The shocking picture that sums up LA’s woeful fire response as fire chief turns on embattled mayor and inferno explodes: Live updates

The Santa Ynez Reservoir in the Pacific Palisades area had been drained and closed for repairs when the devastating fires broke out this week, a report claims.

The LA Times reported that the 177-million-gallon reservoir was undergoing repairs to its torn cover when the fires erupted, amid reports that firefighters ran out of water and suffered low water pressure in recent days.

A rep for the city’s Department of Water and Power reportedly said the emptying of the reservoir likely contributed to the city’s stumbling response to the crisis, but the repairs were mandated to comply with regulations.

‘The system was never designed for a wildfire scenario that we are experiencing,’ they added.

Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said at a Saturday press conference that 13 people have been reported missing in the county.

The number is the first time officials have cited a figure for those missing, but stressed that it is a preliminary number, and it is not clear how many are directly related to the fires.

Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said his department made 22 arrests since a curfew was put in place amid looting and burglaries in evacuated areas.

Luna said at a press conference on Saturday that 19 of the arrests came in Eaton and 3 in Palisades areas, and ‘most were for burglary and looting.’

The sheriff warned any residents not to break the nighttime curfew put in place by authorities.

‘You go out there and you violate this curfew, you are going to spend time in jail,’ he said.

Faults along the Los Angeles power grid alarmingly soared in the same areas where major wildfires raged this week, sparking a new theory that they may have caused the devastating crisis.

Bob Marshall, the chief executive of Whisker Labs, a company that monitors electrical activity, told Fox News that the firm saw spikes in faults in the hours before the Eaton, Palisades and Hurst Fires.

Marshall said data shows the power was not immediately shut off after the faults surged.

‘Faults are caused by tree limbs touching wires or wires blowing in the wind and touching. That creates a spark in a fault, and we detect all of those things,’ Marshall said.

Faulty electrical equipment, a sudden surge in electrical demand or earthquake tremors are also possible causes of the surges.

In the worst-hit Pacific Palisades area, there were 63 faults in the two-to-three hours before it ignited, with 18 coming in the hour before it started Tuesday.

The Eaton Fire, near Altadena, saw 317 grid faults in the hours before ignition, Marshall said, and the Hurst Fire saw around 230 faults. On a typical day, he said the company registers very few.

Although investigators have yet to determine the cause of the fires, the grid faults raise the possibility that sparks from the faults ignited dried out vegetation, with high winds then carrying embers across the region.

Footage shared to social media showed downed power lines sparked against trees in Los Angeles, amid theories that electrical surges may have caused the fires.

In a video shared to X, flashes of electrical current were seen sparking against forestry while onlookers watched on in shock.

Although investigators are still determining the cause of the crisis, grid faults raise the possibility that sparks from the faults ignited dried out vegetation, with high winds then carrying embers across the region.

The total damage and financial burden of the Los Angeles fires may reach upwards of $150 billion, early predictions have found.

The wildfires have torn through over 20,000 acres and 12,000 buildings while killing at least 11 people, leaving the Los Angeles are in an apocalyptic state.

A preliminary estimate by AccuWeather based on similar disasters found the staggering repair job could cost at least $135 billion and likely upwards of $150 billion.

Aris Papadopoulos, the founder of the Resilience Action Fund, tolf Fortune that, based on similar disasters, the rebuild could take up to 10 years.

Erratic wind gusts that have fanned the flames of the Los Angeles fires are set to spread as far as Ventura County and the Hollywood Hills through the weekend, officials have warned.

Forecasters issued a high wind warning across mountainous areas starting at 6pm Saturday evening and into Sunday morning.

The devastating Los Angeles wildfires are putting the 2028 Olympics in the city at risk as several venues set to host the games are at risk of burning to the ground.

Venues including the historic Riviera Golf Club, the UCLA campus, the SoFi Stadium, the Intuit Dome and the Carson Stadium could find themselves in harms way as high winds continue to fan the flames.

Riviera, where the golf event would be played, is just five miles from the Palisades Fire and is in an evacuation zone.

Although not built yet, the next Olympic village is planned to be held on the UCLA campus, however further spread could threaten the area.

