Image source, LA County

LA Mayor Karen Bass is now speaking, she says she visited the area impacted by the Hurst Fire yesterday, and witnessed an example of "heroic" first responders.

The mayor says her office is already working to rebuild the city as fast as possible by "cutting through the bureaucracy".

Over 13,000 people have donated over $6m to the California Community Foundation's Wildlife Recovery Fund, the mayor adds, thanking them for their generosity.

Image source, LA County

Kathryn Barger, chair of the LA County Board of Supervisors, is up next.

She says she sent a letter to President-elect Donald Trump yesterday "to see the devastation of these wildfires first hand" and to meet with residents and thank first responders.

"I look forward to welcoming President-elect Trump to our communities so he can see the desperate need, but also the incredible opportunity, hope and perseverance of our impacted neighbours," she says.

Barger moves onto discussing rebuilding efforts, and say they worked to "cut the red tape that will slow" people rebuilding.

She references the new executive order the governor put in place in the morning, and thanks him for "taking swift action."

We're now hearing from LA City Police Chief Jim McDonnell. He says the LA Police Department has 600 officers deployed, along with the National Guard, which has 100 members assigned to the Palisade Fire.

He explains they’ve allowed limited access for some people to enter the area to retrieve medication and pets. However, while they were able to accommodate some, the number of people needing access became overwhelming.

"We weren't able to do that for everyone today. We need to suspend that practice effective immediately," he says.

Search operations are now under way, chief McDonnell says, including the deployment of cadaver dogs, crime scene preservation, and the recovery of remains.

He also warned that a curfew is in place in the LA city area, and arrests were made last night for violations.

Sheriff Luna goes on to say there was more arrests overnight - which he says brings the total number of arrests to "approximately" 29. This is 25 in the Eaton Fire area and four in Palisades.

When in Malibu, Luna says he saw a man who "looked like a firefighter" but was actually in handcuffs, after having been caught burgling a home.

During a search and rescue operation which began yesterday, three deceased people were found, Luna says. This was during a search of 364 properties.

He says he anticipates this number will increase, and that that there are 16 missing person reports.

Image source, LA County

Sheriff Robert Luna is speaking now, he says LA county deputy sheriff staffing has increased to around 1,200 personnel, who are working 12 hour shifts.

They have been assigned close to 1,500 missions, he adds. These include road closures, welfare checks, evacuation help and escorts for essential services.

At least 60 California Highway Patrol officers have been deployed across the Palisades and Eaton locations, Luna says.

For both of these fires, the evacuation numbers have dropped in the last few days. There are "approximately 105,000 residents under evacuation orders and approximately 87,000 residents under evacuation warnings."

He reminds people that if you in an evacuation order area, "your life is in danger, you need to leave."

Luna says he understands people are "frustrated" and want to go back to their homes, but some of these areas "literally look like war zones", and asks people to wait until it is safe.

More now from LA City Fire Chief Kristin Crowley.

She says the Hurst Fire has been contained to 799 acres and is now 89% under control, with over 300 firefighters assigned to tackle the blaze.

Chief Crowley adds that Santa Ana winds are still present and are expected to last through Wednesday. Today, wind gusts are reaching up to 50mph, and humidity levels remain low.

A red flag warning is in place and will stay in effect until 6pm.

We're now hearing from LA City Fire Chief Kristin Crowley.

She talks of her visit to Palisades yesterday, where she talked to the responders who were first on the scene.

Even without running water, gas or electric, firefighters are doing "everything they can", she tells the news conference.

She goes on to say she will give an update on the two active fires that are burning in LA.

On the Palisades Fire, crews worked overnight to prevent further spread into the Mandeville Canyon area. The fire is currently at 23,707 acres, with 4,720 personnel, with 11% containment. Evacuation orders and warnings remain in place, she adds.

"There is no power or water, there is broken gas lines and unstable structures", Crowley says.

