After decimating neighborhoods in Altadena, the Eaton Fire has now become one of the deadliest in California history.
As fire crews continue to combat the Eaton Fire where “significant progress” has been made Friday, its destruction has taken a toll on the Pasadena, Altadena and Sierra Madre communities with 11 deaths reported and at least 7,000 structures damaged or destroyed.
As Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said, crews are still working to assess the damage and make their way through rubble and debris to find and identify those who died in the wildfires. The combined Eaton and Palisades death toll was updated Saturday afternoon to 16 deaths by the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner. Eleven people died in the Eaton Fire, making it the deadliest fire since the North Complex Fire in 2020, according to Cal Fire statistics.
The Medical Examiner identified one victim of the Eaton Fire, 66-year-old Victor Shaw.
The Eaton Fire has become one of the top 20 most destructive wildfires in the state and fire officials said Friday that the 14,117-acre Eaton Fire has reached 27% containment, as growth of the wildfire had been significantly stopped on Sunday.
The blaze did make a push Thursday afternoon north, toward Mt. Wilson and Los Angeles County Fire Department Chief Anthony Marrone said, “This observatory is okay thanks to firefighters and observatory staff, and no buildings were destroyed at Mt. Wilson.”
Don Fregulia, an operations section chief for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said Friday afternoon that crews have made good progress on portions of the blaze, while other areas are still very active. On the east side of the fire’s footprint in the Sierra Madre community, “we expect to gain significant containment in this area this afternoon and this evening, after we feel a little bit more comfortable when the red flag warning expires,” Fregulia said.
He said the Altadena community is still active, while in the area of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, he said “We’re making good progress here.”
In the Mt. Wilson area, things are “looking really, really good up there,” and challenging firefighting remains on the northeast side down into Chantry Flat as challenging terrain makes it difficult for crews. “We’re going to keep going after it and in the coming days you should see less and less smoke,” Fregulia said.
Chief Marrone said 7,000 structures may be damaged or destroyed due to the Eaton Fire. Four firefighters have also been injured, according to LA County officials, who did not note the nature of those injuries. In a Thursday afternoon press conference, LA County Fire said one of their firefighters was hospitalized, in stable condition.
Los Angeles Supervisor Kathryn Barger commented on the immense destruction of the Eaton Fire.
“The scale of the impact today is larger than anything that I have seen in my career. The loss of historic resources at the Eaton Canyon Nature Center, Farnsworth Park and Altadena Golf Course cannot be measured,” she said.
Barger added that there will be a virtual community meeting, streaming on YouTube, on Friday at 4 p.m., a chance for affected residents to ask questions and get answers. She also said that many FEMA applications for assistance have been denied — she said she is looking into it.
Thursday, the medical examiner’s office reported that at least 10 people had died in connection with the two fires, while the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department said Friday that six people have died in the Eaton Fire, and two in the Palisades Fire. The latest death count by the medical examiner’s office on Friday lists six deaths in Altadena due to the Eaton Fire and five deaths due to the Palisades Fire.
Related: Altadena’s Bunny Museum burns to the ground during Eaton Fire
The Eaton Fire was first reported at around 6 p.m. Tuesday near Altadena Drive and Midwick Drive above Altadena, according to Cal Fire and LACoFD crews. Over 1,527 personnel are assigned to the blaze, Marrone said Thursday.
While the wildfire was estimated at 2,227 acres Wednesday morning and grew to 13,690 by Thursday afternoon.
Pasadena Fire Department crews said that significant wind in the area had caused the flames to act erratically and spread quickly. Multiple structures were threatened by the fire, according to city spokesperson Lisa Derderian. Videos from the area show several buildings burning.
Footage from the scene showed some homeowners running through the streets while leading horses by hand, with flames burning on the hillsides behind them. Another video showed at least one home with flames emitting from the roof. Firefighters say that it is one of multiple homes burning.
Thursday afternoon, water-dropping and fire retardant aircraft could be seen battling the flames at Mt. Wilson through aerial footage.
An Eaton Canyon resident leading horses by hand in the midst of evacuation orders caused by the Eaton Fire.
KCAL News
Evacuation and curfew orders in place
Evacuation orders were issued for some people living in Altadena, Arcadia, Pasadena and Sierra Madre. As of Wednesday morning, the Angeles National Forest reports that over 52,000 residents are under evacuation orders, and over 20,000 structures are being impacted by the orders. Nearly 47,000 residents are under evacuation warnings and just over 18,000 structures are under warnings.
Curfew orders are in place from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. in mandatory evacuation zones. “You cannot be in these affected areas. If you are, you are subject to arrest. That is important. We’re not doing this to inconvenience anybody, we’re doing it to protect structures, houses that people have left because we ordered them to leave,” Luna said.