The SoFi Stadium, which would host swimming events, and the Intuit Dome, set to hold Olympic Basketball events, are within 19 miles of nearest fires.

The Crypto.com arena, where gymnastics events would be held, is also just 20 miles from the blazes, the same distance the John C. Argue Swimming Stadium, set to host diving, is also from the fires.

Olympics historian and Rice University professor Tom Stallings told the New York Post that if the venues burn down, it may not be ‘feasible to fix in the next three years’ and organizers may have to look elsewhere.

The NBA announced it has postponed two games set to be held in Los Angeles as the city continues to be devastated by wildfires.

Saturday night’s games between the Los Angeles Lakers and the San Antonio Spurs, and the LA Clippers and Charlotte Hornets, have been postponed and will be rescheduled at a later date.

In a statement, the league said the decision came after ‘communication with local officials in Los Angeles and Inglewood about the ongoing situation in the Los Angeles.’

‘The game postponements ensures no resources will be diverted to the wildfire response efforts.’

The NBA added that it will be donating one million dollars to wildfire relief efforts including the American Red Cross and the World Central Kitchen ‘to support those affected by this disaster and are working with the the Lakers and Clippers on ways to support longer term assistance and rebuilding efforts.’

High winds and scorched conditions fueled the Palisades Fire’s evacuation order to spread to the Mandeville Canyon and Brentwood overnight Friday, but some locals remained defiant.

Ryan Weddle, the battalion chief of the Monterey Park Fire Department, told the New York Times that some residents felt the slow movement of the fire meant their homes would be safe.

Among them was Mark Schlundt, 55, who watched the fire slowly spread across a canyon where he lived.

‘it’s been slowly inching toward us but it isn’t barreling,’ he said, adding that he was not convinced by his electricity being shut off or the police ordering him to leave.

Douglas Hein, 69, and his son Mike, 30, also decided to stay, saying the fire appeared to be contained enough for them to remain home.

‘I’m not going to sleep,’ Mike added. ‘(But) as long as I can look at it, I’m not worried.’

Four days into the devastating Los Angeles fires, six blazes are still ongoing as over 12,000 buildings have burned to the ground and at least 11 people have died.

As of 3am local time Saturday, here is what we know about the six active fires, according to Cal Fire:

Palisades Fire: At least five people lost their lives to the Palisafes Fire, and over 5,300 buildings have been razed to the ground. Just 8 percent of the fire has been contained, and it has burned through over 21,000 acres.

Eaton Fire: On the east side of LA, the Eaton Fire has killed at least six people and burned over 7,000 structures. Over 14,000 acres have been burned, and the huge blaze is just 3 percent contained.

Kenneth Fire: The fire sparked up Thursday afternoon and has already burned across over 1,000 acres. A person was taken into custody under suspicion of arson, and it is 50 percent contained.

Lidia Fire: Crews have successfully contained 98 percent of the Lidia Fire, which razed through the Antelope Valley on Wednesday. It has burned almost 400 acres.

Hurst Fire: Over 770 acres have been burned by the Hurst Fire, which was 70 percent contained at the time of writing.

Archer Fire: The latest of the fires to spark up in the area, the Archer Fire is currently zero percent contained. It burned through roughly 19 acres so far after officials said ‘erratic winds’ fueled its spread.

Military veteran residents in the VA West Los Angeles Medical Center were ordered to evacuate on Friday night as the Palisades fire continued to grow overnight.

The move came as high winds pushed the ongoing wildfire east towards the Mandeville Canyon, pushing evacuation orders to parts of Interstate 405 and the Encino Reservoir near the VA center.

The center said in a statement to CNN that although it did not technically fall under the evacuation order, it was just blocks away and so moved the veterans ‘out of an abundance of caution.’

‘This proactive measure is being taken to ensure the continued safety and well-being of our Veterans, staff, and visitors,’ it said.

Paris Hilton has launched an emergency fund to support families displaced by the Los Angeles wildfires, kickstarting with a personal donation of $100,000 (£82,000).

The US reality TV star and socialite said she will match donations of up to an additional $100,000 dollars in a fundraising effort after she watched her Malibu home ‘burn to the ground on live TV’.

While I’ve lost my Malibu home, my thoughts are with the countless families who have lost so much more – their homes, cherished keepsakes, the communities they loved, and their sense of stability.

