Updated January 10, 2025 at 11:08 AM ET
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California firefighters have begun to see some progress against the raging wildfires into the fourth day. At the same time, those gains continue to be threatened as powerful, dry winds ignite and intensify flames.
On Thursday night, a new blaze erupted in West Hills, decimating over 1,000 acres within hours. More than one-third of the Kenneth fire has since been contained.
The Hurst and Lidia fires have also made considerable strides in being contained, but the two largest infernos — the Palisades and Eaton fires — persist with little to no signs of waning.
The wildfires have sent shockwaves across the nation, with many California residents reeling over the sheer magnitude of destruction. Jinghuan Liu Tervalon, who lost her Altadena home to the Eaton fire, told NPR she only expected to evacuate for just a day and did not know her home's fire insurance coverage.
"I keep on waking up at night thinking, 'Oh, my God, how did I not anticipate this?'" she said. "If I could go back in time, I would have packed a lot more stuff from the house."
What you need to know
- At least 10 people have died due to the fires, the Los Angeles Medical Examiner's Office confirmed. Identification may take several weeks, the examiner said.
- In total, more than 35,000 acres have been decimated, with the Palisades and Eaton fires driving the destruction, according to the California Department of Forestry & Fire Protection, or Cal Fire.
- Over 220,000 customers remained without power across Southern California, according to the Poweroutage.us.
- Nearly 800 incarcerated people have been assisting in the fight against the historic wildfire in a long-running and controversial state practice.
- About 180,000 people have had to evacuate and another 200,000 people are under evacuation warnings, the LA County Sheriff's Department said.
The latest on the fires | What's been lost | The forecast | How to stay safe
Keep reading for more information, and check back throughout the day for updates.
The fires
About 8,000 personnel are responding to the fires from local, state, out-of-state and federal agencies, California Gov. Gavin Newsom said.
The latest on:
➡️ The Eaton fire
➡️ The Hurst fire
➡️ The Kenneth fire
➡️ The Lidia fire
➡️ The Palisades fire
➡️ The Woodley fire
"Unfortunately I think the death toll will rise," LA Sheriff Robert Luna said. "I hope I'm wrong. But I think it will rise."
The Los Angeles Unified School District closed its schools throughout the week, and will continue to do so Friday.
The NBA has postponed a game between the Los Angeles Lakers and Charlotte Hornets to an unannounced date, while the NFL has moved a game between the Vikings and Rams from Inglewood, Calif., to Glendale, Ariz.
Twenty people have been arrested for looting in LA, a number Luna said is likely to go up.
The forecast
Wind speeds have slowed down some but are "will still be strong enough to be of concern" in the next few days, with a range of 20 to 60 miles per hour until Friday morning, the National Weather Service said.
The latest on the fires | What's been lost | The forecast | How to stay safe
The losses so far
More than 10,000 structures have been destroyed, according to Cal Fire.
➡️ Photos: See the California wildfires' destructive force, in satellite images
On Thursday, AccuWeather, a commercial company that provides data on weather and its impact, increased its estimate of total damage and economic loss to the region at between $135 billion to $150 billion.
How to help and stay safe
Resources to help stay safe:
➡️ Trying to stay safe in a wildfire? There's an app that can help
➡️ What to do — and not do — when you get home after a fire evacuation
➡️ How to keep yourself safe from wildfire smoke
Ways to support the response and recovery:
➡️ Resources for SoCal fire victims, evacuees and first responders
➡️ Got loved ones affected by LA Fires? These wildfire resources may help
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