An estimated 331,335 people are affected by evacuation advisories because of the fires: 139,524 are under evacuation warnings and 191,811 are under evacuation orders. For perspective, 331,335 people can fill SoFi Stadium three times over.
Evacuation orders have been issued for all parts of La Cañada Flintridge, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. There are no evacuation warnings or orders for residents in the La Crescenta area.
KCAL News spoke with workers from an elderly living facility, who had wheeled dozens of their residents outdoors to escape.
They were eventually shuttled to safety thanks to Pasadena Transit buses, armored cars and other vehicles. A full list of evacuations can be found here.
Assisted living facility evacuated because of fast-moving brush fire
05:12
The Pasadena Convention Center has been converted into an evacuation center for anyone affected by the fire. It is located at 300 E. Green St., Pasadena.
Parking is available at the parking structure across the street from the Convention Center, located at 155 E. Green St.
The Family Assistance Center is set up at the Pasadena Convention Center, Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. for people searching for missing loved ones. The Red Cross is also helping find missing loved ones, (800) 675-5799.
Arcadia has also established a temporary shelter at the Arcadia Community Center at 365 Campus Dr.
Late Tuesday, Pasadena Vice Mayor Steve Madison shared a post on X to note that the Rose Bowl Stadium parking lots would be closed to the public for use as a command post for Pasadena Fire and Police Departments.
El Camino Real Charter High School and the Westwood Recreation Center are also open as evacuation shelters for residents to access.
The LA County Sheriff’s Department issued an unsafe water alert, advising residents in evacuated areas of Pasadena not to drink their tap water.
School canceled
Late Tuesday evening, Pasadena Unified School District Superintendent Elizabeth Blanco said that all schools would be closed on Wednesday. Schools in the district remain closed Friday.
Students depending on school meals were told that their Grab & Go meals would be available at Madison Elementary School, located on Ashtabula Street, McKinley School on Oak Knoll Avenue, or Willard on Madre Street.
Glendale Unified School District officials also said that their campuses would be closed through Friday.
“This decision was made to prioritize the safety of our students, employees, and families, as wind and fires have significantly impacted the accessibility of roadways and the air quality in our area,” said Superintendent Dr. Darneika Watson.
The California Institute of Technology in Pasadena has announced the campus will be closed Wednesday for “all nonessential operations” and all classes have been canceled. Students who live on campus are being asked to shelter in place in their campus residences.
Federal assistance secured
As the fire continued to grow, the Federal Emergency Management Agency announced that they had approved a Fire Management Assistance Grant request made by state leaders.
“At the time of the request, the fire was threatening approximately 8,200 homes in and around Altadena and Pasadena, California, population 40,000,” said the statement from FEMA.
The federal funding will allow local departments up to 75 percent of eligible firefighting costs used during the firefight, the statement said. FEMA offers resources for residents in fire-affected areas, visit disasterassistance.gov to apply.
Eaton Fire burns buildings, forces evacuations near Altadena
02:10
Fires rage across SoCal
About 40 miles to the west in the Pacific Palisades, a massive wildfire had already torched more than 20,400 acres and destroyed multiple buildings since first igniting Tuesday morning.
Just after 10 p.m., a 50-acre brush fire called the Hurst Fire was reported in the Sylmar area, forcing evacuation orders for some people living in the area. The blaze was said to be just behind the Olive View-UCLA Medical Center and burning at a rapid rate of spread due to the gusts of wind blowing through the area.
Southern California is currently in the midst of one of the worst wind storms the area has experienced in the last decade, according to the National Weather Service, which said that some areas could experience gusts of wind as high as 80 mph, with the highest gusts reaching 100 mph.
On Wednesday evening, a new brush fire erupted in the Hollywood Hills near the Runyon Canyon area. The Sunset Fire quickly grew to more than 20 acres and forced evacuations for many.
Because of this, all water-dropping and firefighting aircraft have been grounded for at least Tuesday evening.
Firefighting resources across the region have already been stretched thin to the point that the Los Angeles Fire Department has asked all off-duty firefighters to contact their department of communications to report if they’re available to assist in the firefight.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom also announced the mobilization of 140 water tenders that could carry 2,500 gallons each to help with the Eaton and Palisades fires.
“California is mobilizing additional water tenders to support the ongoing battle against these unprecedented Los Angeles fires,” he said. “We’re working closely with our local and federal partners to identify and fill gaps in real time. Our number one priority is protecting Californians — this additional water transport is critical in our fight.”
Road closures
This is a developing story. Check back for details.
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Dean Fioresi
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Publish date : 2025-01-11 21:37:00
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