Image source, LA County

LA County Fire Chief Anthony C. Marrone begins the press conference, and says that Eaton Fire is now estimated to cover 14,117 acres. He adds the fire is now 27% contained, up from the earlier 15%.

There are 3,155 firefighting personnel "assigned to the incident", Marrone says.

"Elevated, critical fire weather conditions will continue through to Wednesday," he says.

Marrone explains that the high winds, combined with low moistures, will keep the fire threat in LA county "very high".

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and officials from the County and City are providing an update on the wildfires and their impact.

Remember - you can listen along by pressing watch live at the top of the page.

Stay with us as we bring you the mayor's lines, along with any updates from city officials.

We're expecting to hear from officials in Los Angeles shortly.

LA Mayor Karen Bass will join county and city officials as they provide updates on the impacts of the fires, including recovery efforts and road conditions.

You can follow along by clicking Watch live above, and we'll be bringing you all the key lines.

We've just received new satellite imagery of the Palisades Fire taken on Saturday - the largest of four wildfires burning around Los Angeles. The fire is currently 11% contained and covers 23,707 acres, according to Cal Fire., external

Image source, Satellite image ©2025 Maxar Technologies

Image source, Satellite image ©2025 Maxar Technologies

For the last six days the Palisades fire has been growing, and it is now 10 miles (16.5km) wide.

It's destroyed around 5,000 structures and killed five people, officials say.

Fire fighters have been working around the clock to battle it, and it is now 11% contained. This means they have created barriers around 11% of the more than 23,000 acre blaze.

But, with strong winds forecast there are fears the blaze will continue to spread, as it encroaches on the upscale suburb of Brentwood.

Jenna Moon
Live page editor

Image source, EPA

Fire crews in Los Angeles are still tackling four separate fires that are threatening the city's suburbs.

The two largest, Palisades and Eaton, have raged for days and have burnt through a collective 37,700 acres of land. We've been following the latest developments from officials and people on the ground.

Here's what you need to know:

• Firefighters say they have fully contained the Kenneth Fire, which is burning near the city of Calabasas in north-west Los Angeles County
• Officials in California are pushing for US President-elect Donald Trump to visit the state, as the Republican has criticised relief efforts. California's governor, Gavin Newsom, says Trump has not accepted his invitation to "see the devastation first hand"
• Authorities in the state are warning businesses against "price gouging" or hiking the price of items more than 10% higher as the disaster continues. Displaced victims say they are facing sky-high rental prices and hotel fees
• Santa Ana winds - which blow dry, gusty winds from the desert into California - are expected to surge on Tuesday and Wednesday, complicating firefighting efforts
• The upscale suburb of Brentwood, where US Vice President Kamala Harris has a home, is threatened by the Palisades blaze

We're expecting to hear from Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, and other city officials at a press conference in just over half an hour's time.

Stay with us - we'll bring you the latest information as we receive it.

Image source, AP

One of the four fires burning through Los Angeles, the Kenneth Fire, is now 100% contained, according to California's fire department (Cal Fire).

The Kenneth Fire covers 1,052 acres, making it the third largest of the four fires burning on Sunday morning. The fire started on Thursday afternoon and broke out on the border between Los Angeles and Ventura counties.

As we explained in an earlier post, a fire which is 100% contained doesn't mean it has been extinguished. Instead, it means the flames have been fully encircled and the spread has been effectively stopped.

• Read more about the science behind containment here

Image source, EPA

An executive order designed to speed up the rebuilding of lost homes in LA has been put in place by California Governor Gavin Newsom.

The order suspends Ceqa review and the California Coastal Act, which work to minimise the environmental impact of proposed building projects, as well as suspending some permits in order to make rebuilding quicker and more affordable.

There are also protections against price gouging on services related to the fires such as building materials and storage services.

He says "one thing I won't give in to is delay. Delay is denial for people."

"The executive order I signed today will help cut permitting delays, an important first step in allowing our communities to recover faster and stronger."

California Governor's Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) says 150,000 people are now under evacuation orders in Los Angeles county - in areas affected by the Palisades and Eaton Fires.

