it's it's thursday, january 9th, 2025. this is "cbs news mornings." los angeles engulfed in flames.

another fast-moving fire breaks out in one of hollywood's most iconic locations as firefighters struggle against the elements, a lack of water, and power outages. >> as you can see, the only thing that's basically standing is the chimney. yeah, now it's nothing. apocalyptic images of total destruction, entire blocks leveled as people return home to find everything they own reduced to rubble. good morning, i'm michael george. these devastating wildfires are turning into one of the most destructive in california history. at least five people are dead, all of them from the eaton fire. officials say many people are hurt. nearly 2,000 homes, businesses, and other structures have been destroyed in the eaton and palisades fires, and that number is expected to rise. 130,000 people are under evacuation orders including in some of the most exclusive and

expensive neighborhoods in the u.s. all los angeles unified district schools are closed today. more than half a dozen schools were damaged or destroyed. and president biden canceled his trip to rome and the vatican so he can monitor the situation. five fires are raging out of control, and the newest one, the sunset fire in hollywood hills. danya bacchus is at the largest fire burning in pacific palisades. yesterday firefighters were fighting flames in near hurricane-force winds. will conditions be any easier today? >> reporter: they could. the winds have died down significantly which means they could make some progress on this fire which, of course, is something they are all hoping for. this morning we are now starting to see just how destructive these fires have been in neighborhood after neighborhood, homes and buildings reduced to rubble. an apocalyptic scene.

thousands of acres burned from multiple brush fires. wednesday evening a new inferno erupted in the hollywood hills. >> our house is -- you can tell it's next, and we're getting out. area streets gridlocked with new mandatory evacuation orders in effect for thousands more residents. >> please leave the area. >> reporter: the scope of damage already done is now visible for the hernandez family who lost their home in the eaton fire. >> the only thing that's basically standing is the chimney, and, yeah, now it's nothing. >> reporter: this is an example of what's left of altadena's business district. building after building wiped out, some of them still smoldering. hundreds of firefighters from across the country have been working around the clock to try to contain the fire. fire departments and equipment are stretched thin with some hydrants running dry due to demand. >> they're exhausted. we need those reinforcements coming in, but they've done incredible work. >> we're looking at something horrific --

>> reporter: kevin pazirandeh and his family got out early from their pacific palisades neighborhood. >> got our car, we've got our family, we are in no immediate personal, physical, financial threat. >> reporter: now they and so many others keep watch, hoping their home will be spared. and if having to worry about their homes being hit by a fire is not enough, officials are now warning about looters who may try to take advantage of the evacuation orders and in some places a mandatory curfew has been ordered. michael? >> all right. danya bacchus on the front lines of the pacific palisades fire. stay safe out there. well, wildfires aren't a weather phenomenon like hurricanes and tornadoes, but they are directly linked to weather conditions like wind and rain. we get more on the anatomy of these fires from cbs news meteorologist rob marciano. >> reporter: l.a. residents in a panic, desperate to save their

home. >> you're not going to be able to put that out. >> reporter: during an unprecedented explosive wildfire in the middle of winter. winds to hurricane strength, some nearly 90 miles per hour, scattering embers miles away, sparking more flames. not something that typically happens in january because los angeles should be well into the rainy season. but downtown l.a. has received just over a quarter of an inch of rain since may. the second driest stretch in nearly 150 years. >> our wildfires are definitely getting worse. we have had a very large increase in the size and the intensity of wildfire, and that is driven in part by a warming climate. >> reporter: the drought drying out vegetation on top of t seasonal santa anas has made for a combustible mix. the santa ana winds created by there cold high pressure plaguing so much of the country, pushing dry air down over the mountains, compressing it through the canyons, and

accelerating it into a cataclysmic firestorm. the winds turning iconic palm trees into whipping flame throwers, sending smoke and fire in every direction. >> that was rob marciano reporting. the stories from the fire zone are devastating, but there's still so much we don't know yet. while tens of thousands have fled, most have no idea if their homes are still standing, and they're desperate for information. cbs' tony dokoupil has that story. >> reporter: at the top of a nearby hill, palisades residents looked back at the flames. matt baker pulled up in the car he evacuated in. >> we're 90% sure it's gone from what we're seeing. >> reporter: after generations here, he's now not sure what's next. you've got stuff in the car here. what's your plan now? >> i don't know. >> reporter: as we spoke to matt, austin meloche saw our

