seven live breaking news and breaking news. >> an apocalyptic scene

destruction as far as the eye can see. entire neighborhoods in palisades, pacific palisades reduced to burnt buildings and ash. >> pacific palisades right now could just be taken off the map. it's. there is no pacific palisades. >> and here is a look for you. the one of the five wildfires burning in los angeles county. learning that the flames of the palisades wildfire have destroyed 5300 structures, making it the third most destructive wildfire in state history. that's according to cal fire and the fire still burning out of control. and with that, we say, good afternoon, i'm kristen z. here's the latest on the impact and status of the five wildfires in southern california. they have now scorched a combined total of 30,000 acres. the two largest fires burning right now are the palisades fire in pacific palisades and the eaton fire. the death toll still stands at five. we get the latest now from abc news reporter alex stone in altadena. just devastated by the

eaton fire. alex, what can you tell us? >> hi, kristen. we just heard from the l.a. fire department, and they say on the pacific palisades fire. they now see with an aerial survey, many thousands of homes that have been destroyed or buildings that have been destroyed on this fire. the l.a. county fire department has no idea at this point how many have been destroyed. you can see this behind me. this is what it looks like. every street. street by street. this was a chiropractic office, but the homes look exactly the same. it is just a gray ash right now. and still there is a lot of fire fighting going on. almost unimaginable scenes in los angeles. abc's chopper giving us a gut wrenching view of the devastation from multiple fires burning in southern california. >> really never seen any destruction like this before. everything is gone. >> block after block of homes destroyed in pacific palisades. heavy smoke lingering in the air. at least five people are confirmed dead, but the sheriff says he fears that number will

go up. >> at one point, we'll be able to do a more thorough search of these impacted areas. some of them look like a bomb was dropped in them, where we will be able to bring in canines and other things to help us. >> fierce winds fueling the inferno, easing enough for planes to fly. picking up water from the ocean, dropping it on the fire. but those winds are forecasted to pick up president biden getting another briefing on the situation today. federal help has been approved. over 180,000 people under evacuation orders. many are staying in hotels. >> just a really like solemn environment. a lot of people lost their homes, a lot of people waiting to find out if they've lost their homes. and just everyone really like mourning and trying to figure out what all of our next steps are. >> these heartbreaking pictures show the before and after entire neighborhoods leveled from the palisades to altadena amidst the devastation. neighbors helping neighbors. >> i mean, i don't even know most of them. and they're just, you know, posting and the kindness of their hearts.

they're helping. and it means so much to us. >> kristen, we're seeing a lot of help beginning to arrive here, and much of it that has arrived is coming from the bay area. we've seen san jose, saratoga, marin county fire, a number of fire departments from the bay area keep going by us. they've been waving to us as they come in. that help is finally arriving here, live in altadena. i'm alex stone, abc seven news. >> yes, we have a lot of men and women down there. and of course, alex, they have experienced this, this kind of thing. thank you so much. fire crews say fierce winds are fueling these wildfires. and another round of santa ana winds is forecast to sweep into los angeles tonight. abc seven news meteorologist drew tuma has a closer look as we continue to track the conditions around the fires burning in southern california, and we are seeing winds picking up again throughout the evening and into tomorrow, it's for that fact. >> the red flag warning across southern california has been

extended until tomorrow evening, so we're still underneath a moderate to strong wind event with gusts picking up, so it will be a windy night ahead across southern california. in fact, you look at future tracker wind speeds here. you can see early friday morning we're going to find winds gusting in excess of 30, 40, even 50mph in some of our highest peaks. here you see the two biggest fires we're tracking. this is the palisades fire. and this is the eaton fire. those are the two largest burning across southern california. so winds are going to be an issue as we head into friday morning. then later in the day, the winds really back off as that red flag warning expires at 6 p.m. look at the onshore wind that returns. that is going to bring about higher humidity and calmer winds should really help firefighters. but nonetheless, the fire weather conditions today are critical across a huge portion of ventura and l.a. county because of the dry conditions and the gusty winds. air quality. you can assume that it's going to be bad

in many areas with the smoke. in fact, unhealthy air across a big area, including pasadena, where we do have these fires burning at the moment. the latest drought monitor today does not find encouraging news across southern california. la and san diego are now in severe drought. the last time they were in a severe drought was in 2022, and that is because southern california has not seen a drop of rain this season. in fact, last time we saw significant rainfall was about eight months ago. so the winds have exacerbated the drought and that's why they are now under a severe drought category. rainfall forecast the next ten days. we are not finding any significant storms at best. the marine layer across southern california may bring some light drizzle back here at home. here's a look at the forecast today. we have a lot of sunshine this afternoon. we're already into the 60s. it feels nice today. the winds are light generally, but in our hills we are seeing winds gusting over 20mph at times. just be aware of

