Death toll in Eaton, Palisades fires rises to 24 as crews prepare for more strong winds

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LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- At least 24 people are believed to be dead and more than a dozen others remain unaccounted for as multiple wildfires, fueled by severe drought conditions and strong Santa Ana winds, continue to rage across Southern California, leaving fire crews scrambling to contain the historic destruction.

Key Headlines in the last 24 hours

Here's how the news is developing.
KABC logo
Jan 13, 2025, 4:16 PM

Wildfires burning in SoCal: Numbers at a glance

Here are all the current wildfires burning in Southern California at a glance.

Palisades Fire

- 23,713 acres
- 14% containment
- 8 deaths
- 5,316 structures burned

Eaton Fire in San Gabriel Valley

- 14,117 acres
- 33% contained
- Approximately 7,081 structures believed to be damaged or destroyed (structures includes vehicles)
- 16 deaths
- 5 firefighter injuries

Hurst Fire in Sylmar

- 799 acres

- 95% contained

Kenneth Fire in West Hills

- 1,052 acres

- 100% contained

Jan 12, 2025, 6:20 PM GMT

210 Freeway shut down in Sylmar

The 210 Freeway was completely shut down Wednesday morning due to the Hurst Fire burning in the Sylmar area.

Both sides were closed between Roxford Street and the 5 Freeway, according to the California Highway Patrol. It's unclear when the road would be reopened.

Drivers were urged to avoid the area.

KABC logo
Jan 12, 2025, 6:20 PM GMT

Eaton Fire's evacuations expand to La Cañada Flintridge, including JPL

Evacuation orders were expanded Wednesday morning to parts of La Cañada Flintridge, including NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, as the Eaton Fire that began in the foothills above Altadena continued to burn uncontrolled.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's Crescenta Valley station released a map that showed the new evacuation area.

A fast-moving brush fire continued raging in the Eaton Canyon area, forcing widespread evacuations and school closures while destroying an unknown number of homes and other structures.

"Residents in affected zones should evacuate immediately," the Sheriff's Department said. "Gather essential items Have an evacuation plan Stay informed through official channels such as Genasys Protect at protect.genasys.com."

The Eaton Fire was reported at about 6:20 p.m. Tuesday in the area of Altadena Drive and Midwick, according to Cal Fire.

As of 5:30 a.m., Cal Fire reported the fire was 2,227 acres and was 0% contained.

Jan 12, 2025, 6:20 PM GMT

New brush fire breaks out in Riverside County

Another brush fire, dubbed the Tyler Fire, broke out in Riverside County Wednesday morning.

According to Cal Fire, the fire was reported around 3:30 a.m. at Tyler Street and 47th Avenue in the Coachella area. At least 15 acres have burned.

Additional details about the fire were not available.

KABC logo
Jan 12, 2025, 6:20 PM GMT

Assisted living facility destroyed in Altadena

An assisted living facility in Altadena was among the structures destroyed by the Eaton Fire, which has scorched about 1,000 acres so far.

Everyone at The Terraces at Park Marino was evacuated late Tuesday night after the wind-driven flames engulfed the building.

Zion Brown, an employee of the facility, described what those moments were like.

"The fire started coming from down the moment, we noticed it moving pretty quickly so we did start evacuating everybody," he said. "I was running up to the third story, second story, carrying people down, just picking them up because we do have a lot of wheelchair people in here... We were able to get everybody out of here in a timely manner before the building actually went into flames."

An assisted living facility in Altadena was among the structures destroyed by the Eaton Fire, which has scorched about 1,000 acres so far.