Palisades Fire initially started 10:30 a.m. Jan. 7 in Los Angeles County. It has burned 23,713 acres after being active for nine days. A crew of 4,471 firefighters has been working on site and they managed to contain 27% of the fire by Thursday evening. The blaze's cause remains under investigation.
In May 2024, the city of Los Angeles adopted a Fiscal Year 2024 - 2025 budget that cut the appropriations for the fire department by $17.6 million from the previous year. At the time, the city of Los Angeles was negotiating the union contract with the firefighters' union, the United Firefighters of Los Angeles City.
According to Azusa police, a man who has admitted to setting a fire at a park has been arrested as the investigation continues.
The Los Angeles Fire Department estimates that about 10,000 structures have been burned down or damaged in the city's fires. That includes houses, sheds, garages and cars. Celebrities who lost their homes in the fire included model and actor Paris Hilton, actor Billy Crystal, and actor Miles Teller. The death toll rose to 24 on Monday.
Photos from Los Angeles County show the shocking extent of damage caused by the Palisades Fire and other wildfires.
Fanned by strong winds, the wildfires have killed at least 24 people and swept through 40,000 acres in the Greater Los Angeles area.
Los Angeles County Fire Department Chief Anthony Marrone said all 29 county fire departments are at "a drawdown, with no fire apparatus or additional personnel to spare."
The last evacuation warnings for the Hurst Fire burning in the Sylmar area of Los Angeles County were lifted on Saturday.
Fueled by powerful winds and dry conditions, a series of ferocious wildfires erupted last week and roared across the Los Angeles area.
Firefighters made progress battling back the deadly Los Angeles blazes overnight into Saturday, Jan, 18. as President-elect Donald Trump said he likely will visit the fire-torn areas next week. “I will be, probably, at the end of the week,” Trump told NBC News in an interview on Saturday.
With so many displaced, people are offering double, triple the rent, “offering to pay six months rent up front.”