Thousands remain evacuated as crews work to contain Los Angeles County wildfires

Metro is extending its suspension of bus and rail fares in the wake of the fires that have roiled the Los Angeles area, Metro officials said Saturday.

Metro Chair and Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn has approved the continuation of free fares on all bus and rail services through Sunday, providing five consecutive days of fare suspension to ensure residents can travel safely to reunite with loved ones, reach shelters, or deliver essential donations to those in need.

Metro officials have created a map with Metro bus and rail serving resource centers with data linked to the county/CALFIRE's live layers that allow data to be concurrent with what they show.

Anna Yeager said she and her husband agonized over going back to their beloved Altadena neighborhood 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.'"

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle on Friday visited the Pasadena Convention Center to help hand out food to evacuees.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who live about 90 miles north of the Los Angeles area, also listed organizations supporting fire victims on their website.

Firefighters on Friday afternoon had made progress for the first time on the Eaton Fire, which has burned more than 7,000 structures. Officials said most evacuation orders for the area were lifted.

California National Guard troops arrived on the streets of Altadena before dawn to help protect property in the fire evacuation zone, and evening curfews were in effect to prevent looting after several earlier arrests.

The Palisades Fire has met effective containment lines and water drops have been successful.

Slower winds and air attack have stalled the progress on the north side as crews continue to work to put out hot spots before the next wind event.

The flare up remains active west of Mandeville Canyon Road.