More than 700 people are being housed in nine shelters in the county, external, Cal OES spokesperson Michael Traum says in a statement.

An evacuation order means there is an immediate threat to life and those impacted need to leave immediately, the organisation says.

Evacuation warnings, which differ from evacuation orders, are also in place for both the Palisades Fire and Eaton Fire. An evacuation warning means there’s impending danger to life or property and advice is to gather your belongings and prepare to evacuate.

Cal OES confirms that evacuation orders and warnings issued due to the Kenneth and Hurst Fires have been lifted.

Former Governor of California Jerry Brown has taken a swipe at US President-elect Donald Trump's criticism of Democrat officials' handling of the wildfires in Los Angeles.

Trump has been fiercely critical of California Democrats' handling of the emergency, accusing Governor of California Gavin Newsom and LA Mayor Karen Bass of "gross incompetence".

In a post on Truth Social today, Trump calls the wildfires "one of the worst catastrophes in the history of the country" and hits out again at the Democrats, saying "they can't just put out the fires, what's wrong with them?"

Newsom posted a letter on X, external which he says was sent to Trump on Friday, inviting him to "meet with the Americans affected by these fires" and "see the devastation first-hand".

Speaking to BBC's Laura Kuenssberg, Brown describes the "horror" of the Los Angeles wildfires and says "it brings home the danger that we live in".

Brown adds that though the region has come a long way, they are not "immune to catastrophe". Dealing with climate change requires trillions of dollars every year, which he says needs to be done.

In response to Trump's comments, he says "nature is nature, not even Donald Trump, who is quite clever in many ways, can repeal the laws of physics."

Soon "there will be a reduction, to absurdity, of the idea that climate change is a hoax", Brown adds.

Matt Taylor
BBC Weather

Image source, Getty Images

As we've been reporting, firefighters are bracing for another round of Santa Ana winds in Los Angeles as four fires are burning around the county.

Santa Ana winds can bring disruptive impacts to daily life in Los Angeles and parts of southern California, when coupled with wildfires they can escalate the situation rapidly, causing the fires to take hold and spread at great speed.

These strong and gusty east or north-easterly winds blow from inland towards the coast. They can occur numerous times throughout the year and have been known to happen on over 20 occasions during some years.

A Santa Ana event usually occurs during the cooler months, from late September to May and generally lasts just a couple of days, but on rare occasions can continue for up to a week.

You can read more about the Santa Ana winds and where they come from in our detailed explainer.

As we've been reporting, there are currently four wildfires burning around Los Angeles: the Eaton, Hurst, Kenneth and Palisade fires.

• The largest of the four is the Palisades Fire, which is 11% contained and covers 23,654 acres, according to Cal Fire, external - this was the first fire to erupt on Tuesday
• The second largest is the Eaton Fire, in the north of the city around Pasadena, covering 14,117 acres, which is 15% contained
• The Kenneth Fire, whichbroke out on Thursday on the border of Los Angeles and Ventura counties, covers 1,052 acres and is 90% contained
• The smallest blaze is the Hurst Fire, covering 799 acres and currently 76% contained, which broke out on Tuesday night just north of San Fernando

Image source, Getty Images

Official updates from firefighters on the four blazes ripping through Los Angeles often describe a fire as "contained" by a particular percentage - but what does this mean?

In brief, containment describes the progress firefighters make in controlling the spread of the flames.

It's often listed as a percentage - for example the most recent CalFire update on the massive Palisades fire has it as 11% contained, with the much smaller Kenneth fire at 90%.

In the larger blaze's case, this means fire crews have established barriers around just 11% of the fire's perimeter.

Natural barriers include roads, rivers and oceans. Firefighters can also create barriers using equipment such as bulldozers, hoses and shovels to remove vegetation down to the bare soil, meaning there is nothing for the fire to burn.

A fire being 100% contained doesn't mean it has been extinguished, but rather that the flames have been fully encircled and the spread has been effectively stopped.