cameras and came by for news about his house in an area known as the alphabet streets. not good, i told him, sharing a note from another resident. the alphabet streets are gone. what was it like getting out yesterday? >> felt like it was out of a movie for real. like the embers falling and like the house. you see the red smoke coming at you. you don't know what to do. it's hard to breathe. it's a mind-boggling situation. >> reporter: for austin and his friends it now feels like their whole childhoods are gone. >> the village we knew is done. everything we liked got completely wiped out. we were going on instagram and twitter and you see our high school in flames. our football field's in flames. like it's unbelievable. >> reporter: and another worry -- the lack of water. multiple residents told us the firefighters had nothing in the hydrants for hours. >> the fire hydrant outside my house, and it wasn't working. like at all. the firefighters can't magically put the fire out.

they need something to put it out. >> reporter: lindsay horvath, supervisor for the palisades, says she, too, is frustrated. what do you say to a homeowner who says the hydrant in front of my house had no water in it as my home burned? >> well, the city resources are -- they'll be looking at how these city fire hydrants continue to be managed, and with the unified command when the county comes in we're able to bring additional resources into the area. >> that was tony dokoupil reporting. coming up, we're going to have more on the california wildfires as we show you the popular landmarks threatened with destruction. and we'll take you to washington for the other big news of the day -- the funeral of former president jimmy er. asthma. does it have you missing out on what you love with who you love? it's time to get back out there with fasenra. fasenra is an add-on treatment for eosinophilic asthma that is taken once every 8 weeks and can also be taken conveniently at home.

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president, jimmy carter. in just a few hours, his body will be moved from the u.s. capitol where he's lying in state to washington national cathedral for funeral services. all five living presidents are expected to attend, and president biden will deliver the eulogy. cbs' jarred hill is live in washington with more on what we can expect. jarred, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, michael. today marks the beginning of the end of the public remembrances for president jimmy carter. his state funeral scheduled to begin at 10:00 a.m. eastern time. as he lies in state here on capitol hill, a steady stream of mourners have come to pay their final respects. in a snow-covered nation's capitol, admirers lined up by the hundreds to pay their respects to president jimmy carter. >> i admired the way that he lived a very humble lifestyle as a president. >> reporter: among the visitors wednesday on, president-elect donald trump who met with carter's family before meetings on capitol hill. >> they were lovely. they were really very sad, but

also they were celebrating because he was a very fine man. i knew him a little bit, but i knew him only as a fine man. >> reporter: the public viewing ends at the capitol this morning when carter's casket will be taken just a few miles away to the national cathedral for a state funeral. president biden will deliver one of the eulogies. >> we have one chance to get this right. >> reporter: the majestic church is the second largest in the united states. it's played host to four state funerals in the past. today roughly 3,000 people are expected to attend the service for president carter. a program he had part in planning before dying at the age of 100. >> this is heart of what we do, and we're happy to do. it. >> reporter: back at the capitol, lines of visitors solemnly moved past carter's casket, reflecting on a life that's offered inspiration for their own. some inspired by what carter did after leaving the white house. >> he obviously like reached the highest office in the land but then went on to still fight for causes he believed in and

continued to try and serve the public. >> reporter: now the other two eulogies are going to be ones written by people who preceded carter in death. one is president gerald ford who carter beat in the '76 election, but then they formed a really strong friendship. other by his vice president, walter mondale. both of those are going to be read by those men's sons today at the national cathedral. michael? >> all right, jarred hill in washington. thanks. and we'll bring you the departure ceremony from the capitol and former president carter's state funeral in washington national cathedral live in a cbs news special report. that's going to be at 9:00 eastern on cbs and streaming on paramount plus. coming up, wildfire losses. we'll show some of the high-profile names impacted by the california fires. mpacted by the california fires. iabetes? discover the ozempic® tri-zone. i got the power of 3.

