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.
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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

12:26 AM GMT

Among estimated 5K+ burned structures, official tally at 604 so far in Palisades Fire

So far, authorities say 604 structures have been tallied as destroyed in the Palisades Fire, but that number is expected to rise.

According to the command center, the official count is underway. So far, they have inspected 929 structures.

Homes and vehicles destroyed by the Palisades Fire line a mobile home park along the Pacific Coast Highway on Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025, in Los Angeles.
Homes and vehicles destroyed by the Palisades Fire line a mobile home park along the Pacific Coast Highway on Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025, in Los Angeles.

Officials say the number will rise and this count is only in the beginning stages.

12:11 AM GMT

Red flag alert will stay in effect through Wednesday

The National Weather Service issued another red flag warning in Southern California on Sunday.

This is the fourth time in three months the NWS Los Angeles has issued the high-level alert, with the last one occurring last week when winds went up to 100 mph and the fires in Los Angeles County began.

Winds are expected to gust from 45 to 70 mph Tuesday morning through Wednesday morning.

The red flag warning is the highest level alert the agency is capable of issuing and is intended to invoke the highest level of urgency and attention.

Those rare alerts are typically issued for events that come about every five to 10 years.

Jan 12, 2025, 11:56 PM GMT

Package and postal pickup to be available for Pacific Palisades residents in West LA

Parcel and postal pickup for Pacific Palisades residents will be available starting Monday at Rancho Park Post Office located at 11270 Exposition Boulevard in West Los Angeles.

Parcel and postal pickup for Palisades residents will be available starting Monday at Rancho Park Post Office.
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Jan 12, 2025, 11:27 PM GMT

Repopulation of evacuated areas is a priority, LA fire chief says

LA County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone says repopulation of evacuated fire zones is a priority, but won't happen until the next predicted red flag event ends on Wednesday.

"Please rest assured that first thing Thursday we will start talking about repopulation in evacuation and warning areas," he said during a Sunday news conference.

Marrone said the repopulation of evacuated fire zones is a priority.