that. here's the accuweather seven day forecast. what we're looking at. records are possible this afternoon. we'll keep you updated on that as we see some of our warmest areas. try and get close to 70 degrees. it is a little cooler here on friday heading into the weekend. we do have some breezy conditions, no wind advisories or red flag warnings. in effect, we'll find winds about 20 to 30mph, lighter winds on the back half of the weekend for sunday, and our sunny, dry pattern continues for much of next week. >> nearly 20,000 acres have burned in pacific palisades. our sister station in los angeles talked with a malibu resident who says the devastation from the palisades fire is widespread. he says the flames have taken the palisades right off the map. >> i didn't know where it was on pch because all of the landmarks are gone. you don't know what street you've crossed, you don't know which house you've passed. it's just done. it's all done. you don't. let's say you feel. yeah. you feel a little guilty if your house is still standing.

kind of. but you're also happy. and it's not the house. it's the stuff in your house, and it's the house, but i don't i don't know, i mean, what is what are these houses going to stay? there's only houses. and where do people go to school? and i mean, we spend our lives in the palisades. there are no palisades. it's done. and i know what you do. >> officials say 5300 structures have been burned or destroyed. those are the latest figures. just in 5300 structures. the palisades fire is already the most destructive in los angeles history. well, this fire has certainly devastated palisades. you may have previously known it as a seaside community that's part of los angeles. never before has it experienced this level of destruction or attention. fortunately, or perhaps unfortunately, we have a dear colleague here who grew up in palisades, actually, and joining us live now to help us better understand the community that's currently in the

spotlight for reasons nobody wants, is our assignment desk manager, jim huntington, sort of the maestro of conducting our crews here. and i know it's got to be so hard for you to come on and talk about this. so, jim, thank you, thank you. >> well, especially with this new number, it just jumped from 1000 to 5000. you know, the palisades is what we call it is always kind of lived in the shadow of malibu and brentwood. it's at the very end of sunset boulevard and sunset begins down by dodger stadium and winds about 20 miles out there. and the village is kind of the center of the community. and we'll start there. you see it there. those are the buildings. the bigger buildings did survive this fire. this is the first time we're seeing these aerial images because it was so smoky and they couldn't fly. the bigger buildings that survived are newer ones, and those are they're on the north side of sunset. those are new retail shops. you see the damage on the south side of sunset? yeah, right up there at the top.

they've lost both gas stations in town. they had a gelson's. they had a ralphs supermarket. they're gone right down there. is that the gelson's? uh- right down below us there, i believe, is where governor newsom was yesterday that burned out building. that's the starbucks and old bank building below. there is an office building. so a lot of the destruction is on the west side of sunset boulevard. >> jim, can i just ask you for people who know very little about the special place where you grew up, what's it like? is there a bay area city that you kind of compare it to? >> well, i, you know, it's almost a beach community. there's a santa cruz vibe, but it's also got, you know, a los angeles kind of laid back vibe. it's always the weather is really what it's known for. it can be very hot in downtown in the valley, but it's always nice out there. that's what it's probably best known for. and it's just got the mediterranean climate, the you can walk to the ocean from almost anywhere in

the palisades. there are, you know, a number of distinct neighborhoods in the palisades. and the one area that was hit the hardest was was what they call the alphabet streets. okay. >> i think we have some video of that, or at least we saw some. and here's the thing. you hear people say, the whole palisades has been wiped off the map. not necessarily true. right. that that's i mean, certain neighborhoods. >> right. and we believe, you know, there's 7 or 8 well known neighborhoods. those are the alphabet streets that you're looking at now, finding out, you know, the palisades was settled by by by people in the methodist church and the alphabet streets are, you know, they go in alphabetical order, you know, fisk, galloway, hartsell iliff. i found out they're all named after big shots in the methodist church in the 1920s. but this was the area. this was the picture that astounded everybody. these are the older homes. these were the homes built back in the 1920s. i would