As a mum, I can’t imagine the pain and fear of not having a safe place for your babies so I’m launching an emergency fund through my nonprofit 11:11 Media Impact to support displaced families with young children.

I’m starting with a personal contribution of $100,000, and will be matching additional dollars raised up to $100,000 more. I am looking for others to donate and match alongside me to do our part.

Hilton lost her home in the Pacific Palisades fire which broke out on Tuesday and remains the largest fire devastating Los Angeles, having destroyed over 21,000 acres.

She said the donations will provide short-term housing and cash assistance to families, deliver essentials to evacuation centres and support local animal shelters.

EastEnders actress Patsy Palmer said she felt ‘an overwhelming sadness’ after nearly losing her possessions amid ongoing wildfires in Los Angeles.

The TV star confirmed her family and home were safe and revealed her Malibu house had been surrounded by flames twice recently, including the week before Christmas.

In an Instagram post, she said:

Our house is miraculously ok again. It’s traumatic for everyone to lose everything they own and the precious memories that we often don’t know that we have in our garages.

We laugh and say get rid of it but when it is taken it hits different.

I come from Bethnal Green and it’s a world away from these types of disasters.

My family and pets are safe and I know (they) will be doing what they can to help.

Entertainment company LiveNation announced a charity concert titled FireAid will take place at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles on January 30.

It will be an ‘evening of music and solidarity’ that is ‘dedicated to rebuilding communities devastated by wildfires and supporting efforts to prevent future fire disasters throughout Southern California’.

Performers are yet to be announced.

A Los Angeles fire chief has blasted the city’s mayor Karen Bass for ‘failing’ fire crews and communities devastated by the ongoing wildfires.

Fire Chief Kirstin Crowley took aim at the city’s leadership during an interview with KTTV on Friday, admitting it had failed those affected by the fires and prevented the LA Fire Department from effectively doing its job.

‘We are screaming to be properly funded to make sure that our firefighters can do their jobs so that we can serve the community,’ Crowley said, adding that there were ‘huge gaps’ in firefighters’ ability to tackle the blazes on the ground.

She joins a chorus of high profile celebrities who have hit out at the city’s handling of the ongoing wildfires, which have so far killed 11 people, ravaged communities, and sent thousands of people frantically fleeing their properties.

Rory Callum Sykes, 32, died when his cottage on his mother’s estate in Malibu burned down on Thursday.

Mr Sykes was born blind with cerebral palsy. He had difficulty walking and worked as a motivational speaker.

‘I’m totally heartbroken,’ his mum Shelley Sykes said in a heartfelt post on social media.

She described Mr Sykes, a British-born Australian citizen, as a ‘wonderful son’ who ‘overcame so much with surgeries and therapies to regain his sight and to be able to learn to walk’.

Governor Gavin Newsom confirmed that Mexico was sending firefighters to Southern California to help battle the Eaton Fire in the foothills of the Angeles National Forest.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum announced the mission saying the firefighters would come from Mexico’s National Forestry Commission and Ministry of Defense disaster relief section.

In a scene that could have been plucked from a disaster movie, there is one home that appears to be standing alone, untouched, amidst a sea of smoldering ruins.

The $9 million Malibu mansion belongs to David Steiner, a retired waste-management mogul from Texas and a married father-of-three.

As the Los Angeles wildfires consumed everything in their path, leaving neighborhoods in ashes, incredibly Steiner’s three-story home remained, defiantly intact.

The gleaming white of the building appeared to stand out against the backdrop of destruction. But the survival of Steiner’s 4,200-square-foot, four-bedroom home is no accident, he believes.

Pope Francis is praying for victims and rescuers trying to control the wildfires in California that have killed at least 11 people and destroyed thousands of homes, the Vatican has said.

His Holiness Pope Francis assures you and the community affected by this tragedy of his spiritual closeness.

Expressing ‘heartfelt condolences for those who mourn their loss’, Francis also offered prayers ‘for the relief efforts of emergency services personnel’ and imparted ‘his blessing to all as a pledge of consolation and strength in the Lord’.

Residents in the zip code 90272 and the area north of San Vicente Boulevard have been issued a ‘Do Not Drink’ notice, as the water is ‘not safe’.

