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

Many businesses in Santa Monica are doing what they can to help wildfire victims, turning their shops into mini donation centers.

OpenClosit, a designer rental shop on Montana Avenue, collected all sorts of essentials, including clothing, toiletries, baby items and more.

"I'm devastated with the way things look, and I don't know how to comprehend it in the same way as everyone else is, but I do know that what we have is such an incredible community of people who just want, in any way, to help," said OpenClosit Founder Johanna Moonan.

Many businesses in Santa Monica are doing what they can to help wildfire victims, turning their shops into mini donation centers.

Down the street at Bijou Indochine Jewelry, owner Natalie Vo Karlin is offering free toiletries, laundry items, and even coloring books for kids since she doesn't have the capacity to take donations.

Both business owners just want to give back to the community they love.

"We have this opportunity to give back, even as little as this is, I just want to make sure to be open to check on the people that are in the area," said Karlin. "I want to make sure to give them hugs if they need it. I want to make sure that they're ok. Sometimes they just need that."

Firefighters have stopped forward progress of a new brush fire that broke out overnight in Ventura County. The Auto Fire burned 56 acres in the Santa Clara River bottom amid red flag conditions across Southern California.

Officials reported that the blaze was fully contained, but later said it stands at 0% containment.

The fire danger posed by the return of strong Santa Ana winds is expected to remain through Wednesday afternoon.

A new fire erupted overnight amid dangerous red flag conditions across Southern California. The Auto Fire burned 56 acres in Ventura County before firefighters stopped its forward progress.

Schools in Los Angeles and Santa Monica are slowly reopening but Palisades Charter High School is far from welcoming back students.

The school is urgently looking to secure a temporary campus for its students and staff after the entire back portion of the building was destroyed in the Palisades Fire.

"We have a unique opportunity to show the strength and resilience of our community in the face of adversity," said Principal Pamela Magee in a statement. "By coming together, we can ensure that our students can stay in their learning environment, with their friends and mentors, at a time when they need it most."

READ MORE | Palisades Charter High School looking for temporary campus after fire destroys building

The school is urgently looking to secure a temporary campus for its students and staff after the entire back portion of the building was destroyed in the Palisades Fire.

Mayor Bass issued an executive order that will help clear the way for Los Angeles residents to rapidly rebuild the homes they lost in the fires. It also lays the foundation for businesses to plan their rebuild.

"This unprecedented natural disaster warrants an unprecedented response that will expedite the rebuilding of homes, businesses and communities," Bass said. "This order is the first step in clearing away red tape and bureaucracy to organize around urgency, common sense and compassion. We will do everything we can to get Angelenos back home."

The executive order will help coordinate debris removal from impacted areas, clear the way to rebuild homes as they were, make 1,400 units of housing available and establish a framework to secure additional relief and resources, according to a news release.