suspect that many of them have wood shingle roofs. i mean, that's no one can believe that shot they're at, what they're looking for. >> jim, i purposely didn't direct the conversation towards your own close family and friends first because i, i figured after that it might be too hard to get through the informational stuff. but i got to ask you, have you heard from your brother? i know you've left, but he's still got a home there, right? and he's evacuated. >> and we just got word that my oldest brother, dan, he their home is okay. they are down at the end of sunset boulevard, okay. and that's an an older an older part of the palisades. that is an area that seems to have been not destroyed. >> how about your friends? >> now, i know seven people who've lost homes and it's just uh. what can you say? it's a very empty feeling. this would be the worst disaster in los angeles since the, i believe, personal opinion. the northridge earthquake in 94. it used to be

that the worst fire used to be called the brentwood bel air fire in 1961. and this this is a lot bigger than that tissue for both of us. >> but when you were growing up, did you worry about wind fuel fires and did you experience winds do the kind that we are seeing this week. right. >> well, the santa ana winds are part of living in los angeles. >> what's changed? >> i just well, more houses, maybe just lots of the winds. stronger, i don't know, but there were always fires in pacific palisades growing up. but, you know, they always, you know, maybe a few houses burned, but they always would get them knocked down. the malibu fires are more famous. i mean, there are a lot of famous fires down there, but this this one's taken the cake right now. >> i know. look, i'm going to let you go get back to work, because i know your mind's always on your job. but before i

let you go, are there things that you hope will happen in the rebuilding process? right. and what challenges do you foresee as your brother and others come back and resettle and rebuild? >> well, it just all begins with, you know, the type of insurance that people had. of course, they'll all be, you know, new building codes. i just hope that, you know, that people can get their lives back together. i do want to mention that not every place in the palisades has burned. we believe that riviera country club is still going, is still there. you know, that's where tiger woods has a tournament next month. >> and your high school, right. >> palisades high school built some buildings did burn, but that's okay. and so is palisades elementary school. and that's got the beautiful campanile tower. >> and the towers still stands. >> the tower still stands. and you'll see that in the pictures of pacific palisades. >> well, give our best to your brother. >> will do. >> thank you. >> jim, thank you.

>> all right. and you can help people affected by the california wildfires. you can donate at redcross.org. slash abc to help the red cross respond during this time and help people recover. the wildfires have unfortunately become political ahead. president elect donald trump is pointing the finger at governor newsom. how he is disputing you can access your fico® score in a snap. (daughter) what i would give to be able to make art on this scale! (dad) you will one day. but it's equally important for you to be thinking about your future... building credit— (daughter) dad... fargo, what's my fico® score? (dad) wow... it's a work of art. (vo) do you fargo? (daughter) that was corny, but i'll take it. (vo) you can. visit wellsfargo.com/getfargo.

governor newsom and president elect trump. trump is calling for the governor to resign. the president elect blamed newsom for the disaster, saying on truth social that his decisions made the fires worse. he claimed newsom refused to sign the water restoration declaration, which would have allowed millions of

gallons of water more readily available. newsom says the declaration. the president elect was referring to does not exist. a political scientist weighed in. >> i think the state just needs to be prepared for not having federal funds. i think that we have to be smart and creative in ways that we can protect our people here. >> mr. trump previously threatened to withhold federal funds to california over water issues. newsom praised president biden for getting the state help within 36 hours of the fire starting. as wildfires across the state became more prevalent and destructive. insurance companies have started dropping coverage for homeowners in fire prone areas or significantly raising policy rates. california's insurance commissioner says there's a law in place that doesn't allow insurance companies to drop coverage to areas within one year of a wildfire. giving businesses and families time to make decisions about their futures.

>> with with the reforms that we've made, allowing insurance companies and the department to utilize catastrophic modeling to look into what the reinsurance costs are for california, we are allowing insurance companies to use these tools with the guarantee that they're going to come back into these communities, and that is an agreement that we've made and that we are now are fully implementing this year. >> the state insurance commissioner says the department will make sure that insurance companies meet the promise of being able to pay out claims and to deliver the services. more walgreens stores are shuttering in san francisco. we'll learn about the exact locations and what the company

cisco, which could impact access to prescription drugs for residents. here's a look at the locations. a walgreens spokesperson confirmed these 12

stores will shutter by the end of next month. walgreens did not say that crime contributed to its decision. abc seven news reporter lena howland has a look at the impact. >> if you don't use these pharmacies, this is part of a growing trend of drugstore closures, which is leading to more pharmacy deserts. now, people who rely on them say they'll soon have to travel much further to get their medications, with graffiti covering the windows and the front entrance still boarded up. this walgreens in the potrero hill neighborhood is one of 12 locations closing for good across san francisco. >> no, we need this. this is the closest pharmacy. >> remember, it was only two months ago when a car rammed into the front entrance of this location. construction crews at the time said it was an unsuccessful attempt at breaking into the atm, and part of a concerning trend in the bay area. >> it's disheartening, to say the least. >> in a statement, walgreens