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here's a look at the forecast in some cities around the country. ♪ well, some famous names have also lost their homes in the l.a. fires. actor mandy moore showing the fires raging through her neighborhood. in a post on line she says she's grateful she and her family made it out safely while promising to rebuild. actor carey elwes also posting video of the wildfire ripping through his neighborhood and burning down his home. paris hilton posting video from local news coverage saying she saw her malibu home destroyed on tv as she was watching the news. the mother of two remembering the memories she made there including her son taking his first steps. reality couple spencer pratt and heidi montag saying their nightmare came true. the couple sharing video of the fire leveling the property they shared with their two kids. and actors adam brody and leighton meester also lost their home in the fire.

video shows charred remains after the pacific palisades fire burned it to the ground. and billy crystal who also lost his house released a statement saying, quote, we're heartbroken, of course, but with the love of our children and friends we'll get through this. we pray for safety of the firefighters and first responders. the deadly wildfires aren't just destroying lives and homes, they're also destroying pieces of hollywood history. cbs' tom hanson reports on the iconic los angeles locations recognizable around the world. >> reporter: landing in l.a., the view from the plane was ominous. smoke from the palisades fire melding with the clouds, nearly blocking out the sun. fire threatening the landmarks many americans have come to know from tv and in movies. smoke billowing above santa monica's iconic pier and amusement park. >> look at our house -- >> reporter: flames crept close to the villa, home to 40,000 priceless works of art. the museum spared by an extensive effort to clear brush.

the normally stunning pacific coast highway unrecognizable. fire destroying businesses and homes, including the real inn, a seafood destination for celebrities, locals, and visitors alike. gone after nearly four decades. further east, palisades charter high school went up in flames. it was the backdrop for movies like "freaky friday" and "carrie." while in pasadena an evacuation order from the eaton fire was issued for an area around the rose bowl. several tv productions have been halted including "jimmy kimmel" and "grey's anatomy." the l.a. zoo closed because of high winds. tom hanson, cbs news, los angeles. next, capitol visit. president-elect donald trump returns to capitol hill amid new decisions on his legal cases. touch can mean so many things. even for people with moderate-to-severe eczema. touch can make two feel like one.

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are you ready to begin? explore teaching at teach dot org. here's a look at the forecast in some cities around the country. ♪ a new winter storm will impact more than 50 million people across 15 states in the southern u.s. snow and ice began in texas today with messy travel for anyone heading through dallas. tonight it moves into memphis, and the winter weather will reach atlanta tomorrow mor there.

with less than two weeks before his inauguration, president-elect donald trump made his first trip back to capitol hill since he left office four years ago. trump was accompanied by his wife melania as he entered the capitol yesterday for a private meeting with republican senators. trump said it, quote, feels great to be back inside the u.s. capitol. there are updates to court cases involving the president-elect. the justice department says it plans to release only part of special counsel jack smith's investigations into trump. it says it will make public smith's findings on the election interference case but will only provide details about the classified documents case to certain lawmakers for now. charges in both cases against trump were dismissed. and trump's lawyers asked the supreme court yesterday to call off tomorrow's sentencing in his new york hush-money case. it comes as justice samuel alito spoke with him tuesday. alito talked to trump to recommend a former law clerk for

a job in the upcoming administration. he claims they did not discuss any other matters. israeli soldiers recovered the body of a hostage abducted by hamas on october 7th. military says it found 53-year-old yosef al zayadni in an underground tunnel in southern gaza. it also says it's trying to determine if another set of remains are the man's 23-year-old son. both were thought to still be alive before yesterday's announcemnts. and coming up on "cbs mornings," tony dokoupil is live in pacific palisades, california, with the latest on the deadly wildfires. i'm michael george. this is "cbs news mornings." ldf. i'm michael george. this is "cbs news mornings." for people who feel limited by the unpredictability of generalized myasthenia gravis, season to season, ultomiris is continuous symptom control,

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♪ cue the trumpets as we begin this thursday morning as we welcome you to