a call at about 4:30 p.m., for a possible arson suspect on the 21700 block of Ybarra Road.

Initially, LAPD officer Charles Dinse was quoted in a News Nation report telling a reporter that a suspect was detained in Rolling Hills by citizens, and when asked if the suspect purposely set the Kenneth Fire, he said, “at this time that’s what we believe, yes.”

Fox News Digital reached out to the LAPD for confirmation and was told the message did not come from them.

Fox News’ Matt Finn said he has spoken to the LAPD twice and they confirmed someone was arrested at about 4:30 p.m. in the Topanga division of LA, however the LAPD would not confirm the person was arrested for starting the Kenneth Fire.

Finn also spoke with Dinse, who said a person was arrested in proximity to the Kenneth Fire.

But Dinse also agreed with what the LAPD said, which was that at this time, they do not have a direct link between the person who was arrested and the Kenneth Fire.

At least 10 people are confirmed dead as multiple wildfires decimate the Los Angeles area, according the County of Los Angeles Department of Medical Examiner.

In an update Thursday night, the coroner's office said it has "received notification of 10 fire-related deaths."

Authorities previously said that five deaths are from the Eaton Fire and two are from the Palisades Fire. It's unclear where the remaining three come from.

"The identification make take several weeks as the Department of Medical Examiner is not able to respond to all death locations due to the fire conditions and safety concerns. Please also keep in mind, traditional means of identification such as fingerprinting and visual identification may not be available and will add more time for naming these decedents," the office said in a news release.

The two biggest wildfires raging in the Los Angeles area have burned more than 10,000 homes and businesses, officials say. 

Fox News Digital's Elizabeth Pritchett contributed to this update.