New round of evacuation orders lifted as LA mayor names chief recovery officer

"World News Tonight" anchor David Muir joined ABC7 in studio Thursday to discuss the wildfires that have devastated Southern California.

"I always hate when I come to town and it's bad news. I love Southern California," he said.

Muir arrived Wednesday to report on the Palisades Fire that has destroyed thousands of structures in the Pacific Palisades area.

He remarked on the level of destruction left behind, and how "very striking" it is out in the field, when compared to past fires in the region.

"World News Tonight" anchor David Muir joined ABC7 in studio Thursday to discuss the wildfires that have devastated Southern California.

"I hate to say this, but it looks like an awful movie set. As though many of these neighborhoods have been bombed, like there's been an aerial assault," he said.

Still, Muir said, the people of the city showed strength.

"When you see how many people actually did survive this, who are saying 'we will rebuild,' who are saying 'I've got my family'... 'I checked on my neighbor next door and the person across the street,' those are the stories that always sit with me and we're only a day and a half into this... I think that's going to be, sadly, one of the great lasting legacies of this horrific story that we're all living through right here in Southern California right now. Just how giving the people of Southern California are."

"They did race to safety, but they didn't do it without checking on the neighbor first, and that I think that speaks volumes."

Video recorded by AIR7 on Thursday morning showed the widespread destruction in Pacific Palisades after a wildfire that has grown to more than 17,000 acres ripped through the area.

The footage showed several buildings were destroyed at Palisades Charter High School on Bowdoin Street.

"It's hard to describe the destruction down here," ABC7 helicopter reporter Scott Reiff said. "It's just so devastating. I didn't think this was going to happen. We came up over the hill, the smoke cleared, and what we're seeing down here is destruction on a scale that we've never seen anything close to this.

Video recorded by AIR7 showed the widespread destruction in Pacific Palisades after a wildfire that has grown to more than 17,000 acres ripped through the area.

Flare-ups overnight Wednesday illuminated the Santa Monica Mountains above Pacific Palisades.

The toll from the fires is still being calculated. At a Thursday morning news conference, L.A. Fire Chief Kristin Crowley said the Palisades Fire along the coast burned thousands of structures. "It is safe to say that the Palisades fire is one of the most destructive natural disasters in the history of Los Angeles," she said.

Twenty people have been arrested so far for allegedly looting homes evacuated by residents fleeing wildfires, L.A. County Supervisor Kathryn Barger confirmed.

Barger announced the arrests during a Thursday morning press conference held by city officials to provide updates on the continuing firefight.

"In the midst of the emergency we've all seen individuals who are targeting vulnerable individuals by burglarizing and looting homes. This is simply unacceptable...I promise you, you will be held accountable," Barger said. "Shame on those who are preying on our residents during this time of crisis."

Barger added that the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department is proactively patrolling impacted communities to prevent looting and any other criminal activity.

"They have made 20 arrests of individual who will be held accountable for the actions they've taken," Barger said.

Twenty people have been arrested so far for allegedly looting homes evacuated by residents fleeing wildfires, L.A. County Supervisor Kathryn Barger confirmed.

All evacuation orders in the Hollywood Hills area have been lifted, fire officials said Thursday morning.

Late Wednesday, the Los Angeles Fire Department said the majority of the evacuation zone for the Sunset Fire were lifted except for the area north of Franklin Avenue from Camino Palmero Street (the east border) to N Sierra Bonita Avenue (west border).

Fire officials said that area would be closed until Thursday morning as crews work to make sure there are no more flare-ups.

Shortly before 6:30 a.m., the LAFD announced that all evacuations orders were rescinded.

Residents were asked to be cautious when going back home as firefighters remain on the scene.