California fires live updates: Death toll hits 7 as new Kenneth blaze threatens Calabasas; arson suspect arrested
Death toll continues to climb as more than 7,500 firefighting personnel are deployed across California, with two of the most ferocious fires at zero percent containment
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Your support makes all the difference.At least seven people have been killed and countless others injured as fast-moving wildfires continued to tear across the outskirts of Los Angeles, leaving thousands of firefighters battling desperately to extinguish the blaze.
Officials said Thursday that while progress had been made on the Sunset, Woodley, Hurst and Sunswept Fires, more “extreme fire behavior” and wind gusts up to 60 mph are continuing to challenge firefighting efforts. Los Angeles Sheriff Robert Luna said fire-ravaged neighborhoods in west L.A. “look like a bomb was dropped in them.”
Police announced the arrest of an arson suspect early Thursday evening who allegedly attempted to light a fire in Woodland Hills near the area’s newest blaze, the Kenneth Fire. Neighborhood residents reportedly held the man down until police arrived.
The new Kenneth Fire broke out north of the Palisadesfire hours earlier on Thursday, threatening homes near Calabasas and Hidden Hills. The blaze is believed to have been started intentionally, and a suspect is in custody, per the LAPD.
The Palisades Fire, one of the most destructive the city has seen, is at six percent containment. The fire has scorched 19,978 acres, while the Altadena and Pasadena-based Eaton fire has burned 13,690 acres.
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What to know about the new Kenneth Fire
Firefighters are battling a new fire on the outskirts of Los Angeles.
The Kenneth Fire began around 3:30 p.m. and has now burned 960 acres near the Los Angeles-Ventura County line, according to Cal Fire.
“Fanned by strong Santa Ana winds, the fire threatens nearby communities and infrastructure, prompting swift evacuation orders,” the agency wrote on its website. “Firefighters from Los Angeles and Ventura counties are actively engaged in containment efforts, deploying both ground crews and aerial resources.”
The blaze is burning near the Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space Preserve, threatening homes in the nearby communities of Hidden Hills, Woodland Hills, and West Hills, according to the Los Angeles Times.
California Governor Gavin Newsom on Thursday announced 900 firefighters would be deployed to fight the Kenneth Fire.
Harris cancels foreign trip as fires rage in Los Angeles
Vice President Kamala Harris and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff have canceled an upcoming foreign trip as fires rage in Los Angeles, Harris’s office said.
“In response to the historic wildfires in Los Angeles, the Vice President has made the decision to cancel her and the Second Gentleman’s upcoming trip to Singapore, Bahrain, and Germany,” it wrote in a statement. “She will remain in the United States to support the federal response in California.”
How California firefighters stopped the Sunset Fire
In a rare bit of good news, fire crews were able to contain the Sunset Fire to just 43 acres, as other blazes rage across Los Angeles.
Here’s how it went down, according to California Governor Gavin Newsom.
Numerous L.A. residents received mistaken evacuation alert
In addition to the very real threat of the multiple fires converging on L.A., Angelenos on Thursday also had to deal with a fake evacuation alert.
“I have been informed the evacuation warning that many of us just received on our phones was mistakenly issued countywide due to a technical error,” L.A. County Supervisor Janice Hahn confirmed on Thursday.
Cal Fire encouraged by lower winds
A Cal Fire official said Thursday the agency got a “great” pause in high winds to launch further fire-fighting efforts, relaxed weather conditions that may continue through the night.
“We’re optimistic about tonight,” battalion chief Brent Pascua told CNN. “We’re not going to see those 80 mph winds that are knocking over trees.”
Death toll ‘will rise’ in coming days: sheriff
At least six people have died so far in the Los Angeles fires, but that figure could rise in the coming days, according to officials.
“I think the death toll will rise,” L.A. County Sheriff Robert Luna said at a Thursday new conference. “I hope I’m wrong.”
The six deaths represent a likely undercount.
“Right now, frankly, we don’t know yet,” he added.
What we know about the victims of the most destructive fire in LA history
Five victims were reportedly killed in the Eaton fire that has been blazing through Altadena and Pasadena, while a sixth person was found dead in Malibu
Beyoncé’s mother loses Malibu house in fires: ‘It was my favorite place'
Tina Knowles, mother of pop star Beyoncé, is one of many notable people around the L.A. area who have lost their homes in the recent fires.
“It was my favorite place, my sanctuary , my sacred Happy Place,” Knowles wrote on Instagram, sharing a tranquil video of the view from before her Malibu bungalow burned down. “Now it is gone.”
“This could have been so much worse with out the dedication of the disaster workers and first responders,” she added. “I’m so sad for the people who lost the five family members. My deepest Prayers are with you !!!!!!”
Video: Fire-fighting plane scoops ocean water near World Central Kitchen site
Chef José Andrés’s World Central Kitchen nonprofit is on the scene near the Palisades fire providing food to first responders.
As chefs worked to feed the firefighters, water-scooping firefighting planes dipped into the nearby Pacific Ocean.
Evacuations ordered in area near Kenneth Fire
Emergency officials have ordered the evacuation of those in the Van Owen, City Border, Burbank, and Valley Ricle areas due to te “rapidaly moving” Kenneth Fire.
The fire broke out in Woodland Hills, near the border of Los Angeles and Ventura counties, earlier today.
20 people arrested for looting so far, sheriff says
Looters have seized on the chaos of the L.A. fires to plunder homes and businesses, according to police.
“Twenty individuals chose to go into our areas and deprive these poor people who have been through so much of their property,” L.A. County Sheriff Robert Luna told reporters on Thursday.
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