A statement issued the warning over fears that ‘fire-related contaminants that may have entered the water system’.

The notice says they shouldn’t drink or cook with tap water, and to limit the use of hot water until it is lifted.

Bottled water will be distributed rom Westwood Recreation Centre and next to the Brentwood Country Club.

Premier David Eby says crews from British Columbia are joining the fight against wildfires spreading in the Los Angeles area in California.

On social media, Eby said the province had received a request from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection for a senior management team to join the fight and that ‘they will be departing imminently.’

‘California has been there for us. We will be there for them. That’s what good neighbours do,’ Eby wrote in a post on X.

At least 60,000 homes and businesses are without power across LA as the fires continue to impacts lives across the county.

The latest estimates from Poweroutages.us show that around 32,000 customers of Los Angeles Department of Water & Power have no electricity, while just over 30,000 customers of Southern California Edison are without power.

The University of California, Los Angeles has asked students to be ready for a potential evacuation, as evacuation warnings for the Palisades fire were extended closer to the campus.

This is NOT an evacuation alert. An evacuation warning has been issued to a zone adjacent to UCLA due to the Palisades fire.

We are asking Bruins on campus to remain vigilant and be ready to evacuate, should the alert be extended to our campus.

Los Angeles authorities have declared a local health emergency for the whole county due to poor air quality, as fire ash and smoke from the wildfires blankets the area.

Authorities add that the fires have forced residents from their homes and evacuations from healthcare facilities, disrupting ‘vital health services and resources’.

The health order also bans the use of power air blowers – such as leaf blowers – as they stir up ash in the air, negatively impacting those with respiratory conditions, older adults, children, and other vulnerable populations.

People are advised to stay indoors, keep windows and doors closed, use air conditioners to recirculate and filter the air, and to wear a mask if going outdoors in smoky conditions. Pets should also be kept indoors.

More than 144,000 people are under evacuation orders in Los Angeles county, local authorities say.

In its latest update on X, the says it has eight shelters for people displaced by the fires and more than 700 people are currently using those shelters.

California’s governor has called for an independent investigation into how critical fire hydrants ran out of water and ‘impaired’ the fight against the Los Angeles area wildfires.

Two men are said to have been caught on camera dumping gasoline and setting it alight immediately before the devastating Palisades fire broke out, DailyMail.com has learned exclusively.

A resident of the ritzy celeb-packed area reported the video to a senior firefighter once the flames had started consuming the area.

‘By then we were too busy,’ the firefighter told DailyMail.com. ‘We told him to take the video to the police.’

News of the video comes amid growing suspicions of arson or foul play after one person was arrested for allegedly starting another blaze, the Kenneth Fire, on Thursday, police said. The man has not been charged.

Two days before that incident, a senior firefighter was one of the first on the scene battling the original Palisades blaze with his crew on North Piedra Morada Drive at the top of the Highlands Palisades neighborhood, when a resident approached him with a shocking claim.

‘We had a resident come to us and said he got a video of two men dumping gas and lighting it off,’ said the LAFD official, who asked to remain anonymous.

Progress has reportedly been made by fire departments, however there are still large areas burning.

• Palisades fire: 21,596 acres, 8 percent contained
• Eaton fire: 14,117 acres, 3 percent contained
• Kenneth fire: 1,052 acres, 50 percent contained
• Hurst fire: 771 acres, 70 percent contained
• Lidia fire: 395 acres, 98 percent contained
• Archer fire: 19 acres, 0 percent contained

The Palisades Fire began moving east late Friday, where fire departments are now fighting the blaze in the Mandeville Canyon area, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.

This shift east means crews are now pivoting in that direction, too. Ten aircraft have been diverted toward the Mandeville Canyon, and two additional strike teams have been sent there.

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have made a surprise appearance at a food bank as they comforted victims and first responders amid the ongoing fires in LA.

The couple were seen handing out food parcels to those affected by the devastating fires at the Pasadena Convention Centre, which is being used as an evacuation centre, on Friday.

Both Harry and Meghan were spotted hugging José Andrés, the founder of World Central Kitchen, which is distributing meals to victims.

