Eaton, Palisades fires continue burning as new wildfires erupts

Uber is offering to help residents impacted by the Southern California wildfires by providing free rides to evacuees (up to $40) to get to temporary shelters.

"We're teaming up with local authorities and first responders to make sure everyone who needs help evacuating gets a ride," said Camiel Irving, Uber's Vice President of Operations.

To redeem the discount, riders must apply the promo code "WILDFIRE25" in the Wallet section of their Uber app prior to requesting the ride to designated locations.

Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan Hochman had a message for those considering taking "criminal advantage" of the devastating wildfire event through looting or scams.

"If you think for a moment that you can take advantage of this right now or over the next weeks, months or years, you are wrong," Hochman said Wednesday. "If you go ahead and you want to loot, if you want to steal, if you want to engage in scams on vulnerable people who have just lost their house and their businesses, we're going to arrest you, we're going to prosecute you and you will absolutely be punished."

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department already arrested two individuals for looting Wednesday morning, the district attorney said. During a Thursday morning press conference, however, L.A. County Supervisor Kathryn Barger provided an update, saying 20 people were arrested for looting.

"Again, the thought that they would want to take advantage of people in their most vulnerable situation when they've just lost a house or business, when they're literally evacuating for their lives, is despicable," Hochman said.

Seven months before the uncontrolled Palisades Fire in Los Angeles, the city's fire department budget for this fiscal year was cut by more than $17.5 million, records show.

Mayor Karen Bass signed the City of Los Angeles' budget for the 2024-2025 fiscal year. The total budget for the city's fire department was $819.64 million.

Records show that for the previous fiscal year, the LAFD's total budget was $837.2 million. The total budget includes salaries, expenses and equipment.

The city's controller, Kenneth Mejia, posted a graphic on X in October confirming the fire department's budget was cut by $17.6 million. The graphic also showed that the city's police department budget increased by $126 million.

"This budget serves as a reset, in part by continuing to hire for critical positions including police officers and firefighters while eliminating some of the department's vacant positions, thereby prioritizing our City family over empty desks," Bass said in a statement in June.

-Laura Romero

Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman shared that his sister lost her home in the Pacific Palisades Fire.

"It was apocalyptic. I've lived her my whole life. I've never see that type of devastation," Hochman said of the Palisades Fire. "My sister actually lives in that area. We went by her house, and her house unfortunately burned to the ground."

The DA also had this message to criminals trying to take advantage of the situation: "If you think for a moment that you can take advantage of this right now or over the nest weeks, months or even years, you are wrong. You can go ahead if you want to loot, if you want to steal, if you want to engage in scams on vulnerable people who just their homes and business, we are going to arrest you, we are going to prosecute you and you will absolutely be punished."

"My sister actually lives in that area. We went by her house, and her house unfortunately burned to the ground."