Return of strong winds to Los Angeles threaten area's fight against fires

The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power says crews have restored power to all customers except those in the fire threat areas where authorities have requested they turn off power lines.

They said this affects about 17,600 customers in Pacific Palisades, Brentwood, Sylmar and Encino.

"LADWP crews will begin to restore power to these customers once we receive clearance from CAL FIRE to re-energize the circuits and assess the lines for hazards," said the utility in a statement. "We also have equipment affected by fire retardant that needs to be cleaned before we can re-energize these power lines."

If you're an LADWP customer outside of the high fire risk areas and are still without power, call 1-800-DIAL-DWP to report your outage.

The California Department of Insurance is hosting two-day workshops to help wildfire victims with their policies and claims.

The workshops will be held this weekend and next weekend in Santa Monica and Pasadena. They're designed to help people understand their insurance policies and the claims process overall.

Experts from the Department of Insurance will be available for one-on-one consultations at both locations. If you plan to attend, you're asked to bring a copy of your insurance policy, declaration page, and any relevant correspondence.

"The devastation caused by these wildfires is heartbreaking, and my thoughts are with everyone who has been affected," said California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara in a statement. "Our top priority is to stand with Californians during this challenging time, ensuring you have access to the support and services you need. We are committed to holding insurance companies accountable so they fulfill their obligations to policyholders."

Details on California insurance workshops:

SATURDAY, JANUARY 18

Location: Santa Monica College, Performing Arts Center East Wing 1310 11th Street
Time: 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.

SUNDAY, JANUARY 19
Location: Santa Monica College Performing Arts Center East Wing 1310 11th Street
Time: 10 a.m. - 1 p.m.

SATURDAY, JANUARY 25
Location: Pasadena City College, 1570 East Colorado Blvd.
Time: 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.

SUNDAY, JANUARY 26
Location: Pasadena City College, 1570 East Colorado Blvd.
Time: 10 a.m. - 1 p.m.

If you want to make a one-on-one appointment, call the CDI's Hotline at 1-800-927-4357. Walk-ins will be served on a first-come-first-serve basis.

The Lakers are set to play their first home game in nearly a week, and the organization is hosting a donation drive to help those impacted by the fires.

The drive will be held during the team's next three home games, which are slated for Wednesday and Friday.

They're accepting food and non-food items, including water, trail mixes, dry shampoo, phone chargers and blankets.

They're not accepting clothing items.

The Lakers are set to play their first home game in nearly a week, and the organization is hosting a donation drive to help those impacted by the fires.

The damaged water-dropping super scooper firefighting aircraft that collided with a drone over the Palisades Fire last week will reportedly be back in the sky Tuesday morning, officials announced.

During a Monday morning news conference, Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said the aircraft has been repaired. They're now waiting on approval from the Federal Aviation Administration before it can officially fly again and continue aerial efforts to contain the flames.

According to officials, the plane last week collided with a privately-owned drone, causing significant damage to it. The drone put a 3x6 hole in the aircraft, causing a 20- to 30-minute delay in the aerial firefight.

The low-flying, surface-skimming planes dip into the water before dumping its contents over blazing wildfires. As the wind-driven fires continue across Southern California, officials are pleading with people to not fly drones over wildfire-ravaged areas.