The couple were keen to provide any support they could, according to the Mayor, adding they were ‘great people’ with ‘great personalities’.

‘They really buoyed the spirits of the first responders. We visited the command post at the Rose Bowl and people were very happy to see them,’ the Mayor added.

The FBI Los Angeles Field Office responsible for multiple counties in Southern California has had to kick start its emergency contingency plan.

The plan called the ‘Continuity of Operations’ has seen the country’s security service move its office further south to escape wildfires and heavy smoke in the area.

It has been forced to relocate from from the Westwood area to Orange County in order to continue its 24-hour service.

At one point while talking to journalist Katy Tur, Garner shared, ‘I did lose a friend. And for our church, it’s really tender. So, I don’t feel like I should talk about her yet.’

‘But yeah, I did lose a friend who did not get out on time,’ she continued as her voice cracked over the tragic loss.

Oscar-winning Aussie director and actor Mel Gibson has reflected on how it felt to learn that he had lost almost everything when his $14.5m mansion burnt to the ground amid the LA fires.

Gibson, 69, discovered his house had been consumed by fire just before he sat down to record an appearance on Joe Rogan’s podcast on Friday and he has since opened up to Fox host Laura Ingraham, where he took a philosophical view of the tragedy.

‘These are things and they may or may not be replaceable but we’re still here and I just kind of look at it in a weird kind of a way like a purification,’ he told Fox News.

Department of Water and Power boss Janisse Quiñones is being blamed by LA Fire insiders for leaving a nearby reservoir disconnected and fire hydrants broken for months,

Sources told DailyMail.com that since her hiring at LADWP, Quiñones oversaw the shutdown and emptying of a reservoir in the Pacific Palisades during brushfire season.

The shutdown meant firefighters battling the Palisades Fire ran out of water faster, experts said.

The Santa Ynez Reservoir is designed to hold 117 million gallons of drinking water. But it was taken offline in recent months to repair a tear in its cover that exposed the water and potentially impacted its drinkability.

Matthew Perry’s former home in the Pacific Palisades, where he died in 2023, was saved by his former neighbors amid the Los Angeles wildfires.

The new owner of the property, Anita Verma-Lallian, who bought the property in an off-market deal in October 2024, confirmed that the late Friends star’s residence was still standing due to the heroic actions of their community.

‘We want to express our deepest gratitude to the brave firefighters, our amazing neighbors, and the entire Palisades community for their help, strength, and support during this heartbreaking time,’ Verma-Lallian wrote in an Instagram post on Friday.

Perry drowned in the pool outside the house after taking huge amounts of ketamine, according to his autopsy results.

Calmer winds which enabled firefighters to start gaining some control of the biggest blazes in metropolitan LA on Friday are set to be replaced by gustier weather over the weekend.

The increased winds spell disaster for the wildfire relief effort, which is entering its fifth consecutive day.

The strong gales have hampered efforts to tackle the blaze which is currently raging in an area which has not seen rain in more than eight months.

The result has been tinderbox conditions which show no signs of abating prompting fears of further death and destruction.

Firefighters are continuing their heroic efforts however.

Several vehicles could be seen lined up the parking lot of Bel Air Church as the ever-expanding Palisades Fire burns towards the Encino neighborhood in Los Angeles.

Anna Yeager said she and her husband agonized over going back to their beloved Altadena neighborhood near Pasadena after fleeing with their 6-year-old daughter and 3-year-old son, their two dogs and some clothes. A neighbor told them their house was gone.

Now she regrets not grabbing her children’s artwork, her husband’s treasured cookbooks, family photos, and jewelry from her mom, who died in 2012, and her husband’s grandmother, who survived Auschwitz.

When the couple returned, they saw blocks of only ‘chimney after chimney’.

‘Power lines everywhere. Fires still going everywhere,’ she said, adding that when they walked up to their home ‘it was just dust’.

Charred grapefruits littered their yard around a blackened tree, a few still hanging from its branches.

Yeager’s neighborhood of Tudor homes was planning to celebrate its 100th anniversary in May.

‘You build a world for yourself and your family, and you feel safe in that world and things like this happen that you cannot control,’ she said. ‘It’s devastating.’

