Some evacuations lifted as crews make progress on Los Angeles County wildfires

Most of Southern California -- including the areas ravaged by fires -- in severe drought, according to the latest map from the U.S. Drought Monitor.

Here is the latest map:

MORE: Climate change amplified dryness, but LA fires still extreme without it: UCLA analysis

When you compare the current conditions compared to January 2024, you can see that yellow, tan, orange and even some red, is back in Southern California.

Most of SoCal -- including the areas ravaged by fires -- is in severe drought, according to the latest map from the U.S. Drought Monitor.

"We are no strangers to drought in Southern California and we find ourselves once again in that situation," said Edith de Guzman, a cooperative extension specialist at UCLA. "We haven't had any measurable precipitation since about April of last year. That is a real contrast from what we saw in the winters of 2023 and 24, when we had extraordinarily wet conditions."

Most of L.A. County is covered in orange, which is considered severe drought.

With the two major fires in the county, recent UCLA analysis found climate change amplified the dryness, but the fires would have still been extreme without the moisture deficit.

"A big portion of these destructive fires is due to natural variability. So without climate change, you'd still have a destructive fire, but climate change basically adds more fuel due to increased warming," said Chad Thackeray, a UCLA climate researcher.

A significant storm seems like a distant memory. In the years from 2022 to 2024, downtown L.A. received more than 50 inches of rain combined. That's a number the city hasn't seen since the late 1800s.

"If we just remember like until 11 months ago, UCLA recorded 12 inches of rain in a 24-hour period. So that's just off the charts for us. There are entire years on record when UCLA does not record that much rain in an entire 12-month period," said de Guzman.

You can see just three months ago, we were not considered to be in a drought. But as winter continues, we're off to one of the driest starts on record.

Leonardo DiCaprio is donating $1 million to support wildfire recovery efforts in Southern California, the actor announced.

DiCaprio posted the news to his Instagram stories on Wednesday, saying he will be committing $1 million in conjunction with the charity Re: wild, which he co-founded.

The post read, in part:
"The Los Angeles wildfires are devastating our city. I am committing $1 million in partnership with @rewild's Rapid Response Program to support both urgent needs and post-fire recovery efforts. Initial aid will immediately benefit the LA Fire Department Foundation, California Fire Foundation, World Central Kitchen, California Community Foundation, Pasadena Humane Society, and SoCal Fire Fund - organizations on the frontlines providing much-needed resources to our first responders and firefighters, and the people, animals and communities who need it most. Re:wild's Rapid Response Program is uniquely positioned to respond to environmental disasters and emergencies."

MORE: SoCal Wildfires - How You Can Help

Dennis Chapman said he lost his best friend Ed Cridland in the Eaton Fire.

"He was a kind soul," Chapman said of his friend.

Man remembers best friend who died in Eaton Fire

The night of the fires when Chapman last spoke to Cridland, they thought he would be fine in his home, the same home he was raised in.

But Cridland's home burned to the ground and the vintage vehicles he collected were completely singed.

"Kind of makes things full circle. That everything, you know, started and ended right there. Everything about his life," Chapman said.

He believes on Tuesday night, Cridland took out his hearing aid and was sound asleep in his own bed.

Chapman hopes his friend died peacefully in his sleep from the carbon monoxide before the flames engulfed the home.

"I think that when my time comes if I can be half the man he was and go to the same place, then I will be ok with it," Chapman said.

The Pasadena Public Health Department on Thursday declared a local public health emergency due to the impacts of the deadly Eaton Fire.

Officials say the widespread impacts include the presence of toxic ash and particulate matter in the air.

"Being around ash may irritate your eyes, nose, or skin; and can cause coughing, asthma attacks, difficulty breathing, headaches, and other health effects," city officials said in a press release. "Prevent exposure by wearing protective gear in areas affected by the fires, especially while cleaning up ash. Wear a tight-fitting respirator that filters ash particles from the air you breathe, gloves, long-sleeved shirts, long pants, shoes and socks, and goggles to avoid skin and eye contact."

Additionally, officials said the use of power air blowers, including leaf blowers, are prohibited until further notice so they don't stir up the ask and debris, further worsening air quality in the area.

The department is distributing free personal protective equipment at 450 N. Lake Avenue, which is also a water distribution site, from 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.