called the closures necessary and said increased regulatory and reimbursement pressures are weighing on our ability to cover the costs associated with rent, staffing and supply needs. although the company made no mention of crime or shoplifting as the reason, neighbors say they see it all the time. >> i mean, i get it. i've seen horrible things happen in here, like people stealing things, just coming in with bags and just going into their bag. i've seen kids, i've seen homeless people doing it. i've seen people that seem like they don't need to be doing it. doing it. >> the potrero hill location is the same one tied to a major walgreens crime spree over the span of several months last year, which resulted in the arrests of eight suspects, some as young as 12 years old. san francisco police said the group is accused of committing 23 thefts over four months, stealing more than $84,000 in walgreens merchandise. >> we need this, we need this, we need this. you know, just in case we don't feel good and we

want to sit our kids down to get toilet paper, soap, all that good stuff. it's sad. >> the closures include the same location on market street where benkhert brown was shot and killed by a walgreens security guard in april of 2023, during what police called a shoplifting incident. >> i mean, toothpaste is locked up, you know, i get it. it's like really high, high price items are locked up or. but now it's like pretty much everything. and the people that work here are really jaded. rightfully so. >> and walgreens confirmed with us that all 12 of these locations will close between february 24th and the 27th. we have a full list of the closures on our website right now at abc seven news.com. lena howland, abc seven news. a team can help you plan for your dreams. so your dream car, and vacation home, may be closer than you think. ready to meet the dream team? you can with wells fargo.

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for you. those destructive wildfires in los angeles county. and we have just learned of a new wildfire that broke out in l.a. county. there is a mandatory evacuation order for brush fire in woodland hills, west of los angeles, not too far from calabasas. abc seven news reporter zach fuentes is covering the eaton fire in altadena. that's northeast of los angeles. and a short time ago, zach spoke to a woman whose home was just saved from the flames. >> we're seeing some of the houses that have been leveled, destroyed. that one just over there. that just happened in the last couple of hours. it is heartbreaking. this home next to it. firefighters worked so hard. we have chelsea over here. i want to speak to you really quick. your home is the one one of the i think the only ones on this block saved right now. we saw firefighters working to save it. >> your thoughts right now i

it's a mix of everything. i mea, i'm so grateful that the firefighters work so hard to protect my home this morning. i know that my neighbor's house caught on fire this morning, and they did everything they could to save mine. but i mean, if you look around, it doesn't in the scheme of things, it doesn't really matter because all of my neighbors have lost so much. but this community is just amazing and everyone is really supportive of each other. and i know, i know that there is a bright future ahead, but it's going to take a long time. >> our live wildfire reporting continues. you can get updates as they happen on abc seven news.com and the abc seven bay area app. shifting gears, if you think your rent is too high, a new lawsuit could help you. more states are joining a legal battle. abc news reporter andrea fujii explains why. >> across america, rents are on the rise. one recent study found half of all renters are spending more than 30% of their income on housing. but now a growing legal

battle over why those rents are so high. the government is suing major landlords, accusing them of illegally collaborating to raise rents nationwide. >> that has resulted in rates being raised more quickly than they otherwise would have been. >> north carolina is one of ten states now joining the justice department, alleging these major property companies operating more than 1 million housing units in 43 states are using algorithms to set rents and share sensitive information with each other to reduce competition and boost profits. >> there's basically this piece of artificial intelligence software that is allowing landlords, we believe, to collude with each other instead of compete with each other. >> greystar real estate partners is one of the defendants. it denies the accusations, saying at no time did greystar engage in any anti-competitive practices. a white house study found algorithms cost renters an average of an extra $70 per month, totaling nearly $4

billion in 2023. renters in atlanta hit the hardest, paying an extra $181 a month. the software company realpage is also being sued. its software allegedly helped landlords set prices. the company denies the charges, calling the lawsuit a scapegoat for housing policy failures. andrea fujii abc news, new york. >> california is part of that lawsuit, and we want to point out that last october, san francisco became the first city in the nation to prohibit the use of ai powered software to set rents. thank you so much for joining us today. world news tonight with david muir starts right now. and i'll see you back here at four. tonight, a special edition of "world news tonight." the unimaginable destruction here in los angeles. multiple wildfires still burning out of control. there is