There were remnants of the front porch where Yeager had photographed her children nearly daily since 2020 and had planned to keep doing that until they reached high school. That gave her hope.

‘The porch is still there and it’s to me, it’s a sign to rebuild and not leave,’ she said. ‘You know, it’s like saying, “Hey, I’m still here. You can still do this”.’

Since the flames erupted in and around LA, scores of residents have returned to their still smoldering neighborhoods even as the threat of new fires persisted and the nation’s second-largest city remained unsettled.

For some, it was a first look at the staggering reality of what was lost as the region of 13 million people grapples with the gargantuan challenge of overcoming the disaster and rebuilding.

Calmer winds enabled firefighters to start gaining some control of the biggest blazes in metropolitan LA on Friday before gusty weather returns over the weekend to an area that hasn’t seen rain in more than eight months.

But by Friday evening, new evacuations were issued.

He refused to evacuate when his sister Shari Shaw urged him to come with her as the flame closed in on his home of 55 years.

‘Victor, the fire is coming close,’ she said. ‘It’s not safe to stay.’ ‘OK, let me just sit here for a few minutes,’ he responded, lying in bed at 2am.

Instread, he grabbed a garden hose and used it in a futile attempt to defend his property. A neighbor later found his body still clutching the hose.

Shari gave a harrowing account of what happened next.

The Palisades fire is moving east towards Brentwood, another of LA’s wealthiest neighborhoods home to numerous celebrities.

Mandatory evacuation orders were extended into the suburb late on Friday night, though not covering all of it.

Big names with homes in Brentwood include NBA superstar LeBron James, actor Arnold Schwarzenegger, Disney chief executive Bob Iger.

Gwyneth Paltrow also listed her home there for sale in May, and OJ Simpson once owned property there.

Some rich residents hired tradesmen to coat their mansions in fire-retardant spray to improve their odds of survival should the fire reach them.

The evacuation zone also includes the Getty Center, a museum with priceless art. The Getty Villa in Pacific Palisades survived the fire due to its advanced wildfire suppression methods.

Two new evacuation shelters have opened in Los Angeles where more than 100,000 people remain under evacuation orders due to the deadly wildfires.

The Lanark Recreation Center and Van Nuys/Sherman Oaks Recreation Center are accepting residents, according to officials.

More than a dozen animal rescue centers are also accepting small and large animals.

Los Angeles’ worst wildfires in the last two decade for the last 20 years continued to burn into Saturday.

The devastation has left many people questioning its causes, as well as the response to the deadly flames

Here is what we know about the cause of the devastating blaze so far:

The official number of people killed in the Los Angeles wildfires rose to 11 on Friday night.

Five deaths were due to the Palisades fire, while the rest were as a result of the Eaton fire, accoridng to the LA county medical examiner’s office.

Cadaver dogs are being deployed to comb through flattened neighborhoods as officials warned the true death toll is likely to rise.

Among those who died was 85, who was ordered to evacuate but wante to stay behind with her pets, CNN reported.

Her body was discovered in her car on Wednesday.

Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristin Crowley is clinging onto her job by a thread sources say, after she hugged staff goodbye and entered a meeting with the mayor.

A source initially told DailyMail.com on Friday afternoon that the fire chief was fired, but the Mayor’s office told ABC7 Crowley still had her job.

The office’s official statement to the outlet said the pair ‘met’, without any reference to whether Crowley remained in her position.

A petition demanding the ‘immediate’ resignation of Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has clocked up more than 53,000 signatures in just three days.

Bass is among those who have been hauled over the coals over their handling of the wildfires, which are currently tearing through the city.

There are growing questions about why LA and California officials failed to prepare for the disaster when they had ample warning of encroaching wind.

Governor Gavin Newsom and Mayor Bass have been eviscerated for their handling of the disaster, from empty fire hydrants to a lack of firefighters and empty reservoirs in the heart of the flames.

Helicopters have been battling in vain to try and control the massive Palisades Fire currently ravaging parts of Los Angeles.

The rapidly expanding blaze has now begun to spread towards the celebrity neighborhoods of Mandeville Canyon and Brentwood, partially shuttering the 405 freeway.

As of Friday night, the flames had torn through 21,317 acres and were just 8% contained.

More than 150,000 people also remained under evacuation orders.