Latest Update on Tragic Wildfire Situation in Southern California

The death toll is now at 10 as wildfires continue to burn in Southern California. Forecasters are warning that more winds will whip up in the coming days, adding fuel to the fire. Here is the latest on this situation as well as what you should expect heading into the weekend and early next week.

Death Toll Rises While Looting Also Becomes a Concern in Los Angeles Area

A break in the high winds on Thursday gave fire fighters a much-needed opportunity to try to get some of the fires under control. As of Friday morning, there were still 130,000 residents under mandatory evacuation orders in Los Angeles County. Red flag warnings are also still in effect for Los Angeles County and a good majority of Ventura County through at least Friday.

A curfew was put into effect for the parts of Los Angeles County that are under evacuation orders. Local officials said that the curfew is necessary to mitigate the threat of looters. This curfew is in effect every night form 6 pm to 6 am until county leaders lift the order. The curfew essentially prohibits everybody with the exception of emergency responders from being out in public places.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom echoed the warnings of county officials, telling people that "looting will not be tolerated." The governor approved a request from Los Angeles County to send in National Guard members to dissuade the looting.

There have already been at least 20 people arrested in Los Angeles County for looting during this round of wildfires. Individuals caught violating the curfew will be subject to prison time of up to six months or a $1,000 fine.

Latest Update on the Fires and Their Containment

The Palisades Fire is still the largest of the series of fires burning in the Los Angeles metro area. This blaze has wiped out much of the Pacific Palisades community, burning through over 20,000 acres as of the Friday morning update and destroying as many as 5,000 homes and other structures completely destroyed. The Palisades Fire is now 8% contained.

According to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CALFIRE), the Eaton Fire burning in Altadena and Pasadena has totaled or damaged up to 5,000 structures. State officials define a structure as a home, a business, an outhouse, or a vehicle. This fire is now 3% contained after burning approximately 13,690 acres.

Another fire ignited late Thursday in an area north of Hidden Hills. Newsom said that crews were able to stop the Kenneth Fire from spreading. The fire has scorched about 1,000 acres and is now 35% contained.

On a positive note, the Hurst Fire is now at 37% containment with about 700 acres burned. The Lidia Fire is 75% contained with nearly 400 acres lost.

As of Thursday evening, there were still about 280,000 customers without power.

A number of celebrities are speaking up about losing their homes in the fires. Mel Gibson, Paris Hilton, Billy Crystal, Mandy Moore, and Jeff Bridges have all confirmed that they lost their homes.

What is Next for the Weather in Southern California?

The fires are the result of a combination of factors, including the dangerous pairing of Santa Ana winds and an exceptionally dry weather pattern. The Los Angeles area has not received more than a quarter of an inch of rain since the middle of April of 2024. To put this into context, downtown Los Angeles would typically pick up between 5 and 6 inches of rain during this time period.

San Diego is also dealing with the driest start to the winter season ever on the record books. The city has recorded just 0.16 of an inch of rain since July 1. The historical average amount is 3.74 inches.

The lack of moisture has left the already dry landscape even drier. This means that any little spark can turn the tinder-dry vegetation into a fire that quickly spreads.

Tuesday's fires got their start when the Santa Ana winds hit speeds of up to 100 mph, racing down the mountains and into the Los Angeles basin. The high winds continued through Wednesday before easing slightly on Thursday.

While the winds picked up again late Thursday and into early Friday, they are expected to drop off again later in the day. Forecasters are hopeful that crews will be able to get a better handle on the fires through Saturday thanks to calmer conditions.

The downside of the light winds in the forecast through Saturday is that the smoke generated by the existing fires will cause pollutants to be trapped in the lower levels of the atmosphere. This will mean that the unhealthy air quality conditions will linger into the weekend. Residents will want to keep on top of these air quality ratings and take the appropriate steps to ensure safety and health.

The forecast is calling for winds to pick up again late Saturday and into early Sunday. However, these winds will pale in comparison to the gusts earlier in the week.

Winds are then expected to increase on Monday throughout the coastal areas of Southern California. Forecasters are calling for a moderate to strong wind event setting up on Monday and Tuesday. These winds are anticipated to come from the east rather than the northeasterly winds that churned earlier in the week.

Another area of high pressure is going to anchor itself over the interior portions of the Southwest early next week. This is a similar atmospheric pattern that triggered the wildfires on Tuesday. A dry storm moving to the south along the California coast will influence the strength of the winds as well as its track.

There are still a number of possibilities at play, including more high winds for Los Angeles. The worst of the winds could also creep to the south and impact San Diego.